Posted by Miguel (209.42.216.222) on February 04, 2000 at 13:45:31:
In Reply to: Weekend Topic begins! posted by Mrs. Holloman on February 04, 2000 at 07:37:23:
Cluster headaches is a condition that affetcs many people, according to statistics around 70% men, 30% women. It is not known what causes this condition. Its manifestation varies among those afflicted. The ailment itself is poorly understood by many non-sufferers. The condition affects individuals with extremely painful, unilateral headaches. The nature of the pain is quite intense and focused, while completely incapacitating the affected person during its duration. It starts as a somewhat dulled sensation of pressure around the orbital and temple areas of the side affected. This condition, within minutes, turns into excruciating, sharp and focused pain either around the orbital are, temporal area, or both. Sufferers like me become very negatively sensitive to light and sound, with nauseas and perhaps vomiting in some of the the worst attack. I feel quite hot as well during an attack. Depth perception is negatively affected as well. There is significant swelling of the lacrimal glands, as well as the eustakian duct and some involuntary lacrimation making its presence on the eye of the side affected by the attack. The duration and frequency of the attacks seems to vary from individual to individual. The condition may express itself as recurring cycles, which range from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the individual (also called "episodic"), to the worse cases being chronic and without interuption between attack cycles. To visualy describe the attack, perhaps picture yourself trying to scratch the inside of the top of your skull via your left eye socket with a dull fountain pen or a fork, and without the benefit of anesthesia. the pain has been described as exceeding that of child birth or involuntary member amputation without the use of pain killers or anesthesia. The currently available drugs for the treatment of this ailment are mostly ineffective, with severe side effects and costly. The side effects derive in most cases from the fact that since the cause and effects of this disease are so poorly known, there are very few drugs specifically developed for its treament, thus most of the drugs currently being utilized were developed to tread other conditions. The lack of understanding of this condition comprises members of the medical proffession as well. Many at times such practioners misdiagnose cluster headaches as sinus or ear infactions, and treat them accordingly. Many physicians deny its existance perhaps in a way to ease their frustration with the evasiveness of the disease, as well as to cope with their ow proffessional failure. Nevertheless, it is clear that the discovery of a bigger market dollars-wise would bring much attention to the disease, with ensuing needed medications and speciallist to prescribe and dispense such. the condition is so incapacitating that I am positive that it contributes to yearly losses in the millions via loss of work force hours. Advances in drug development for the treatment of cluster headaches have been made, but are not sufficient. Treatment of the disease seems to be along the lines of voodoo doctor medicine. The diseaase is so poorly understood, and its manifestation within a frame of commonalities so varied that a consolidated approach to the treament of this disease that a cure, or anything else that would help mitigate its effect on individual and social behaviors is far from being reached at this point.
If after that type of intelligent description the person to whom this is being explained to fails to see the severity of the subject matter I would recoomend the following:
OK - He says, as she fails to complete understand, while displaying some disbelief and disrespect in the form of a sarcastic grin. Let me just give you and idea of how it feels...as he pulls down her pants and panties. Bend over - he says. She complies while laughing. He pulls out the tube of Superglue and generously applies it to her anus. Wait a few minutes before moving - He says. Afterwards he proceeds to put back the panties and her pants. She looks somhow disappointed. He says - Oh! don't feel so bad. This next part you will enjoy thororughly - as he hands her 1 gallon of pre-mixed Metamucil, and 6 ex-lax pills....He mumbles as he leaves - Just wait about 30 minutes. You will get a decent idea of how it feels...Do you want me to call you in a few minutes to tell you how it felt - she says. "No" he replies "no need to do so. I will be just four floors down. I think I will be able to hear you from there"...