Migraine and headache sufferers - We're off to DC on your behalf!

Allow me to lay it out for you with answers to the questions journalists are trained to ask:

Who: A group of approximately 50 doctors from 25 states, Michael John Coleman of MAGNUM, Suzanne Simons of the NHF, and me. We are all representing each of you.

What: An advocacy program called Headache on the Hill (HOH).

When: Next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25th and 26th.

Where: Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.

How: With the support of the American Headache Society, The American Academy of Neurology, the NHF, MAGNUM, and the HealthCentral Network, we will each be meeting with both of our Senators and representative in the House of Representatives. Some of us will also be meeting with Senators and Members of the House that represent states other than our own. We will be giving our members of Congress the information they need to understand just how underfunded NIH Migraine and headache research is and why it's important to increase that funding.

Why: Because we're tired of the suffering that could be helped through more and better research. Because research funding is disporportionate to the number of people affected and the disability, years lived with disability, loss of life, loss of income, and lowered quality of life that Migraine and headache disorders cause in comparison to other diseases.

This project is going to be neither easy nor short-term. We're in this for the long haul. Some of you have asked me what you can do to help. Believe me, I will be calling on you to help. Every voice must be heard in order for this endeavor to succeed.

Sometime in 2008, I will be calling on each of you to participate by sending emails and / or letters to those who represent you in the Senate and the House. We're setting up a Web site that will make it easy for you.

I'll post to you next week from DC to let you know how things are going and, hopefully, share some photographs.

In the meantime, I hope you'll take a few minutes to do a bit of reading:

• NIH Funding for Research on Headache Disorders: Does it matter? from Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, by Dr. Robert E. Shapiro.
• The long drought: the dearth of public funding for headache research. from Cephalalgia. by Dr. Robert E. Shapiro and Dr. Peter J. Goadsby.
• Letter of support from the World Health Organization (WHO)

Wishing you a pain-free weekend,

The generally long periods of time between my Migraines are the result of working with a Migraine specialist to refine my preventive regimen. You can see my current regimen HERE.