Posted by Barbara on November 16, 1998 at 16:01:50:
I have been on the phone all morning, trying to find someone in my husband's HMO group that has experience treating cluster headaches. Barbara (whose blood pressure is probably off the scale right now...deep breathes deep breathes)
I finally found one of the 4 listed that might use oxygen. Of course they don't have any appointments until January....the nurse at that office said to call the primary and have him call this neurologist, and they could get him started on treatment in the meantime until he can get an appointment.
I stupidly, was hoping for the oxygen. I called the primary who called me back just now. He thinks that they should increase the Depakote dose my husband is on, and do a blood level first. He wouldn't give us a referral to this neurologist either. I am about to go over there and beat on him with a baseball bat.
Why in the HELL won't anyone prescribe oxygen????? I'm going to have do a Thelma and Louise, and break down the door of a supplier in the middle of the night and just steal the effin tank!! My husband travels alot for business and is going out of town again tomorrow until Saturday, so we can look forward to another weekend from hell without getting proper treatment.
Maybe we are putting too many eggs in the oxygen basket, and maybe it wouldn't work for him, but since neither one of us are psychic (and leaning more and more to the psycho every day), we wouldn't know until he tried it.
I'm surprised they haven't told him to dance naked in the backyard under a full moon, sprinkling the blood of a chicken in a circle.
I used to work with his primary and that was the main reason my husband chose him on this plan. We mistakenly thought that he wasn't the type to balk at referring patients because of loss of bonus to him! I am so mad right now!! By the time we can change primary's and wade through the crap, his cycle will be over, along with his sanity and probably his job. Sorry about the venom here, but I really needed to get it out. I wanted to let it out on his primary, but we still need him at this point.
This site and all the responses to my questions and concerns has been a godsend! Thanks again for lettting me vent (and I pity the person that tried to get in the way of it
Best of luck to all :)