Help Your Local Shelter!

As some of you may know, my husband Shawn and I work at our local animal pound on the weekends.

We have some video of some of the animals up on our You Tube Page, but there are always so many cats coming in, it is sometimes hard to keep up.

Today, via @Romeothecat on Twitter, I saw something really cool! Romeo the Cat posted a tweet: @Romeothecat Luv your local animal rescue? Submit it at www.romeothecat.com to be recipient of March donations!

So, I am signing up our local pound to receive donations! I hope we win!!!

Pleast check out the Romeo the Cat website too! Very cool!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know - the shelter we work at is the Hopatcong Animal Shelter in Hopatcong, NJ. We can always use old towels and blankets, bleach, spray bottles, scrub brushes, treats and food, among other things. Check out the cats and dogs up for adoption from the Hopatcong Pound at: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ162.html - we have a bunch of really great cats. Please check us out!

Head hurts

Today I don't think will be a good day. I'm tired, my head hurts and I am very dizzy.

More to come later.

Headache on the Hill is 2 Weeks Away!!!

Are you signed up for your action alerts? Teri Robert wrote a great share post over at My Migraine Connection letting you know how to sign up for Action Alert emails. We really need funding, guys!

Listen, if you are not going to sign up and help push for more funding for Migraine research, then you really can't complain about the treatment that you receive. Sorry, that's just the way it is. I don't mean to be harsh, but this is really important!!!!!

Please visit Teri's article: HERE. Sign up for Action Alerts by clicking HERE.

Thanks!

From the AHDA website:

Headache on the Hill 2009
Colleagues We’re delighted to announce that the second Headache on the Hill (HOH) advocacy event will be held in Washington, DC on Monday, February 23rd and Tuesday, February 24th 2009. We hope that you can make this event. A FAQ, tentative agenda, and application form for HOH are available. CLICK HERE for these documents.

The long-term goal of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy is to provide equitable NIH funding for research on headache disorders. You might ask, why bother going to Congress now, when the prospects for increased discretionary spending appear to be so dim? First of all, we intend to make specific programmatic requests of Congress during HOH that should have lasting benefits but that will require relatively modest short-term increases in NIH expenditures. Secondly, this spring is a unique advocacy opportunity: the “honeymoon” of a new Democratic President and a Democratic Congress promises action on a broad legislative agenda. Furthermore, a new NIH Director will be chosen next year and, even in the leanest of times, NIH initiates some new programs and adjusts its priorities. Finally, successful advocacy is often a slow iterative process requiring continuous engagement. We are building on the legislative progress that began with the first HOH in September 2007 and resulted in language in the recent US Senate Appropriations Committee Report strongly urging increased NIH attention to headache disorders. If we are to realize these necessary changes in NIH funding, we must continue to make our issue heard before Congress.

We truly hope that you will be able to be join us at HOH. Your participation can make a difference. Please apply and reserve your hotel room as soon as you can.

Thanks,

Bob Shapiro

Bill Young

Teri Robert

Brad Klein

Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy

http://www.allianceforheadacheadvocacy.org/

Awards and things.....

My friend MJ over at Rhymes with Migraine awarded me a Lemonade award! This is for "blogging with the attitude of gratitude".

I love that we have little awards to give to other bloggers!

Since I've been somewhat out of the blogging loop - I also received a Kreative Blogger Award from Megan Oltman at Free My Brain.

I thank you both for the awards.

With the Kreative Blogger Award - we are to list six things that make us happy.

1. My husband and his support

2. My family at My Migraine Connection

3. Doctors that LISTEN!!!!!

4. My furry babies (the 5 cats that rule my house)

5. Triptans! Yes, I know - that's an obvious one, but I know a lot of you who were diagnosed and suffering before they were available. I am happy that we have them and that we will never again be without them!

6. The great group of guys and gals that blog about Migraine disease and getting the truth out there! I love you all!!

Now, I am to give these awards to others in the blogging community:

1. Sue over at Inner Dorothy

2. Nancy Bonk for her great Share Posts

3. Arabella at Migraine Truth

4. Leeloo at Journey of a Migraineur

5. Abi at Abi's Migrainous Wanderings

6. MW over at Sparkling with Crystals

Thank you all!!!!

My New Migraine Specialist!

When I see a new doctor, I try very hard not to get my hopes up too high because, usually I am let down.

This was not the case with the Migriane Specialist I saw yesterday. Dr. Mascellino was wonderful! She is taking me off the Lexapro - she was excited to see that I wanted to try Zonegran, since I'd done well on Topamax for a little over a year. So, once I can get to the pharmacy, I'll be starting Zonegran! Of course - even though I had called the other neuro's office that I had been seeing for about a year like 3 times before this appointment to make sure they sent over my records - they, of course had not.

She called over and got everything faxed over while I was there so she could review what had been done previously - it took two calls because the first they only send old neruo's office notes and did not include the lab work I'd had. So the next call was for them to send the REST of my file.So - full neuro work up and here is what we are doing:

Tapering off Lexapro and starting Zonegran - which can be done at the same time. (She said tryciclics and anti depressants are not her fist line of prevention - and are a last resort.) She also said no Verapamil for me since I had a hard time with Inderal, and although they are different classes of drugs, with my BP on a normal/low - she didn't want to go that way.

We are keeping the Frova, Xanax and Zanaflex since they all work like a charm for me. She switched my rescue from Vicodin to Vicoprofen? I am not too familiar with that one, but it is the same strength as the Vicodin with a different make up. I had stressed my concern w/ MOH which I usually get from Acetaminophen.

She is adding in Parafon Forte for my TTH as needed and also ordered all new blood work with metabolic work up, check my vitamin D since I've been taking 1000 IU since June. She also ordered MRI's, MRA's with and without contrast. I will be doing that later, once they are precerted.

All in all - I really like her! She was surprised that I had tried so little as far as preventives, seeing as I've been going to a neurologist in some form or another for 10 years. She said "don't worry - there are soooo many more we can try!!" (That's when I pulled out Migraine Preventive Options: Too Many To Give Up! and said, "Yes, I know!" She loved the list! I don't know if she is familiar with My Migraine Connection, but when I see her next month I'm going to pass it along to her.

She is also the first doctor to want to COPY my Migraine and Headache diary which is wonderful because having it in my file and looking at it is a heck of a lot better then skimming it for a second like all the others did, if they even cared!

Shawn came with me and thought she was good too. I was happy he was there, because he brought up things I forgot about. Also, it was great to have her ask if during my Migraines I get weakness or tinging - she was checking to see if I had Hemiplegic Migraine which was great, since I don't think any of the other doctors I'd seen previously ever asked! They also never ordered any testing what so ever - I had to request blood work with my last neuro.I think that is about it!

She is really nice and does know her stuff! I was really impressed considering I had not heard of her before.So, she wants to see me in a month, just to touch base and see how I am doing with the Zonegran. I think that is great too!

So we will see how it goes! I will keep you posted once I get my testing all done.

E is for.....

Education! Education! Education! - the more you know about Migraine as a patient, the better treatment you can get for yourself. I am going to have shirts made that say "Everything I've learned, I've learned from Teri Robert!" Seriously! Her book Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches changed my life! Her friendship and constant support has changed my life. Pick up her book through Amazon.com - and visit her at My Migraine Connection!

ER Treatment Forms - Teri Robert came up with these forms when dealing with uncooperative ER staff, or just the ER in general - and will also have a protocol in place as how your doctor wants the ER staff to treat you, if you need to go to the ER.

A Confession.....

I think I was a little too ambitious with the ABC's thing. I will get back to it. I have had no time and quite honestly feel like a truck hit me more often then not.

I sit home again tonight, in pain, while my friends are at a Halloween party.

I am just tired of being sick. I know it will get better. It's just that the right now - sucks out loud!!