Posted by Jim on March 13, 1999 at 14:26:09:
In Reply to: 48 hrs. again posted by Linda on March 13, 1999 at 13:19:13:
Indeed it is unfortunate that cluster headaches are not understood by the populus in general. I didn't see 48 hours, there was a basketball game on here instead. But I have a theory about the misdiagnosis of that boy. I believe the doctor kmew full well that poor boy has clusters. The problem was that clusters wouldn't have generated sympathy for him whereas migraines would. Everybody has heard of migraines and know that they are painful, people can relate. Precious few have ever heard of clusters and fewer than that understand what one is. So, in an effort to connect, 48 hours probably directed the doctor to say migraine instead of cluster. It's kind of like from that movie, "Jaws." You yell shark and everybody gets out of the water, yell barracuda and people stand around saying, huh? what?
Remember that 48 hours is in it for ratings and money. That's what drives them. Sad to say, you can sell a lot more migraines than clusters. I really think that's the bottom line.