Patient advocate and writer Teri Robert's career moved in this direction when her own Migraine disease spun out of control in the late 90s. Faced with debilitating Migraines and failed medical care, she hit the Internet for answers. She soon found that there was no one site that combined all she was looking for, and that there are sites with excellent information and sites with misinformation. It was at that time that she joined About.com as an opportunity to produce the site she was looking for. She remained there as their Guide to Headaches and Migraines for nearly seven years before joining us at HealthCentral's Migraine community.

Experience and affiliations:
Teri is a well known author and patient advocate and was awarded the National Headache Foundation's Patient Partners Award in 2004 for her "ongoing patient education, support and advocacy." She is one of four founding members and the current secretary of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy.

Teri's organizational memberships include:

• The National Headache Foundation
• The International Headache Society
• NAMI
• Mental Health America
• The American Heart Association
• The National Association of Professional Women,

She is an advocate for

• The American Diabetes Association
• You're the Cure
• The National Patient Advocate Foundation

Teri's first book, "Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches," published by HarperCollins, was released in 2005 and remains a top selling book in the field.

Teri appeared on CNN Headline News Channel, during Prime News Tonight, in an educational segment about Migraine disease. She has also written for "The Pain Practitioner," the quarterly magazine of the American Academy of Pain Management, and has written patient education articles for the Texas Pain Society.

Education:
The need for current knowledge in this field is critical, especially since there is so much developing research. To satisfy that need, Teri is constantly studying medical journals and books and attends medical conferences on a regular basis. She has earned continuing education hours in this field from:

• the American Headache Society,
• the Penn State College of Medicine,
• the Primary Care Network,
• the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences,
• and the Center for Health Care Education.

From Teri:

"Optimal health care can be achieved only when patients are educated about their health and patients and physicians work together as treatment partners in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Knowledge leads to empowerment over Migraine disease. By learning all we can about this disease, we can work more effectively with our doctors so that we can control our illness rather than it controlling us. We can regain or retain control of our lives. You're not alone, and there is hope."