| A personal, cultural, and scientific exploration of chronic, untreatable pain. At
the age of twenty-four, journalist Paula Kamen's life changed in an
instant. While putting in her contact lenses, the left lens set off a
chain reaction, igniting a constellation of nerves that radiated
backwards from behind the surface of her eye. The pain was more
piercing than with any other headache she had experienced. More than a
decade later, she still has a headache-the exact same headache.
From surgery to a battery of Botox injections to a dousing of
Lithuanian holy water, from a mountain of pharmaceutical products to
aromatherapy and even a vibrating hat, All in My Head
chronicles the sometimes frightening, usually absurd, and always
ineffective remedies she-and so many like her-was willing to try to
relieve her pain. Beleaguered and frustrated by doctors who, frustrated
themselves, periodically declared her pain psychosomatic, Kamen came to
understand the plight of the millions who suffer chronic pain in its
many forms. Full of self-deprecating humor, and razor sharp reporting, All in My Head is the remarkable story of perseverance, acceptance, and patience in the face of terrifying pain. |
View Cart |
