Posted by Carl D (208.4.19.145) on April 16, 2000 at 12:01:11:
Well, like I said about not being very well connected to my family - I found out just a couple of days ago that my cousin Eric was getting married yesterday, and wasn't even sure I could find a ride to the wedding. My cousin Mandy picked me up for the reception and my brother David gave me a ride home. It was an interesting night.
First, I talked to one of my Aunts and told her that since I couldn't get any help anywhere else and was basically up the hershey creek without a paddle, that my family here at CH.Com had started a medical fund and was trying to help me find a new doctor. I mentioned dr Kim and found out some bad stuff (apparently was my Aunt Brenda's doc before her death), so I am combing the list Elaine gave me and asking around, trying to find someone worth a darn.
It's funny, Out of all of my relatives, I said hi to a couple of aunts, talked to three of my cousins, talked to an aunt that was close to my mom (my aunt Sandy), and my older cousin Mark - who hasn't given me the time of day ever in my life, came up to me to say hi and ask if I knew who he was. Talk about feeling like an alien around your own family.
I didn't get hit with a CH at the reception, but started shadowing pretty hard and thought I would get hit at any time. While I was shadowing, I remembered something my friend Wiley had noticed during an attack when he look at my eyes; he said one pupil looked bigger than the other. I had asked Drummer about this and he said that the side he gets hit on - the pupil usually constricts (gets smaller). Well, while I was shadowing pretty hard, I looked at my brother David and asked him if he noticed a difference in my pupils. On the side I've been getting hit on lately (and was feeling the shadow) He said my pupil was larger than the other. So now this has me curious: If you can stand to during your next attack, look in the mirror and see if your pupil dilates or constricts. I am interested to see which is more common - larger or smaller. I forgot to ask Wiley if that side was larger or smaller than the other, so I am gonna wait for my next attack to try and look at myself in the mirror without punching it.
I didn't think of that during my last attack, otherwise I would have looked then. I had three since midnight, two 6's and one 10+. Right now I am starting to shadow a little, so I guess It's mirror time!
I haven't got to read much of the board today, but I did read Nick D's post on pollution. Hmmmm. There may be something to that. I lived in Granite City, Illinois for most of my life - about two blocks from Granite City steel. There are all kinds of factories in G.C. - including one that emits beautiful sparkly metal flakes and shavings all over the neighborhood. And the EPA is throwing a fit about my car????
Well, I'm off to take more Ultram before this builds any further, and hopefully won't puke my brains out again (a side effect that happens once in a while with Tramadol.)
So, which happens to you during a shadow or attack - constriction or dilation.
Peace,
Carl D
P.S. - If I can get online tomorrow - I am going to post a list of some herbs that is recommended for CH by a herb book from GNC. Two I can think of right off hand is L-Tyrosine and Ginko Biloba, can't remeber the rest. I am curious though, as it lists the causes of CH as: Stress, Smoking and alcohol.