To join, go to www. headaches. org / store / membership or call 1-888-NHF-5552.
wise words
Get Head Wise at home – Become a member today!
If you think a headache is just a headache, think again. Millions of Americans suffer from migraines, cluster headaches and other serious headache disorders. Chances are, headache disorders affect you or someone you love.
NAME: Klaus Smalls RESIDENCE: Sumter, S. C.
CONDITIONS: Migraine with aura, cluster headache
FIRST DIAGNOSED: At a Veterans Affairs hospital after leaving the military in 1997
Photography by Morgan Anderson
What’ s the most frustrating thing about living with migraine? Promising my kids I’ ll do something, and then a headache comes up and I’ m not able to do it. They don’ t really understand. Even though they know their father has a medical condition, it’ s still disappointing to them.
What are you most thankful for? Being alive and having good days. And when I do have good days, spending them with my kids.
What’ s your greatest achievement? Being able to pass on some of the things I know to my kids. I paint and draw and play music. My kids know I love to do these things, so they all do them, too.
How do you live your day-to-day life? Precariously. Oftentimes my mind tells me I can still do all these different things, but my body doesn’ t allow me to. So it’ s almost like there are two people living the same life. The old Klaus wants to run and gun all day, but the new Klaus is like,“ No,
48 HEAD WISE | Volume 2, Issue 1 • 2012
Submit your own story at www. headwisemag. org / WiseWords.
you’ re not going to be able to do that.”
What’ s the best advice you’ ve gotten? One of the doctors at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago told me,“ You’ ll either grow out of your headaches, or you’ ll grow into them.” I didn’ t quite understand it at the time, but I do now. There was a time that a three or four on the pain scale would have me bawling like a baby. Now with a three or four, I can do just about anything.
What’ s your favorite thing to read? Airbrush Action magazine.
What’ s your idea of happiness? That’ s a very simple question. It’ s being migraine free and spending as much time as I can with my kids.
Klaus Smalls is a U. S. Marine Corps veteran who spends his free time playing guitar, airbrushing, drawing and rebuilding vintage cars.
Join the cause by becoming a member of the National Headache Foundation, the world’ s largest voluntary organization for the support of people with migraine and headache disorders. For more than 40 years, the NHF has assisted millions of individuals seeking education and treatment for their various conditions.
Individual membership: $ 20 per year
Professional membership: Physician:
$ 125 per year
Allied health:
$ 75 per year
With your membership, you’ ll receive: A subscription to Head Wise magazine
The NHF News To Know monthly e-newsletter
Access to a wealth of headache research, support and information
Plus, your donation will support the NHF and help advance headache advocacy, education and research
To join, go to www. headaches. org / store / membership or call 1-888-NHF-5552.