A ClusterHead's Life

Well this has been the longest I have ever gone without posting since I started 'A Clusterhead's Life' a couple of years ago, give or take a few months. I would like to say thank you for all the comments and emails I've received. They are much appreciated despite my lack of reply. I will try to get to them over the holidays. Promise. There are a couple of reasons as to why the lack of posts or replies lately.

Firstly, at the end of November there was an anniversary of sort, not a celebration that is for sure. It has been 5 years since the first cluster headache attack. Five years is a very long time to be on the extreme end of the pain spectrum and the amazing part is I am relatively lucky as far as diagnosis and treatment goes for non-malignant pain. Pain is not, well directly terminal. Some individuals go a lot longer without proper care and there should be no reason for it.

It is not uncommon for chronic pain sufferers to die from the unrelenting pain however this is normally by there own hand. It should never, ever be allowed to come to that. The undertreatment of chronic pain is neglectful I think. Statistics are hard to come by in a direct collation between chronic pain and suicide. The DrugLibrary.org Chronic Non-malignant Pain Factsheet by Marcia E. Bedard, Ph.D reads "Undertreatment of CNP often results in suicide. In a recent survey, 50% of CNP patients had inadequate pain relief and had considered suicide to escape the unrelenting agony of their pain. Unrelieved pain also leads to requests for physician-assisted suicide, another indicator of pain's harsh impact on the quality of life of many patients and their families." That would seem accurate with the conversations I have read or had with pain sufferers.

I rediscovered Our Chronic Pain Mission while reorganizing my bookmarks and it will be added to the list of links just as soon as I finish this post. The site has more the a few incredibly useful links and information . This section is particular useful and just a small sample of the whole site. I have to relationship with 'Our Chronic Pain Mission' other than I found it useful and hopefully you will think the same.

Here is another article entitled"A Chicken or the Egg Story". The article, from January 2006, is by By Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD may help to shred some light on the issue. I have to move on the topic is just too depressing.

Secondly, not that I am way off topic... I have found myself pondering what life was like before all this started. How I was inevitable changed both physically and mentally. Going from a laid back, nonchalant positive out look on life to worries about how miserable I make others, and I do, around me at events, family dinners or even with one other. Most of the last few weeks has been spent in deep thought on how to improve the situation and to be honest I am tapped dry. I will likely have to remove anything and everything that can amplify an attack. The last thing I would want is to affect others in the negative manner which has become common place. I don't like it and only I can change it. Agony or not the new year will bring about some change. Another 5 years is not acceptable without improvements.

Wow, I have gone far off what I initial wanted to talk about. A lot longer too. Sorry about the the mindless batter. Oh well, save it for another post(s).

Paul

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
-Harvey Fierstein
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