Speak Up for Better Migraine Treatments!

It would be easy to think there's nothing we can do about this, but there IS something we can do. In 2007 and again last week, a group of doctors, researchers, and patient advocates attended an event called "Headache on the Hill." I was honored to be among that group of people. During HOH, each of those people visited their Senators and members of the House to bring this issue to their attention and ask for their assistance. What needs to happen is for specific report language to be added to the Senate and House appropriations bills. This report language would tell the NIH that Congress wants more funding allocated to headache disorders research.

When we were in DC last week, that's what we asked for. Now it's time for all of us to send emails to their members of the House asking them to sign a "Dear Colleague" letter they received from from Congressmen Peter Welch, James Moran, and Jean Schmidt. This letter would lead to the report language we need in the 2010 appropriations bills. We need to send those emails AND ask all of our friends, families, and coworkers to send them too.

The Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy has made it very easy to send those emails. It can be done in literally five minutes. The email is pre-written with a section for you to make personal comments if you wish. Then you add your full name and address to the form and click a button. Based on the address you entered, the email will automatically go to the right people.

Please take a few minutes to send an email to your member of the House. Just go to www.MigraineAdvocacy.org. In the middle of the homepage, is an action alert with a link to send your email. Please also ask everyone you know to send an email. This is a time when one person can make a difference, and when more emails are sent, our case is made more strongly.

Living with severe headaches and Migraine disease for over 40 years has brought me to the realization that learning about Migraine disease and headaches can allow us to work with our doctors as treatment partners to gain control over headaches and Migraines rather than them controlling us. Please join us at MyMigraineConnection for information and support or for a transcript of this podcast. From MyMigraineConnection and the HealthCentral Network, this is Teri Robert reminding you that you can indeed live well, even with Migraine disease and headaches.

© Teri Robert, 2009.
Last updated March 5, 2009.