Galwin

No weather related problems up here in the ex-urbs. Tons of other crap going on though lol! Thanks for asking Denny

A great way I've found to discover what your heart desires is to volunteer your time at a charity/non profit organization. In my case it was the local animal shelter but some other ideas would be child-enrichment programs, nature or park clean-up groups, food for the homeless or the disabled etc... The great thing about it is that everyone at these places are there because it's a labor of love, not because it's a paycheck or the "cool" thing to do. So when you find the one that speaks to you, you'll instantly be in a group of people that share something very meaningful.

LOL!!!Â

It's not hard to imagine that you feel that way at all, but you ARE doing an incredible amount for him, I can promise you that without hesitation. I'm holding you to that... Oh man, there's some fun times to had in the futureÂ

There just aren't words Eddie, or is it "there just isn't words". How about both.... x 1,000,000. I kinda think of you as my Obi Wan Kenobi in the fight against ClusterVader. My only hope is that I can pass on some of the support and love that you so generously showed me. Maybe at some point soon we should start a thread specifically for a New York/New England meet. Maybe make it a little easier for some folks to hear about it without having to just happen upon these specific posts?

To say that every clusterhead would benefit from meeting Eddie would be an understatement. I'm so grateful for the time we spent together and I know it's just the beginning of an incredible friendship.

Hi Shellie and Marsha, It was a real treat meeting you both! I second everything you said about Dan's presentation Shellie, but I also have to mention his incredible sense of humor. Dan literally had the whole room falling off their chairs with laughter multiple times! Here he is describing living with gut wrenching pain and one medical treatment disappointment after another, and he still manages to crack hilarious jokes every other minute. ;D If that doesn't show strength of character I don't know what does!

Hi Lee Ann! Tell Dan the Coors is on me when next we meet(hopefully soon)! Thanks for the warm welcome to all the folks I haven't met personally here yet. Birdman- I felt the same way about meeting everyone, it was like we had already known each other for ages, what a rare feeling. I spent years living on the other side of the Harbor from you in Brooklyn. David- We're literally neighbors! I'm in Hopewell near Shenandoah. I'm sensing a New York mini get-together soon!

I've only been back a day and already looking forward to Chicago... thanks again!

After 7 years with episodic clusters and nothing more than a prescription for Imitrex, I finally have some hope. Up 'till this past Friday evening, I had never met another Cluster sufferer, and now I feel like a member of one of the most supportive families that I could imagine. Just like the diversity of our cluster community(and that of Portland itself), I'm so struck by the range of experience that the conference provided. On one hand, there's the wealth of information by the extremely knowledgeable doctors that presented. Previously, I hardly understood what was biologically going on with me, but now I feel like I just completed a medical school course on the subject. And on the other hand, the outpouring of emotion... compassion, sympathy, optimism, brother/sisterhood is still choking me up as I write this. There just aren't words to describe how much this has meant to me. It's taken me about 6 weeks to finally type up this first post. Partially because I was in the throws of my annual July episode, but also because of negative experiences on other forums. Let me say that if anyone is apprehensive about speaking about what they're going through like I was..... Don't Be! The folks that make up this community are open minded, intelligent and compassionate people that welcomed this newbie with arms open. And if your style is a little more on the private or 1-on-1 side, send a p.m. or come to the next conference like I did. I'd like to thank everyone again personally by name right now, but that'll take quite a while and ya'll know who you are. But seriously....THANK YOU for the truly life changing experience!!! -Daniel