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Not sure what a "Normal" life is anymore. My new normal is to deal with things one day at a time and adjust. I know I am going to get beat down with a massive cluster at any time of any day so I am always ready to fight back with whatever I can. I keep oxygen in the car at all times, I have it in my office at work keep a triptan injection near by as much as I can and a 5hr energy drink in my pocket. I can no longer drink alcohol so my new norm in a social aspect is water and coffee. I am not shy or hiding my clusters so when someone who does not know what I deal with and comments about not drinking or avoiding some sort of smell I tell them how it is. I can no longer burn a candle, my wife can no longer ware perfumes and depending on how my clusters are on any given day I need to avoid other scented things like cooking dinner. This is my normal life, not great but it is what I have so I embrace it and know things could always be worse. The new normal and I still love it.

My cluster symptoms began after a traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness However, there were other mitigating factors as well: other concussions, 2 cervical spine surgeries including a fusion (followed by an eventual 3rd surgery and 2nd fusion post-CH as a result of the TBI), sleep apnea, male, etc. But no prior drug use, heavy alcohol use, smoking, or family history of CH So I personally believe there may be a strong connection between brain injury and/or spinal injury and cluster. But the exact mechanism in play may unique to each person.