The Patient Speaks!

Here we are.  New Year’s Eve – 12/31/02.  And what have you done over the past year to alleviate our headache pain?  Did you go to the doctor?  Did you simply “grin & bear it” because “those doctors can’t do anything, anyway”?  Or did you actually see the doctor and promptly disregard all the advice (s)he gave you?  I know the feeling.  Total frustration with modern medical science.  Or is it?

Scientists have made vast improvements in headache medicine in recent history.  In my own case, by following my doctor’s instructions implicitly, I have actually had an improvement in reducing the amount of bad days.  Yes, every day is a bad day but I am talking about non-functional days. Just this morning I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about another triptan that just got approved by the FDA (Relpax by Pfizer) who’s main purpose is headache relief.  When I joined the headache “family” 25 years ago, medicines I am currently on that give me some relief were not even available and my bad days seemed to run into each other.

In my quest for headache relief, I have developed a couple of observations about modern science:

1.  As many advances that have been made over the centuries, science has just touched the surface in understanding the human body and what makes it tick.  It is similar to an automobile mechanic in that if something is physically broken – an arm, a leg, etc. – then doctors can set or repair the bones and you’re in good shape.  But, if it is an intermittent electrical problem such as the power window occassionally will not go up or down – or a headache occassionally appears or not – then the job gets much more difficult.  Both professions move from the realm of “fix’ing it” to having to diagnose it.  Not an easy task.

2.  As naive as man is about his own body, I am in awe of what man has achieved in his understanding in a relatively short time.  Great, major advances have been made just in the past 100 years.  To whit – I am keying this text into my computer instead of wallowing in constant pain and agony that completely debilitates me (I was offered total disability twice over the years.  I promptly fired those doctors)

I have great expectations for my own pain relief quest in the coming year.  Expectations tempered with a massive dose of realism.  I will continue to educate myself about Chronic Daily Headache by reading, surfing the web (www.headachedrugs.com for example), participating in newsgroups (usenet) and grilling my doctor incessantly.  Knowledge is power as they say.  I find that the more I know about my condition, the better equipped I am to deal with it.  So here’s to a great New Year!  Together we WILL make it.

(Post carried over from previous website)