My thanks for the cure

[LaurenAla]

 

My husband started getting episodic cluster headaches in 2002. They affected his life so terribly he lost jobs, and missed tests at college. He worried about ever being able to hold down a job, or be a functional person in society- if he was taken out for 6 weeks, 2-4 times a year. Imitrex nose spray helped but only delayed the headaches- they always came back, and the rebound was worse than riding them out to begin with as they were often longer headaches than the 60 minute ones he had.

I loved this man, to see him in agony was torture in its own right. I resolved that if the cure to cluster headaches was ground up Mona Lisa, then I was off to France with a ski mask in my luggage. My research began, to see what others had discovered, since doctors were damn near no help.

In 2008 I found Clusterheadaches.com and it helped. Oxygen brought relief in 20 minutes. I learned how to crack a tank and properly attach hardware and valves and it scared me to do but what of it. But that wasn't enough. He was tied to the tank on the wall or small portable tanks. The search continued.

I found clusterbusters.com in 2009. I had never done any drugs but I bought spores in cash, grew two fishtanks worth, dried them, and micro-dosed him. He only had to do it 6 times or so before the cluster headaches were gone forever. He'd feel the shadows come on, microdose, do it again a bit later, and poof- no cycle. They eventually left and just never came back.

He spent over 13 years cluster headache free (we had 25 amazing years together) before he passed away in his sleep at 49 years old from complications from sleep apnea. 

This man, who worried what would become of him, got a double bachelors with honors in History and Cultural Anthropology and then got a Masters with Honors in Secondary Education. He became a History Teacher. He was nominated by his students to be an educator hero in his first year of teaching. 

We had 3 beautiful daughters. He taught them to fish and camp and cook and laugh. We traveled extensively. He kayaked the Pecos River.

We had a glorious life.

And I am so thankful that he got out from the shadow of this disease. And he was able to stand in the sun and live unhaunted by it for 13 amazing years.

I will always be grateful to Cluster Busters for what it gave to my husband. So, so thankful.

From the bottom of my heart- thank you, from me (Lauren) and from him (Lucas)

You gave the world back a good man, and we are all better for it.

 

[Bejeeber]

It's astonishing to me how instantly tears can come to the eyes when reading this (especially the passing away at 49 years of age, but glorious life part).

Thank you for posting this, replete with the ski mask, tank cracking etc. color .

You are quite the example of an above and beyond cluster hero.

[Dallas Denny]

Yup jeebster, made this old man's eyes leak as well!!

Absolutely wonderful and well written testament @LaurenAla!  So very sorry for your loss!!

As BeJeeber’s said, our supporters are our hero's......clusters are equally devastating for both the clusterhead and the supporter!!  Thank you so much for sharing ya'lls journey with us Lauren......

....Fair winds and following seas Lukas...