This has probably been done several times before, but as I'm infrequent, I was wondering.  Who's been diagnosed and battling the Beast the longest?  After a few months of remission, day before yesterday I ate breakfast, 30 minutes later, was in the midst of a 9-1/2.  Fortunately,  I still had a nearly full "C" bottle of O2 in my office {I work at home}.  Didn't help that one, but has been mostly God sent since.  I was diagnosed in 1980, and have tried just about everything under the sun.  After 3 heart attacks, the good stuff is out of the question.  Used to use it, though.   

First cycle 1973

I am pushing 24 years . But, the more I think about it, well,, us long time sufferers know what to expect, and normally when to expect it, and have a pretty good arsenal to fight it. Newbies have it rough, its scary, your confused, in pain, and ignorant to fighting methods. But, no matter how you slice or dice it,,,,, it sucks!!!!!!!!!!!! I wont get into a long dissertation "why I think CH has made me a better person", but in all honesty,,, I think it has!            Tuck

ClusterChuck wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 1:31pm:


There, I FIXED it for ya....    And we've tried SO hard to make you into a NICE person, but you work so hard at being an A-hole...

And that little "boat ride" was supposed to be a 3-hour cruise - Noah lied to me!! The damn barometer dropped and that's HOW CH started kiddies.... Now you know the REAL story! 

Hugs BD

jj - honey don't take offense at our jibes -- it's just never been brought up and we've never thought about it...

That would be a hard one to figure out cause some have been misdiagnosed since they were children and some for years and years. I really can't figure out when mine actually started. I know when they got bad and when I got diagnosed, but to actually say when they started, the more I think about it -- the further back I can go, so it's really a mystery to me. I just feel like it might be the same for others as well.

Guess that's just one of those questions that most of us won't be able to answer. Sorry...

Hugs BD

pubgirl wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 4:38pm:

LOL - you made my day!

First headache was in 1972 and I was chronic for the next 31 years.

I believe George is up to 40 years, but I could be wrong.

  The first CH I can recall was in May of 69. Since you are on Marine boards. I passed the boards for my first Masters ticket (150 tons) June 1968. Its been real and its been fun. But it hasn't always been real fun.

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CHenz lying about their age? Tell me it's not true.
I do remember the day's before Imitrex. That's scary.
thebb

jjslugdog wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 3:33pm:

I didn't.

Quote:

Because I thought it was an inane question, and I wanted to point that out. That's all.

I know a guy through the grapevine named Tony Paap.  He was the CEO at the Oakland Childrens Hospital until he retired a few years ago.
He said he has been suffering since the early 60s.  Back then, doctors did surgery to have the nasal septa resected, thinking the pain was due to broken noses,etc., so he had at least one surgery on his nose/sinus area.  He was diagnosed in 1976.
He is lucky to have known Neil Raskin of UCSF for a long time and has had him as his primary neuro.  He never did find any preventative to help him, but took all the ones that we talk about.  Triptans seemed to make his Ch worse, so he is not able to use those.

13 years almost to the date of my first real CH pain
22 years all up
Only 26 years here
May of 69
chronic for the next 31 years

A very depressing thread considering I am only 3 years into the club.