Resources

If you’ve got a headache that won’t go away, or if reading about mine gave you a headache, here are some resources that might help better than chocolate and Vicodin would.

Web Sites

The National Headache Foundation

The world’s largest voluntary organization for the support of headache sufferers. They maintain a list of headache specialists around the country and provide headache information and support.

Chronic Babe

An online community for younger women with chronic health issues created by Jenni Prokopy. Be sure to browse the forums and sign up for the newsletter.

The Daily Headache

A blog by Kerrie Smyres that provides a candid look at managing and living with headaches and migraines.

Permanent Headache

Insightful blog written by another women with a headache that won’t go away.

Somebody Heal Me

A blog by Diana Lee that blends news, information and experiences about life with migraine disease, depression, chronic pain and other chronic and invisible illnesses.

Crazy Meds

Information on antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics and other mind-altering drugs written in a funny, conversational tone by people who’ve taken them.

MediClim

Service that will email you a health forecast the day before your health problem may be aggravated by changes in the weather.

Clinical Trials

A registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world.

IHS Classification ICHD-2

A listing of the different types of headaches recognized by the International Headache Society.

MD Junction’s New Daily Persistent Headache Support Group

Forums for people with New Daily Persistent Headache.

WebMD: Headaches and Migraines Center

WebMD’s resources for headaches and migraines.

About.com: Headaches &amp Migraines

A listing of information and articles about headaches.

Books

All in My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache by Paula Kamen

An in-depth, darkly funny account of the author’s battle with an unrelenting headache. Provides in-depth information about headache treatments and society’s attitudes towards chronic pain while also recounting the author’s personal story.

Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties by Laurie Edwards

Reveals 44 tips on how to cope with chronic illness drawn from the author’s experience with a genetic respiratory disease. Reading it is like getting advice from a smarter, more experienced, big sister.

The Truth about Chronic Pain: Patients and Professionals on How to Face It, Understand It, Overcome It by Arthur Rosenfeld

A collection of interviews with dozens of chronic pain experts and sufferers. Provides a broad cross-section of the different ideas and attitudes people have about chronic pain.

Pain: The Science of Suffering by Patrick Wall

A look at the biological mechanisms that determine how and why we experience pain written by an expert neuroscientist. Informative, but somewhat technical.

The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering by Melanie Thernstrom

A thoroughly researched look at pain through the filters of metaphor, religion, science, history, and the author’s personal experiences. A must-read for anyone who suffers from chronic pain or knows someone who does.

Articles

Here’s the article I refer to in Chapter 6 about headache caused by teratoma of the ovary: “Diagnosis: Brain Drain,” Sanders, Lisa. The New York Times. 7 Nov. 2008.