Caring for a Hero
Life in Hawai‘i and across America changed forever on the morning
of September 11, 2001. This is especially true for the families and
friends of those who were lost and the first responders who rushed to
the scene of the attacks at the World Trade Center.
ON THAT HORRIFIC
DAY DAN MOYNIHAN,
WAS A NEW YORK CITY
FIREFIGHTER. Dan was enjoying his
day off when he and a fellow firefighter
heard about the attack and immediately
jumped into action. The destruction
shut down most of the city and closed
roads, but Dan was able to catch a ride
to Ground Zero in a pickup truck carrying
three other firefighters.
“I walked one block down and remember
a jet engine from a plane sitting on the
corner,” Dan said. “The air was pitch
black and the dust was so thick that it
kind of looked like snow. That’s when I
realized the north tower and south tower
[of the World Trade Center] collapsed.”
Dan worked for a month straight at
Ground Zero amongst the rubble and
ruins of the 110-story towers — all the
while inhaling powdered debris into his
lungs. Soon after, Dan developed chronic
lymphoproliferative disorders, asthma,
trouble exhaling and post-traumatic stress
disorder, among other conditions. But one
of the most physically painful problems
was cluster headaches.
The headaches were severe and sudden,
often sending Dan to the emergency
department. The condition requires a
specific treatment regimen and a group
of supportive health care providers. Dan
found both at Straub Medical Center.
Dan’s husband, Jarret, was born and raised
in Hawai‘i. The islands have become a
second home because the mild weather
eases Dan's symptoms. But as he travels
between New York and Hawai‘i, Dan
carries a binder holding his medical history
and doctors’ notes about his treatment, in
case he ever becomes too debilitated to
explain the complexities.
It is a necessary precaution. Dan has
been admitted to Straub’s Emergency
Department four times. The
team there has helped him with
compassion and care. Straub’s
staff has come to understand
Dan’s specific needs when a cluster
headache hits, which sometimes
requires a quiet and dark isolation
room to relieve his pain. Dan also
checks in regularly with Straub
Neurologist Dr. Brandon Hirota. “Dr.
Hirota really puts you at ease and his
staff is amazing,” he said. “Dr. Hirota
knows all this stuff inside and out and
he knows how to treat it.”
Dr. Hirota says cluster headaches
are not very common but tend to
affect men. The condition often
causes involuntary body functions
including tearing, eye redness and
nasal discharge. The pain is typically
quite severe and usually occurs on
one half of the face. “As the name
suggests, this type of headache
disorder is usually characterized
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