Health

‘Like Getting Hit in the Head With a Bat’: Can a Man With a 19-Year Headache Find Relief?

Man With 19 Year Long Headache Seeks Relief in Procedure Not Covered by Insurance

The Bromenschenkel's on the Fourth of July (Photo: Facebook)

When Jon Bromenschenkel was 15 he injured his head in an ATV-ing accident. More specifically, he “flew about 30 feet and landed on my head on the ice,” as he explains it to the local CBS affiliate WCCO in Minnesota.

This accident has caused him suffering ever since. Although he may appear completely healthy on the outside, Bromenschenkel has lived with a pounding headache for the past 19 years.

He describes the constant pain as “kind of like getting hit in the head with a bat.”

“It’s that hard dull pain and it’s right across the forehead here,” he told CBS gesturing to where he could feel it most.

Like many who suffer migraines, Bromenschenkel’s headache interrupts many of his every day activities, like playing with his 3-year-old Finnegan.

Man With 19 Year Long Headache Seeks Relief in Procedure Not Covered by Insurance

Bromenschenkel and his son. (Photo: Facebook)

“(Jon) has his up and downs and as a family we try our best to make it work … some days are better than others,” said Jon’s wife, Sarah, to WCCO.

Watch the WCCO report where Bromenschenkel describes his situation:

Naturally, Bromenschenkel has tried to relieve the pain in anyway he knew how with little success, but WCCO reports that relief may be in sight. Here’s more:

Earlier this year, Jon flew to New York for yet another attempt to relieve the pain. He tested a newer procedure, called the Reed Procedure, which tricks the mind using electronic pulses. It has been used to relieve back pain, and it’s being used on the head. It worked. The pain was cut in half.

“To have (the pain) cut in half like that, it’s just going to open up my life completely,” said Jon. “I’ve been trying my best while I have this headache, but to have this done would be a miracle.”

[...]

A permanent solution would mean implanting wires under the skin on Jon’s forehead.

Here the founder of the Reed Procedure describes how it works:

Even though Bromenschenkel believes this procedure would change his life, it is not covered by insurance and would cost too much out of pocket for the family to afford. With the goal of raising $65,000 for the operation and other expenses surrounding it, the family has already received a little more than $35,000. This is more than the website Give It Forward, the site they are using to help process donations, reports the family has collected, but they state they have received personal checks in addition to donations through the site.

Man With 19 Year Long Headache Seeks Relief in Procedure Not Covered by Insurance

This illustration shows where the wires from the Reed Procedure would go. (Image: Reed Migraine Center)

In addition to monetary donations, family and friends have also helped organize a recent party for Bromenschenkel, which took place on Tuesday, that included a silent auction. They also have an ongoing, online auction for other goods here.

Learn more about Bromenschenkel and his family on the Support for Jon Bromenschenkel Facebook page here.

Comments (60)

1 2
  • JohnLarson
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 11:47pm

    None of you who are doing the usual Obama bashing right now have ever had real migraines…

    Report Post »  
    • Jim
      Posted on July 15, 2012 at 12:18am

      Where did that come from dumb A$$?!?!? I hate o‘bammy and I’ve had migraines, what does one have to do with the other?

      Report Post » Jim  
    • LameLiberals
      Posted on July 15, 2012 at 5:19am

      Are you saying only people who like Obama have migraines?
      __________

      Report Post »  
  • wewantchillywilly
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 11:14pm

    man that sucks. i hope he can be healed.

    Report Post »  
  • Bill Wallace
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 11:03pm

    Wow. I had a headache lasting just over a month. Pain like any other. Not in intensity, but the continual ongoing pain. Every day.

    CT scan, MRI, etc. to rule out everything from sinuses to brain tumors. Took different meds and eventually it was a huge needle to the back of my skull full of prednisone to calm the nerve.

    All better.

    Report Post »  
  • Ivehadenoughtofthisgovenmentcrap
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 8:45pm

    Look I’ve been suffering with migrains all my life. It wasn’t till about 2 years ago it went to 22 to 24 days a moth I have them. Been threw so many drugs and doctors. I’ve about had enough. I know what this guy is going through. Not fun, not at all…..

    Report Post » Ivehadenoughtofthisgovenmentcrap  
    • Naps
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 9:14pm

      Honestly,all of u Beckistani’s are gonna call me crazy,BUT. It is medically proven that hallucinagetic mushrooms cure “cluster” headaches. Look it up. Migraines? I don’t know. But if your suffering bad. It’s worth a shot.

      Report Post »  
    • 22hornet
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 10:37pm

      how about trying a chiropractor.. Worked for my ex wife

      Report Post » 22hornet  
    • stumpy68
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 11:06pm

      22hornet

      Your wife most likely had a pinched nerve in her neck
      im dealing with one in my lower back now when a nerve is pinched in
      your neck or back the pain can occur elsewhere

      Report Post » stumpy68  
    • HotFixIt
      Posted on July 15, 2012 at 1:15pm

      Topamax finally controlled my migraines of 35 years. Been almost migraine free for 3 years now and it is WONDERFUL.. worth the very expensive price of the med. Unfortunately the generic does not work for me… I have tried and tried… it is so much cheaper. Sure wish it did. I don’t have insurance so have to cover all costs myself… I still will not go without. I will go without electricity before I go without my Topamax.

      I hope he finds relief… I understand how daily headaches interfere with life and how you push through the pain. Not fun and others don’t understand unless they go through it. I still get headaches if I am off by an hour or so in taking the meds but at least now I am in control.

      Report Post »  
  • oldchevyguy
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 7:23pm

    Try this website.I found this website last year and it is great.The website is “Earth Clinic” and it has natural remedities for countless ailments.This is worth a look for everybody.

    Report Post »  
  • lembrandt
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 7:09pm

    I really feel sorry for this guy – that must be terrible. I have had headaches ever since I became an adult and sometimes they can be unbearable. Recently I had the same headache for four weeks straight (which has happened to me several times in my life) – I have tried everything you can think of to get rid of them, and basically nothing works except that almost all remedies worked in the short term, then my body adjusts and then…back to the pain.

    I only mention that to point out that this guy has had the same headache for 19 *years*!…people, if you haven’t experienced constant headache pain, you simply CANNOT understand what this man is going through – you can’t – it is indescribable and you don’t know what it is like to NEVER have relief.

    I wish I could help him and I hope, really hope, he finds the cure.

    Report Post »  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 7:28pm

      I hope so too, for all headache sufferers. So sorry for the suffering.

      Report Post »  
    • kindling
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 8:12pm

      I broke my neck and back and have had pain non stop for years. I would take back pain over his head ache any day. I have had very bad head aches and I am always much happier with only back pain when the head ache is gone. I sure hope he gets the money he needs soon and gets some relief.

      Report Post » kindling  
    • TexasTall
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 10:36pm

      I used to have migranes, and I know what he’s going through. I hate to think what it’d be like to have had them for ten years! I wonder if he’s tried having his “atlas” corrected? It’s the area just below the base of the skull, and if he landed on his head it’s probably out of alignment, which can cause all kinds of problems. Sure would be worth a try for him.

      Report Post »  
    • burnteye86
      Posted on July 15, 2012 at 5:55am

      I get a headache for one day and it kills me. I can’t even fathom 19 years. I just said a prayer for you bro.

      Report Post » burnteye86  
  • MCDAVE
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 6:35pm

    I feel your pain ..I have had a 31/2 year headache …its called Obamanation syndrome…its aggravated by liberalism

    Report Post »  
  • howardroark1165
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 5:52pm

    I was in a car accident in 1989 and had a non stop sharp shooting throb, always from the same spot from my left occipital nerve. I saw more doctors than I could count and was given more pills and opinions than I could count. To complicate matters I also have cyclical migraine headaches. It wasn’t until about 5 or 6 years ago that I saw a neurologist who did some diagnostic nerve blocks and found nerve damage of the left occipital nerve.

    From there I was referred to have a neurectomy (a section of the nerve was removed) which worked great for about 6 months until it regenerated and a neuroma formed. At that point it was 2 years of methadone (which really sucks) while fighting the medical plan (the company I worked for was self insured) for a stimulator similar to this one. Nearly $100k cash out of my pocket later I have one installed which has helped.

    The problem now is that over the years the migraine (which is completely different from the headache from the nerve damage, but still a headache) has gone from several a month to 24/7. The worst of it is is that a headache is not something that can be seen by others and is hard to understand. The closest I can come to explaining it to others is to liken it to living with a 24/7 sinus headache, it’s that intense and affects every facet of life.

    Chronic headaches really suck.

    Anyone else who also suffers from them please feel free to contact me.

    Travis
    howardroark1165@gmail.com

    Report Post » howardroark1165  
  • AmeriDan
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 5:38pm

    Seriously, locate an upper cervical chiropractor. They only adjust the Atlas/Axis, and it fixes all sorts of erroneous pain signals that are hitting the brain. Worth a shot for $50. One adjustment and my hip pain was gone… it took a repeat of adjustments to make it stick, but it continues to keep me pain free and now seeing Dr. every 6 weeks.

    Pain can make you go insane. Good luck.

    Report Post »  
    • BellaMia7
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 8:19pm

      An upper-cervical chiropractic specialist cured me of my headaches – and not even the doctors at Stanford had given me any relief. While the doctors were focused on the head itself, and attempts to relieve the symptoms, the chiropractor showed where my neck nerves were being pinched. It took several months, and it got worse before it got better – in fact I was throwing up – the pain got so bad – and then voila – the pain stopped for several years. I had to go back for intermittant adjustments – but it’s been the BEST thing that ever happened to my health.

      Report Post » BellaMia7  
  • Too_Far_Gone
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 4:33pm

    Obviously he has know islama longer than most Americans ..

    Report Post » Too_Far_Gone  
  • tommyg524
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 4:10pm

    this may be why your headache is worsening ovef time:

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/money-power-wall-street/#b

    Report Post »  
    • db321
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 4:42pm

      Did the Blaze take over the National Enquirer!

      So the guy has a headache. Tell him to raise his hand and ask Jesus to take his headache away, He will and it will stay gone. Try it.

      Now come on Blaze, post the story about Michael Jackson still a live and living in Switzerland.

      Report Post » db321  
  • Jayms
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:59pm

    I wonder if he’s tried marijuana. That’s a great way to relieve migraines, although his is a little unconventional. My girlfriend suffered from migraines and weed was the only thing that helped.

    Report Post »  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:37pm

    …
    Insurance will cover stupid things like erectile dysfunction cures, but won’t cover pain relief cure, for a man who has had a headache for nineteen years. America is so screwed up.

    Report Post »  
  • DesdemonasCrew
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:37pm

    As a lifelong sufferer of a little known affliction called “Cluster Headaches” I sympathize with him. This affliction is also known as the “suicide headache” because of the excrutiating pain it produces. I was lucky, as I only “clustered” about every 3 years or so. But then it was a daily and then twice daily torture for 4 to 6 weeks, when suddenly stopping. I read a lot about the chronic sufferers, those who were afflicted every day for months, with only a few weeks reprieve. Now I am headache-free, since this devil usually leaves when you get to be 55-60 or so. If you or someone you know suffers from “Cluster Headaches” visit any number of the support groups online.
    I pray for this guy.

    Report Post » DesdemonasCrew  
    • Shellfrag
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 9:11pm

      Hope you continue to be free of these horrible headaches. I still have the occasional Cycle that i have to deal with. Oxygen therapy has really helped with the pain.

      Report Post »  
    • DesdemonasCrew
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 10:36pm

      Thanks! Try Verapamil(sp?) I started taking it 8 years ago and never had another cluster. Did it work? or did I just outlast it? I don’t know, but give it a try. I used injectable Imetrex for the last 5 episodes, and it worked…with an exception…in the later stages of the cluster, the headache would return in a couple of hours. Needless to say, I overused the drug a lot at the end. But it saved me.

      Report Post » DesdemonasCrew  
  • AndiAndiAndi
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:25pm

    I have a neighbor who had this surgery done TWICE to help relieve his daily migraines. It failed. I hope this at least helps this man with his chronic headaches. I believe in prayer. I know that God hears prayers. Sometimes the answer to our prayers are “No.”

    Report Post »  
  • ronin_6
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:24pm

    Is this like a tens unit?

    Report Post » ronin_6  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 5:10pm

      No, tens units are totaly on the outside, this is totaly implanted. I have an implanted med pump that puts meds in my spinal fluid-it saved my life from being intolerable. I begged God for just one hour without pain, then the pump was offered to me. It was a miracle, and gave my life back to me. My heart aches for him, I really “get it”. Hope it gives him relief and publicity helps him get it.

      Report Post »  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 5:11pm

      My mistake, looking at this it may be partly implanted?

      Report Post »  
  • OperationNorthwoods
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:23pm

    I’ll pray for this guy. He seems like he needs it.

    Report Post » OperationNorthwoods  
  • jakartaman
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:21pm

    I just finished reading the book of job again.
    19 years with a headache qualifies for acute suffering and patients.
    This man has my admiration and deep respect.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:35pm

    I’ve had a pounding headache ever since Tuesday, November 4th, 2008.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Faith_Grace
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:07pm

      To the people that turn every article the Blaze writes into a political matter/comment, or whatever…
      GET A FREAKIN LIFE! GET OUT OF YOUR CUBBYHOLE, GO WALK IN THE PARK AND SMELL THE ROSES…..NO PARK WITH ROSES?????? GO BUY SOME, PUT THEM IN A VASE IN YOUR CUBBYHOLE AND SNIFF……….GEEZ!

      Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:14pm

      It’s a political web site, don’t like it? See ya.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Jayms
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:58pm

      Well played, GONZO. lol

      Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:31pm

    This is a very beautiful family. I do pray for this man.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • blackyb
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:29pm

    Pray and ask Jesus to heal him. He should do that himself.

    Report Post » blackyb  
    • watersRpeople
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:54pm

      You can only acquire that which you are willing to receive, just as a welfare sloth can only receive the fruit of the appreciation of hard work if they are willing to receive it. That‘s the same reason the Samaritan woman couldn’t be given the living waters.

      Report Post »  
    • watersRpeople
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:57pm

      The way you look at Jesus is the way you look at government….gimme. And if you look at the greater and say “Gimme” then surely you will look at the lesser saying “Gimme.” You are your own problem.

      Report Post »  
    • watersRpeople
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:02pm

      Gimme, gimme, gimme………..gimme. And they will say: I go to church every Sunday to worship. But yet you don’t go into the temple to worship, and to sacrifice upon the alter of the Lord deep in your mind. Differed gratification is a type of sacrificing upon the alter.

      Report Post »  
    • watersRpeople
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 3:05pm

      And yet you will not look upon yourself to say “Gimme.” Because you see yourself as greater than the Lord God.

      Report Post »  
    • GenOptimus
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 6:10pm

      @waters There’s nothing wrong with asking for help from my Father in heaven. In fact the main problem with the U.S. is that we the people don’t trust in the Lord enough. Whatever weed you’re smoking has really fried your brain. That gimmie gimmie crap you typed is worthless and wrong. The Lord Jesus has paid the ultimate sacrifice for everyone and in fact the only way any of us to get heaven is to ask for forgiveness but I guess that‘s a little too gimmie gimmie for you now isn’t it?!

      Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:26pm

    I had a nineteen year headache too, her name was…………

    Report Post »  
  • Bigrod58
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:18pm

    In response to the headline…….divorce her!

    Report Post »  
  • The_Jerk
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:15pm

    He sure is eating well.

    Report Post »  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:15pm

    Ironically, his headache started during the Clinton Administration, so did mine.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • TheEDGE
      Posted on July 14, 2012 at 2:28pm

      I like it! Although I am also thankful to slick willy and his bunch for waking my butt up when I was still in my early 20′s.

      Report Post » TheEDGE  
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