Posted by Geoff (206.18.112.120) on June 14, 1999 at 14:14:03:
I want to start out by saying you guys are awesome. I have never found anywhere that I could talk about this stuff with people who understand. Mike, I would like to tell you a story and maybe you or someone else can relate to this. Back in 1980, I developed a retinal hemhorrage in my right eye. I had always had perfect vision and needless to say, I was terrified when this happened. It happened on a Saturday and the docs were not around. A friend of mine was a "nurse" and looked at the backs of my eyes. He couldn't tell what was going on but I went to an opthalmologist on the following Monday morning. The opthalmologist looked at my eyes and did some retinal photography. It turned out that when I was a kid, I had Histoplasmosis at the age of eight and I had developed choreoretinitis in my right eye which caused me to have the bleed in my eye. I was shipped immediately to a Retinal Specialist who examined me and did further retinal photography. That day, he explained to me that he would have to laser my retina to stop the bleed. He did that the same day and I will never forget the way it felt as the laser was being administered to my right eye. It was like something was "shocking" the nerve (maybe the optic nerve) behind my right eye. I will never forget how it felt. It was very similar to the onset of my cluster headaches like someone has a drill through my head. About two months after this one done, I developed severe vertigo and within a month, I started having the cluster migraines. Never had any headaches in my life before that. I have always thought that there might have been some connection between the laser and my CHs. If anyone is qualified, I would really like to hear some opinions about this. I have had CHs for the last eighteen years and I am starting to feel as if another cluster is about to begin. I would really like to hear feedback about this as I have always wondered....Did that laser do something to my eye??? I hope this helps Mike and just to reiterate, this group is awesome. A bunch of very brave and supportive people here. Thanks.
Geoff