Migraine News

MAGNUM Board Member & Health Advocate Teri Robert Visits DC

Teri Robert seen in the center here at the 50th Anniversary Reception at Higginson Hall, located in the Cohen Wing of the Symphony Hall in Boston earlier this summer.  She is the one seated in between the top Migraine expert Dr. Randy Evans (L), and Virginia Scott (R) of one of the nation's best Migraine clinic's Anodyne Headache & Paincare, both practicing out of the great state of Texas.

© Michael John Coleman 2008

MAGNUM Migraine Advocates Brainstorm In DC

WASHINGTON, DC; August 21th, 2008—Updated August 26th, 2008—Things are beyond busy here at MAGNUM, with Headache On the Hill follow-up, meetings on Capitol Hill with Congressional staffs such as Congressman Patrick Kennedy about the Migraine triggering Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) and the new law outlaw incandescent light builds, continuing to update our websites, and we still have lots of organizing to do in the new space.  But today we had the pleasure to meet with our Board Advisor Teri Robert in person for a few days as she was here in Washington, D.C. to see us and of course the HealthCentral Network staff at their headquarters office that she works for as a medical writer and public health advocate.

Congressman Patrick Kennedy's Office Meeting regarding Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs impact on Migraineurs and other disabilities.

It is always good to see Teri Robert as she is so full of life, and always can't wait to discuss the latest Migraine treatments or that another article in a major publication of website that erroneously announces the have an interview with the doctor who has just cured Migraine 'headaches'.  For those of you who are not familiar with Ms. Robert, she is one of the nation's top Migraine disease advocates; she has been working with MAGNUM for seven years and is an Advisor on or Board of Directors.  She is also the Lead Expert for Migraine at MyMigraineConnection, and if that where no enough, she is also the author of what most consider the best patient book about Migraines; "Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches" published by HarperCollins Publishers.  By the way, if you have been looking for a good book on Migraine this is the one, you can pick one up here today.

Teri Robert (L) & Terri Burchfield both promoting Ms. Robert's book at a book signing event. 

For the full story just click here to visit MigraineBlog.com where the article was first published.

Migraine Expressions - Raising Awareness in a Beautiful Way!

If you have Migraines, you'll find yourself in the pages of this impressive book. If you don't have Migraines, this book can help you better understand what it's like to live with Migraine disease.

Edited by Betsy Blondin, Migraine Expressions is 192 pages of Migraine disease put on paper -- poetry, prose, drawings, paintings, photographs -- all created by Migraineurs. It's both terrifying and inspiring, full of both horror and hope.

Please, go to www.MigraineExpressions.com to learn more or to purchase a copy of Migraine Expressions.

To offer you more information about Migraine Expressions, here's a recent press release...

MAGNUM Announcs Migraine Award Winning Poems At the End of National Poetry Month

MAGNUM Announces Winner's of HealthCentral Network's 2008 Putting Our Heads Together Poetry Contest

WASHINGTON, DC—April 30th, 2008;  T. S. Eliot wrote, "April is the cruelest month" and the W.H.O.* calls Migraine one of the cruelest diseases. Considering this, MAGNUM thinks it is only fitting to end the month with our announcement of this year's winners of the HealthCentral Network sponsored 2008 Putting Our Heads Together Poetry Contest. After all, would not T.S. Eliot himself, though not a Migraineur, appreciate our effort?  He deeply loved his wife Vivien Haigh, an adventurous and vivacious British subject, who sadly suffered horribly from intractable Migraines.

*World Health Organization

So now, with T.S. & Vivien watching over us, MAGNUM would like to get right to announcing this years winners.  We are thrilled to advise readers that this year, even though we gave very short notice, we were honored with many excellent entries that poetically speak to the Migraine experience.  We selected four placing awards, First, Second, Third, & Forth Place.  In addition we issued six honorable mentions of merit.  Please take time to read ALL of the winning entries, and when you have time, visit and peruse the other entries, as so many are well written and deserve your attention.

AND THE WINNERS ARE!

Massive Migraine

By mopar496

Wins First Place
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/18447/24754/massive-migraine

Car-jacked

By Roey

Wins Second Place
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/88073/23918/carjacked

Perpetually Now

By MaxJerz

Wins Third Place
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/46824/25055/perpetually

You're Not My Friend, You Know

By Sandi Suddady

Wins Fourth Place
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/68226/25642/friend

AND THE HONORABLE MENTIONS ARE!

The Keeper

By desrivgirl

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/5137/25567/keeper

My Ghostly Shadow

By SEG

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/95623/25565/ghostly-shadow

A Rare Day

By cdelavarre

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/15655/25234/rare-day

Pain Inside My Head (version 2)

By thedoglady

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/81338/25768/inside-version2

The Thorn

By Brynnwriter

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/80108/25240/thorn

The Stranger's Eyes

By Roey

Wins Honorable Mention
http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/88073/24326/strangers-eyes

MigraineBlog wants to thank this year's guest judges for their assistance with selections with one of the most interesting years submission-wise.  MAGNUM wants to thank judge and MigraineBlog guest writer Marie Kaddell who has an M.L.S., M.S., and M.B.A..

YOUR Help Needed for Better Migraine Treatment

It's time for my promised update on Headache On the Hill. For those of you not familiar with Headache On the Hill -- a group of doctors, scientists, and patient advocates made a trip to DC in September to talk with Senators and members of the House about the dire need for an increase in NIH funding for basic headache and Migraine research. That basic research MUST be done if we're to have new and more effective treatments.

We're gearing up for the grassroots part of this campaign, and that's where each and every one of you come in. Since the Headache On the Hill participants were from several organizations -- the American Academy of Neurology, the American Headache Society, MAGNUM, the National Headache Foundation, the Headache Cooperative of New England, and others -- we've formed a new organization to continue the Headache On the Hill advocacy efforts. The new organization is the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA). You can reach our web site at www.HeadacheAdvocacy.org or www.MigraineAdvocacy.org.   

What YOU Can  Do To Help

Now:
Visit the AHDA site, lood around, and sign-up for email updates. We will notify you by email when new information is added and when it's time to take action.

Please spread the word to your friends and family. You can download our flier and distribute it to friends, family, whomever you know to encourage them to participate in this project. Every single person counts, so please talk to everyone you know about this and give them a copy of the flier. CLICK HERE to  download the flier.

Early in 2008:

The most effective time to influence Congress is early in the year. So it will be crucial that as many emails as possible reach Congress at that time in order to affect the 2009 NIH budget. The AHDA website will make emailing Congress much easier for you. Our email notifications will prompt you to return to our site and email your members of Congress at the most effective time. Please ask your friends and loved ones to visit our site and email Congress as well.

I hope you'll all become involved in this important initiative. We all know how important it is that more effective treatments be found for Migraine disease and other headache disorders. But, without NIH funding, the basic research upon which other research depends will not be done. Senators and members of the House do listen to their constituents, so every single email to them will be vital. This is our chance to make a difference, and the AHDA is making it as easy as possible for everyone to participate. 

Please join us!

migraines

Hope for Migraines, Headaches, and Other Pain

From MAGNUM Support Advisor Teri Robert

I spent last week in Dallas at Dr. John Claude Krusz's clinic, ANODYNE Headache and PainCare. Dr. Krusz and I have written Ask the Clinician for almost five years now, but this was the first chance I'd had to visit his clinic and observe him with patients.

Dr. K's patients were very gracious; all of them allowed me to sit in on their appointments. Listening to him review a new patient's medical history was a great reminder of how much other issues can impact Migraine, headaches, and pain. Dr. K. asks all of his patients about their sleep patterns and whether they or anyone in their family have a history of problems with thryoid, diabetes, or other endocrine disorders. Sleep is always one of the first issues he addresses, telling patients that good sleep is essential to their treatment.

Continue reading Migraines, headaches, pain, and HOPE!

migraines

Genetic Testing May Be Helpful for Hemiplegic Migraine

Hemiplegic Migraine (HM) is a rare subtype of Migraine with aura (MWA) that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. There are two variations of HM:

1. Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) runs in families.
2. Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine (SHM) often has Migraine in the family history, but not HM. 

The symptom that differentiates HM from other types of Migraine is hemiparesis, which is temporary, one-sided paralysis or motor weakness. Otherwise, HM symptoms are the same as those of Migraine with aura. Most Migraineurs who have HM also have Migraine with or without aura.

Findings of a study performed in the Netherlands suggest that genetic testing could be helpful in properly diagnosing and appropriately treating hemiplegic Migraine...

Continue reading Hemiplegic Migraine - Genetic Testing May Be Helpful.