October 15, 2005

Back to the Misery

For the past 6 months or so, I've had fairly constant Shadows. I've gotten accustomed to them and they've been decreasing in intensity the whole time even as they have maintained their frequency.

It's weird how easily you learn to accommodate "inconveniences" when you have no choice in the matter. I've simply worked my decreased efficiency and lower energy level into my calculations of what I can do and when.

However, all of those calculations were blown to #&!! this past week when my Clusters returned in full force. No more merely having pansy-@$$ Shadows (though I'm still getting those too); no, the menu is for eye-popping-wake-you-in-the-middle-of-the-night-searing-pain. Wheeeeeeee!!!

This is no real surprise. Typically, I get Clusters for 2 months or so followed by 4 month respite. Then I'll get a new round of Clusters. Basically, I have a roughly 6 month cycle that corresponds with the beginning of Spring and Fall. So this new Cluster is coming right on cue (very polite of them to be so punctual). The only weird thing is how my last round (of Shadows) never went away before this new round arrived).

- wink [October 15, 2005 06:07 PM]
Comments

syndromes says:

Are there any promising treatment options on the horizon that you've heard of?

Continue fighthing the good fight wink :)

- syndromes [October 18, 2005 08:16 PM]

wink says:

Other clusterheads are raving about Kudzu root extract. It supposedly prevents or reduces the duration of most attacks. And has almost no side effects (apparently it makes you very gassy, but that seems to be about it).

There have been no real studies--and there won't be either as there is no money to be made by doing so; kudzu is a weed that has taken over most of SE America, and the root extract is already cheaply available in healthfood stores everywhere.

I've ordered some, but I've just started a course of Prednizone. I don't want to start the kudzu at the same time as the Pred since, if I start feeling better, I won't know which one is causing it. So my experiments with the kudzu will have to wait.

Thanks for the encouragement!

- wink [October 19, 2005 12:54 AM]

syndromes says:

Interesting. Maybe 60 minutes or 20/20 will do an expose on the merits of Kudzu and it'll be more readily available here or something :) Man, for being one of the most technologically advanced nations, we sure are bass-ackwards sometimes :P

- syndromes [October 19, 2005 12:34 PM]