Posted by Stephen Brown (209.53.88.107) on August 11, 1999 at 21:13:43:
Hello again friends... may I call you friends? I feel as though you've shared of yourselves enough here for me to take that small liberty.
In the history of my headaches, indeed I felt I was the only one suffering.. your postings have opened up a whole new world to me.. that of the supporters. Had I only realized the extent to which the tentacles of this Demon can reach, I would have sought more appropriate help earlier. Instead, my quiet hell has undoubtedly had effects on many people who have been a part of my life. Recently, as I mentioned in my first communique, I have been smitten with a new woman in my life. She found this site for me... because she cares enough to help me. She supports me in my attempt to beat the demon back, she massages me, she soothes me, she loves me. And in learning to love, I am finding new strength in myself to accept her help. My new approach to this thing is a head-on, tackle-it-to-the-ground approach. This, in contrast to my old idea of quietly laying, writhing, convulsing in pain and waiting until it was over approach, has me feeling that I can at least now fight back!! The fight is the thing tho'... the harder I try to rid myself of the immediate pain, the harder it tries to hang on... strange isn't it? As if the headache can outmanouevre our every attempt at abating it.
I have taken much of the information gleaned here and presented it to my new Dr. here in the town I live. I am not a longterm resident, and was expecting the worst response from my new practitioner... however, I was pleasantly surprised at his "Yes" answer to my question, "Are you familiar with cluster headaches?" He was intrigued with my "naturo" approach, while still maintaining his Med school training of not fully endorsing it... "You might be best to run those ideas past the Neurologist...or ask your Naturopath about drug interactions with the products you've chosen..."
This was a welcome response, and I have finally got an appointment to see a specialist in the neurological field. I credit your posts for my actively pursuing a course of proper treatment. I had two pain free days since my first post 4 days ago, last night's sleep being broken about 20 minutes into it. I am tired now, and the shadow clings to my shoulders and neck like a dragon with it's talons firmly rooted in my muscles... I know another headache will have me soon... but it doesn't know that I know what I know... yet.
Just a word of thanks to all of you who responded to me.. and a special thanks to Clara Lee.. for finding me in her hometown and reaching out to me on behalf of herself and her husband, a 20 yr sufferer like myself.
Bless you all... wishing each and everyone PFNAD's.
Stephen