I have been thinking about what Paco said in a PM to me and it is so very true!

About 10 years ago DJ nurtured an idea and followed through with it and CH.com was born.  In the early years of this site, as Paco said, “nobody knew what we were doing back then.”  We were a bunch of very lonely pain stricken people that were floundering in the sea of cluster headaches holding on to whatever floated by in the hopes of relief; not only from the pain but from the isolation we all felt.  We were alone in the world and there was precious little information available to most of us.  We stuck together and bonded with each other even when distance and lifestyles were so very far apart.

So much has changed here over the years.  There is a body of knowledge we have forged and built that would rival even the best information available in any medical center.  I would say that IS progress!  I feel that in some way each and every person that has visited this site over the years had given something to CH.com and to the family on the board.  Even the folks that only take and then leave have given something and that is the people that have helped them have the satisfaction of giving freely to another.  Yes, there is satisfaction in helping and getting no thank you.  You know what you have done.

With the evolution and maturation of CH.com has come some complexity that has caused some problems, however DJ has put in place a mechanism to address this.  The one sad thing that I feel we have lost is the innocence of the early days.  That innocence was true glue that kept this place alive before it reached a critical mass to become self-sustaining.  Like a peace of flotsam in a sea of pain the drowning rat, cat and dog became friends on the life raft called CH.com.

Keep rowing!

-P.

Oh wow Paul...those are indeed words of wisdom.

Yes we did indeed lose some innocence, but we gained OUCH and off of OUCH came world wide OUCH groups. 

We gained a much higher volumne of people seeking us for help when they thought there was no help. I would love to know EXACTLY how many we've been able to help here.  If there was a way to count, I'd bet in the thousands.

True friendships were forged.

Anytime maturation and change occurs there is going to be something/someone to try to counteract it.   It's just human nature. 


Good post Paul.   Got ME thinking and I hope others too. 

Linda_Howell wrote on Dec 3^rd, 2008 at 10:08pm:


Thanks Linda! 

I hold the memories of "then" like I remember summer vacations when I was a child.  They are sweet and to be remembered but you can never go back.  It is a moment in time which can never be recaptured.

I would agree that the number of people that have been helped is in the many thousands and that is impressive by any means.  All of the help and support groups accross the globe that have come into being because of DJ and the first few pioneers at CH.com is nothing short of a miricle. 

-P.

I feel somewhat in the minority...it's fun to look back...but does anyone REALLY want to go back? The board has evolved.....not as rambunctious as it used to be, but look at the sheer numbers of newbies finding us and finding hope. I enjoyed where we were, but I REALLY like where we are.

Guiseppi

Guiseppi wrote on Dec 4^th, 2008 at 12:01am:

"I hold the memories of "then" like I remember summer vacations when I was a child.  They are sweet and to be remembered but you can never go back.  It is a moment in time which can never be recaptured."

Read carefuly Grasshopper....It means that going back destroys the memories as we know them.

-P.

Paul that was beautiful and it got me to thinking also. Those "old" days when the "few" of us waited all day for DJ to update the board (it wasn't instant back in the beginning - we had to wait for DJ to upload our posts and he did that when he had time). Then we'd read every post and reply and wait some more for the next update. But it was the most wonderful site we'd ever found because we were not ALONE anymore.

Over the years, the changes have been fantastic and we've seen so many people come here for help and there's so much knowledge here. (In the beginning we just shared ideas and what WE knew).

I love to go back to the archives and read the old posts - the humor that was there (especially the humor) was priceless. Kip's doggie story, Drummer's survival kit story (and the thing is - they were about half true), lcbob's "Dance with the Devil", the night OUCH was brought up (lcbob's post in a hillarious post). So many people that were here and are not any longer for one reason or another - I still remember and miss them all.

But, as Joe said, progress is good and I like what we have today. So much help and support has been given here and if truth be known several lives have been saved.

I've been coming here almost daily since 98 (missed a few days, but not many). Sometimes I just read and sometimes I post, but it's gotten to be a habit to check in and see what everyone is doing - kinda like going to the coffee shop and getting the town gossip. It's truly a community and I've had the pleasure of watching it grow and being a part of it.

Hugs BD

You are right Paco!  We really did pick each other's brains back then looking for the holy grail of answers and we had fun doing it. 

Seems like we did have more "nutters" back then though.  Perhaps it is because there were relativle few of us back then and they stood out when we pumped them for info.

I miss Ms Twitch and Ms Holl-er-man!

-P.

Georgia was the first to welcome me.

I wonder how they are doing? I wonder if her CH map tack is still out in the Gulf?

Good thoughts and memories.

Steve G

Couldn;'t find that Donna, but in looking I found this and RE-laughed my butt off.


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Drummer was so dang special, I sure miss him.

Good find, Linda.  He wrote so many gems.

i would have loved to be able to reminese with you alumni but i cant
I can however tell you the evolved ch.com has thrown me a life line amongst the onslaught of doctors,test,judment and just plain stupid questions/ statements (when i had a bad headache i .....)
so as i try to carry the torch for awhile please remember ,if in wasn't for what you all did, i would not be able to carry the torch.
I would probably be  still snorting stadol and eating percoset wondering why i cant have some relief from the pain.
thank you all

And that is what is all about. Saving people going down the same road we did. I cried when I found ths site. I don't think I am the only one.  


Mike

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modified to add quote

Drummer is still an idiot and he still has that Andy Rooney idolization complex!