My name is Karen Shettler Paddock. I am dead. I committed suicide on August 7th 2013, as I could no longer stand the excruciating headache caused by Intracranial Hypotension due to Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Leaks. A condition that is more common that many think (for example Actor George Clooney had/has a CSF Leak and considered suicide), yet is so unknown that some doctors argue the condition does not even exist.
It has been estimated that ten percent of the 30,000,000 suffering from migraine headaches, per day, are actual suffering from this condition, that is three million (3,000,000) people per day!
Not even my love for my husband Bob, who maintains this site on my behalf, love for my dog Garth and family, could no longer keep me going, which is how powerful the pain from a CSF Leak/IH can be.
I want this site to be a resource of CSF Leaks (CSFL) and the few other conditions that cause similar pain. None of those left behind saw me taking my own life coming, they are devastated.
See My Story for my complete medical history so that you do not have to repeat our mistakes and will get the correct treatment that you need. People tell Hubby they are in tears by the time they reach the end of My Story.
“Karen's first-hand account of her illness gave an honest, heart-wrenching depiction of what it is like to live with debilitating pain day-to-day.” - The Derrick Front Page Story Sept. 8th 2014.
This is the single most important take away I want you to have from this site. Twenty+ years ago this is all that needed to happen, a doctor saying this:
“You have a headache when you are upright, but not laying down. Sounds like a CSF Leak. Lets get you sealed and healed…“
Hubby just got this added to Duke's Neurobiology course. This is not the end of My Story, with your help, My Story has just begun…
“I used to be an avid runner, but am grateful that once a year I have been able to participate in our city's annual 4-mile. This is the second year that Karen's strength and knowing the pain she went through for so long has kept me going and my daughter joined in too. So this is for you Karen Shettler Paddock… - 2014”
“I was a
passionate runner prior to my csf leak. This year I wanted to
participate in our city's annual 4-mile run/walk event. I really
didn't think I could do it, but it was Karen's story that kept me
going. She went through so much for so long, that I knew I could
endure some pain to honor her.
This one is for you, Karen Shettler Paddock.” - Janelle Hermes
Hibiske - 2013
The photos are taken at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, IN, which is where the finish line is for the events.
My Journal may now be ordered in book format so that you may put it into the hands of your family and doctor.
See Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Leaks Explained for an introduction to this painful condition.
If you would like to share your own story, medical images etc, or you wish to contribute tips and information to help others, or comment on My Story, please contact Hubby and he will set up an account for you. Sadly attacks from automated Spam Bots has made self registration impossible.
Major topics are listed in the sidebar on the left. There is a lot more information to be found in the Sitemap.
While there may be doctors and links to medical information on this site, a lot of the information here has come from a persons own hard won self education due to lack of support of the Medical Establishment. Independently validate for yourself any information from this site with authoritative sources, as you should do with any information found on Internet.