jon019

...damn those externals....

....among other "fun" stuff i was safety mgr. we talked about putting a sign over the hole as a safety reminder to "chain them damn tanks". finally decided that would be too big of a screaming red flag to WISHA (OSHA). not wanting to waste dramatic evidence, we left the hole and even cleared a space around it. told inspectors, "oh yeah, that,....old forklift damage we're getting ready to fix".....

.....when caught in the woods a couple times without ANY aborts...and while contemplating how dumb i was for being unprepared... i hyperventilated to dizziness. am sure the fear adrenaline of what was gonna happen helped...but dang, it was near miraculously successful... ....note that Batch has recommended a pre hyperventilation head start on your way to the O2 tank. his remarkable descriptions of the biochemistry involved are fascinating....

....just wanna throw in for those contemplating welding O2 and coming across this thread in future.....NEVER tell them you gonna breathe it or you are gonna have to find a new shop.... ....and i have to say...i am totally shocked they would ship a full tank ($125...yikes!!), and i bet it's by ground...planes have gone down from O2 tank "incidents". have witnessed a broken stem tank going through cement wall ....and a chlorine tank explosively leaking for no apparent reason (that gas is eerie green)..

.... note that many chemotherapy protocols include various steroids.... for an extended period. .... had almost the exact same discussion with eye surgeon. it developed remarkably rapidly besides the odd appearance. eye monitoring should be standard protocol for extended use of this incredibly powerful drug. it cannot be said enough for clusterheads (or their physician!): do not be enthralled to incaution by the near miraculous relief it can bring. there is a reason it has such LIMITED usage for CH. transition only.... never more than twice/yr.. and even that is risky... .... edit to add: i am not advocating against steroid use to break a cycle.... which can be incredibly effective and sanity saving. it's use should be for relief while transitioning to a preventive like verapamil.... or better yet busting. or sometimes, for just a frigging break.....

...i was allergic to toothpaste for a long period,... and triggered by "something" in a multivitamin (never figured out which ingredient).. anything is possible. clusterheads seem to have a good read on their bodies...trust your observations and use your gut instinct....

....we did....saw her like her Dad still does....

....first the tube, then..... ....let's blow this popsicle stand Pop....

...yur stirring a semantics pot Jeebs....3 kinds of lies, ea progressively worse: lies, damn lies, and statistics. for me i was 1 out of 3 with a methylprednisolone iv/taper...so 33%. but the first time, it stopped a cycle MID FREAKING cycle. it was a miracle!!!!....and 100%. i'm guessing.... with COMPLETE confidence.... that the actual number is somewhere between 0 and 100%.....

...spiny is entirely right that O2 suppliers must follow the script, BUT, it's important to note that YOU don't have to. get the script (hardest part) then crank that regulator (you bought your own on amazon to save on leasing, right?) to whatever works....key being reservoir bag full enough for full breath each time. for many that's 15-25+ lpm...some even higher. no one knows or cares what that is, find the flow that works for you. some find that starting high then lowering as the hit subsides an effective strategy and saves O2..... ...one of the saddest phrases in clusterville is "oxygen doesn't work for me"...when, in fact, it doesn't work at that pathetic flow....turn that baby up!! and experiment with various breathing techniques too. hyperventilation most frequently reported successful, but also slow breathe and breathe and hold...or a combo of all, can be the bliss.....

...all our eyes over your shoulder mate....

....before switching an O2 provider that is at least somewhat cool with a CH patient, ask for more tanks. i kept 6 e's on hand at all times for a decade+ before my provider (Lincare) finally got m-60's.....yee-haw! also a good opportunity to educate them on the needs of a clusterhead....paying it forward for the next 'head that wanders in. if at all possible, pick up and deliver your own tanks.....they loved that even WAY before the current labor/supply shortage. a personal relationship with shop mgr and backroom tech goes a long way too....then you are a person instead of a file number. delivery drivers can be your best friend, treat 'em like the gold they are....sometimes they can find you a tank or 2 when "none exist"....or even a few extra.....

...thank you @Tim Hogge ...ALWAYS worth mentioning (and rarely is), as dehydration is endemic and a facilitator of all kinds of bad issues. at one time in clusterville there was even enthusiasm for a "water therapy" treatment of CH. Worked for some! but not well enough for enough clusterheads to gain much traction. worth a try and hydration is important for everything anyway......

.....don't give up on the O2....when episodic there would be occasional cycles where i would get the wakeups like that. i suspect it was due to an inflammation/allergy that was "firing" things up....and that my vitamin D level was below optimal. get your levels checked and try the D3 regimen. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be helpful, with added benefit of drowsiness at an appropriate time...

...it's a long, windy road.....but there's sun at the end Shaun.....

...whose form Spiny? did you have to contact Medicare or was that Lincare?

...and my favorite m-60's too!!.....yee-haw!!! this makes my day for YOU!!. i used Lincare starting in '85....were always completely reliable once i got to know shop manager. ...these forms you speak of....Lincare, Medicare, or Medicare Advantage generated. never had to do any "special" forms for any care so that's a puzzler...

....that is flipping awesome!!!

...sorry, that musta been a one off article, pre hit o2 breathing is not recognized in clusterville as a successful practice ('81 on my case). O2 is an abortive (along with injectable triptans, THE most effective of the traditional aborts. DMT and, for some, ketamine the newer and less studied but reportedly effective). O2 inhalation effects are transitory in nature..... the effects do not accumulate. it is not a preventive. no harm in trying, if for no other reason than to prove to yourself what effect it does (or sadly, doesn't have). i've always figured there is only one way to find out for yourself for any method discussed here...try it...in this case ya got nothing to lose but a little gas..... ...if the melatonin does not work (and you should experiment with dosage) diphenhydramine (Benadryl in USA) is worth a try...was my go to for allergy flare ups (which i suppose might have been cause for 1 hr wake ups, (discussed below)...but i didn't realize at the time)...Quercitin is another option others are more familiar with so i defer... ...for these nightly wake ups, which were only an occasional odd cycle for me when ECH....i sorta quote myself from previous, mostly applies "... staying on for a few mins after the hit aborted is frequently helpful. Also used to get hit hourly at night (in high cycle)...for whatever reason the O2 worked better than the usual 15 min (only 3- 5+)...but back again in an hour. What I did was: learned to wake up as soon as hit started (and no idea how I did that)...with my rig all set to go....just had to slap on mask and open valve. Left lights off, only swung knees off bed and stayed sitting, eyes closed, none of the usual movement, anger, angst, swearing...NO thoughts other than breathe-breathe-breathe-breathe (almost like a mantra). Never really woke up and could get back to sleep almost immediately. Usually got 5 or 6 hrs of sleep a night... which I was eternally grateful for because the alternative was NO sleep. Turned out my ATTITUDE about what was happening was just as important as the tools I was using...literally changed my life."

...your other family is pulling for you and yours Shaun!

.... a cool example of i betcha a game everyone of us have played in some form or fashion. am convinced that we resort to such because it also provides a distraction....something ELSE to do/think about....whether it saves anything or not. ...same here on the regulator/turn off the valve....fiddling with a regulator whilst being hit is beyond my patience/capabilities....

...this be the Cadillac version NRB.....beloved by many a clusterhead, found at a sister CH site run by a fellow clusterhead, and the proverbial steal at $25. i've had 2 that lasted many years.....plug those damn holes in the meantime. ...the replies above are absolutely priceless and practical.... and make me smile. you won't get better anywhere else, and sadly not even a doctor's office unless you can find the exceedingly rare headache specialist.... ClusterO2 Kit - Clusterheadaches.com - Online Store

..good catch @CHfather...i blew right by that....