Posted by Laurence on October 09, 1998 at 21:03:11:
In Reply to: What are 'Shadows'? posted by M on October 08, 1998 at 20:38:39:
Hi M,
As I am having "time off for good behaviour", it has been a while since I last visited this site and I have therefore only just seen your question about 'shadows'.
I am summer cluster-man myself and so posted along with a crowd of fellow 'sun worshipers' in June and July until most of us got out of our cycles. Shadows were a hot topic of conversation at the time and I posted the following, which you might find helpful:
"For me, while the illness runs through its cycle, I have a shadow almost all of the time. When the illness is at its height, the shadow may lift for only a brief moment or two during the day. As the cycle runs its course, the shadow begins to lift for a bit more each day. There may be the occasional setback. But I am always completely aware of when it has lifted. My head feels unmistakably clear.
The shadow is a continuing sensation in my head (right side for me) at the front, middle or towards the back of the head - sometimes in only one spot sometimes more than one. The right eye, right-side forehead, right nostril or right cheekbone also feature. The sensation varies from just tingling to mild pain. The more areas affected by the shadow the more likely the sensations are to be classified, by me, as pain.
An attack, or “headache”, is simply when the illness is showing its maximum effect in my brain. The “headache” varies in intensity and duration from mild to devastating. The longer and the more intense the “headache” the longer it takes my brain to recover from it. My whole body is assaulted when the pain is too bad for me to remain standing."
The main reason I can remember when the post was made is that it was sent over the wires on the 4th of July, so it's just a little easier for me to find in the archive.
I hope it's of some use to you. I hope also you will forgive me if I don't join up for full membership of the autumnal club of cluster folk!
Bye for now
Laurence