New to this and need advice

Hello, I'm new to OUCH and would appreciate some advice.   I was officially diagnosed with CH in April this year, having had bouts in May-July 2013 and Sept-Oct 2013.  Although I got the diagnosis (from the National Hospital for Neurology), I have been in denial ever since as I haven't had a CH, until now.....Over the past week I have had multiple thumping headaches per day and sensitivity to light , but not yet a full-blown, bilateral drilling-through-the-head CH.  It's like I'm in a build up phase of on-off migraine.  I've got my sumatriptan injections at the ready and am just waiting for a CH to hit.  My question is: do others typically have a build-up phase to a bout?  Each day is incrementally worse than the previous day, so it's difficult to recognise how bad it's getting.  I'm wondering how long to leave it to get an oxygen supply sorted out (not helpful that it's a bank holiday and I'm supposed to travelling abroad with work next week!). Does anyone else have a build-up period of warning signs?  Any advice welcome.  Thanks.