At the beginning of Kristi's story yesterday, months of excruciating headaches finally, terrifyingly coalesced into her collapse at her home in front of her cat, Clyde, after a long day at work.

The situation looked dire. I was locked in my apartment alone with my cat. I didnÔÇÖt have a landline, and I wasnÔÇÖt sure I could reach my cellphone, which was turned off and sitting on the kitchen counter 20 feet away.