Cluster Attack

Poor Clayton.  The past three weeks he has been suffering from Cluster headaches, nicknamed "suicide headaches."  If you are interested in learning more about them, I recommend the Wikipedia.org article.  Otherwise, let this section from the aforementioned article suffice:

The pain of cluster headaches is markedly greater than in other headache conditions, including severe migraines; experts have suggested that it may be the most painful condition known to medical science... Dr. Peter Goadsby, Professor of Clinical Neurology at University College London, a leading researcher on the condition has commented:

"Cluster headache is probably the worst pain that humans experience. I know that’s quite a strong remark to make, but if you ask a cluster headache patient if they’ve had a worse experience, they’ll universally say they haven't. Women with cluster headache will tell you that an attack is worse than giving birth. So you can imagine that these people give birth without anesthetic once or twice a day, for six, eight, or ten weeks at a time, and then have a break. It's just awful."

The pain is lancinating or boring in quality, and is located behind the eye (periorbital) or in the temple, sometimes radiating to the neck or shoulder. Analogies frequently used to describe the pain are a red-hot poker inserted into the eye, or a spike penetrating from the top of the head, behind one eye, radiating down to the neck, or sometimes having a leg amputated without any anaesthetic. The condition was originally named Horton's Cephalalgia after Dr. B.T Horton, who postulated the first theory as to their pathogenesis. His original paper describes the severity of the headaches as being able to take normal men and force them to attempt or complete suicide. From Horton's 1939 paper on cluster headache:

"Our patients were disabled by the disorder and suffered from bouts of pain from two to twenty times a week. They had found no relief from the usual methods of treatment. Their pain was so severe that several of them had to be constantly watched for fear of suicide. Most of them were willing to submit to any operation which might bring relief."

This is the third attack I have witnessed since Clay and I have been married, and it truly is horrible.  No medications even dull the pain, ER visits do no good, and I have sat up many a night to make sure that Clay doesn't harm himself in a fit of uncontrollable pain.  Amazingly, he has only missed one day of work this time, and, thankfully, a Priesthood blessing from our Home Teachers did help lessen the frequency and intensity.  I sincerely hope that none of our children inherit this horrible condition.  Clayton has been quite a strong man to overcome these brain-thrashing episodes and still keep up with his responsibilities at work, home, and church.  We love him and couldn't do without him!

I had to include this picture taken at a Piston's game.  Clay was so excited to take us, but got a cluster at tip-off.  He suffered through for about an hour, and we had to go home.  Poor guy!