The Patient Speaks!

Just finished reading All In My Head, a headache diary if you will, written by Paula Kamen (ISBN 0-7382-0903-1). Perhaps “diary” is the wrong word, but the book covers Ms. Kamen’s travel through the headache world with all the attempts she made to conquer the pain. For me personally the book was of particular interest as many of the doctor’s and treatments she used were exactly the same as my own quest. Further, Ms. Kamen is a Chicagoan as am I (almost, as I am from the ‘burbs). She tried the “Chicago Headache Clinic” (a false name for a large, world renowned headache clinic on Chicago’s north side) with much the same results as myself. This included the many months wearing a medical bracelet warning emergency room doctors that we were on an MAO (monoamine oxidase) Inhibitor (Nardil) with all the attendant side effects. Definitely not one of my favorite memories. The book goes on to describe her quest through alternative approaches, too. Very, very interesting.

Also, on April 26, 2005 the CNN show LARRY KING LIVE did an hour on migraine. It’s been interesting reading critiques of the presentation on the chronic pain newsgroups. While many are grateful for the exposure as it helps give legitimacy to our suffering, others took issue with some of the statements from a celebrity headache sufferer. That said, we must remember that since we’ve been “in the game” for many years, we have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for our condition and the show, I believe, was geared toward “new people” in the headache world along with non-sufferer’s. I personally was satisfied that “migraine” and “chronic headache” are finally being legitimized as a real medical condition. The panel included Dr. Seymore Diamond (who was my actual doctor when I attended the Diamond Headache Clinic many years ago), Shawn King (Mrs. Larry King), actress Lee Grant, psychologist Frank Lawlis and my favorite, actress Susan Olsen. For an on-line transcript of the show, log on to:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0504/26/lkl.01.html

If you’re like me, the Spring growing season is playing havoc with my allergies. This in concert with the barometric changes prompting the thunderstorms is wreaking disaster on my poor little brain (VERY little brain, according to my wife just after I did something stupid again). In it’s own way, reading a book about someone else’s pain, plus watching people on TV relate the same seems to make my travails just a little less serious.