I have been getting CH's since I was teenager every year between Sept and Feb give or take/and have always and continuously been made fun of by family members/friends etc for not attending some events, holiday parties etc due to my headache condition. My headaches can come on quickly and very strongly, and usually after something I've eaten, like onions, garlic, chocolate, coffee, and others, and if I am in public when this happens, it is a disaster because when the pain hits i usually can't do anything but sit there and close my eyes, try to get meds and an icepack for the left side of my head. Now, if this happened at a holiday party, forget about it, i would be in intense pain, and would have to literally try to explain this condition to everyone I see or come into contact with. Therefore, around the holidays i lay low, and purposely avoid certain events due to my headache condition.
Now, lets fast forward to 2016, modern time, my wife gets an invite to the Christmas Holiday Party and they need to know exactly how many RSVPs will be going, and she asks me, even when she already knows what my answer will be. I answer her, there is now way i will be attending due to my headache condition, and the 14 year old daughter hears my response and says, "Nice Excuse!!" Now at this point, i look and the child and contemplate even beginning to try to explain to her, as she has about a 2 sec attention span as it is, so i explain it to her generally without going into detail.
My wife asks me will I be attending the other daughters Birthday party at BeniHanas Japanese Restaurant, and I have the same response, and the same response from the younger daughter, "You don't go to anything, WOW!!"
People in general don't understand the pain that we have to go through, nor are they sympathetic to the situation, and believe me Im not one looking for the sympathy anyways believe me, but people do not understand this disease like we do, they have no idea, none, the type of pain we have to endure. A good day for me, is being able to control this pain to a manageable level.
But society doesn't understand, and we who suffer the daily pain from these headaches continue to be ridiculed publicly and looked down upon.
I had a request for a Jury Duty spot, same thing, won't be able to attend due to my headache condition. People just don't understand!!!!!!!!