Posted by Linda Howell (209.78.173.171) on February 17, 2000 at 23:17:55:
In Reply to: Please help us! posted by Amy M on February 17, 2000 at 18:24:06:
You said your boyfriend was in the hospital for 2 and half weeks. Was this for something other problem? The reason I ask is because most of us who have cluster headaches, have been through the "middle of the night run to the ER" But they don't usually require that long of a stay in the hospital. I sympathize with your frustration and fear. Please know that he will not and can not die from these. This message board you have found is chock full of very intelligent people and we will all help with whatever we can to get you both through this. Knowledge is power over these headaches. Getting a doctor to be helpful and caring is a real tricky thing. Some of us(myself included) are very fortunate to have a doctor who listens and treats me with respect. Others are not so lucky. When trying to find a good Doctor he must ask beforehand if this guy is knowledgeable about Clusters. If he hems and haws and seems dis-interested, look elsewhere. I've been a card-carrying member of Cluster Headaches for 13 years, the last 7 I've been chronic, which means I get them everyday with no break. Hopefully this will not be the case for him. All you can do is to be supportive. Trust me. There is really nothing else to do. He will want to be left alone when he's in pain. You're writing to us is a big step to show him you care about him and I admire you. Try the oxygen someone told you to try and read the links to the left side of this page. Hang in there! Linda Howell