More Missing Migraine Prompts:

I’m still back-tracking on some of the prompts from the  2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge hosted by FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

Migraine Awareness Month #6: Premonition: Where would you like to see treatment options for Migraine & Headache Disorders go in the future? Like everyone else who is a migraine patient I’d have to say I’d like to see a cure for this disease.  Short of that if I were queen for a day I’d declare a law where all professionals who call themselves headache specialists would be required to prove the additional training they had received in order to call themselves such AND it would need to include additional training in appropriate bedside mannerisms!  Finally, I would like to see the standard of care/operating procedures in the ER include better requirements for patients presenting with migraine or migraine-like symptoms.  These standards would include the types of questions to ask, how the patient is treated in the exam room (lights down low, etc.) and of course more appropriate methods for pain relief.  ER’s turning away a known migraine patient without pain relief or proper oversight if they are at a high-pain scale should be against the law!  When we are at that pain level, patients should need to prove we are capable of making rational decisions, and capable of caring for ourselves if we don’t have a caregiver available to us at that time. To put such a patient back on the road, behind the wheel or back into the home to care for themselves or their children – is totally unacceptable! Any ER who does such a thing should be held responsible for their actions. <Rant – Flag on the Play>  Now for a moment of Awareness:  There are patient advocates available to you at most healthcare facilities.  Definitely at those who have gone through and passed an official accreditation here in the U.S.A.  If you feel you are receiving or have received care at a less than satisfactory level while at the hospital – ask to speak with the patient advocate and have a chat with them!  

BTW – I never saw the movie Premonition.  Was it good?  Who came up with these movie prompts?  LOL

Migraine Awareness Month #7: Pretty Woman: What do you do to look good when you feel like crap? Looking good (according to others standards) has much less value to me than *feeling* good by my own standards.  Generally speaking I don’t much care if others perceive me as pretty or not.  But I do joke around with my husband about the things I do that don’t necessarily look pretty, but provide comfort.  When I took this picture we were teasing back and forth about how this lovely blue ice patch I was wearing complimented my blue eyes….. too bad no one could see my pretty blue eyes behind those mysteriously dark glasses I was wearing in the house!   That just-out-of the-3rd-shower-of-the-day hairdo I’m wearing is prettier to me than the perfectly styled look I would have gotten by running a loud hairdryer and wasting much-needed healing energy while standing in front of a mirror.  Make up or the newest fashion does not make me feel better or “look good” when I’m dealing with a migraine attack.  Wearing even a wee smile from a bit of humor makes me feel better when I’m feeling not so grand.  Well as long as I don’t laugh so hard that it increases the pain….. which has been known to happen!

For some reason I keep hearing this tune in my head, “Pretty woman walking down the street.  Pretty woman the kind I’d like to meet.  Pretty woooomaaannn…..”  Oh great!  Now I have an ear bug to deal with too!  😀  ROFLOL

Migraine Awareness Month #8: Little Shop of Horrors: “Feed Me, Seymour”: What comfort foods do you reach for when you have a Migraine or Headache attack?   When I read this prompt, the first thought I had was, “You’ve got to be kidding!  Eat when I’m migraining?!  No way!”  After the huffed giggle, I serious-ed up and figured I better answer the prompt with a straight face and less sarcasm.  So here it is: When I’m trying to see if something will stay on my tummy I stick to mild things like a cracker or two and flat clear soda.  Those can bring me a little comfort IF they stay down.  Other than that, I don’t have a specific comfort food.  Food is not on my mind when I’m hurting. They (some migrainers) say ginger helps.  Personally, I’ve not had that experience.  I wouldn’t mind a nice pain-killer that would go to work immediately and not cause bad side affects though.  You got any of those on the menu? I’ll order up a dozen or so to get me through the month.  And Seymour is welcome to eat everything else in the shop.

Migraine Awareness Month #9: Mama Mia: Money Money Money: How does living with Migraine or another Headache Disorder impact your financial situation?  Well for starters, ER visits, pharmacy items, surgeries, doctors appointment, insurance copays – they are all extra costs that I would not experience if I didn’t have migraine.  It’s expensive to have a chronic disease that doesn’t have a cure and requires regular treatment.  Can I get a giant Duh! from the congregation, please?!

And folks, it’s not just me and my fellow migraineurs who feel this back-pocket pain. It cost our U.S. economy more than $31 billion annually!  Most of which is in lost workdays/wages and healthcare costs.  And now the same congress who won’t approve more funding for research towards this disease is furloughing me effective next month.  Thank you government leaders for giving a hoot about the people you serve!  Okay… that last snide remark was totally uncalled for.  Everyone knows that our government leaders always have our best interests at heart.  <Snicker/Snicker> Sorry if I offended anyone. <Rant – Flag on the play>

Migraine Awareness Month #10: Ocean’s Eleven: Who’s part of your Migraine/Headache Disorders care team? What essential roles still need to be filled?  My neurologist, my husband, other family members and friends – all make up my care team on a regular basis and of course me when I’m being fair to myself.  I have a love/hate relationship with my pharmacist.  Love ’em when I need the meds.  But totally hate that I need the meds.  Periodically a mental health professional is brought on board.  Occasionally my primary healthcare provider has to update referrals to my specialists.  A massage therapist/chiropractor is about to be added to the team, as well as a surgeon.

I suppose theirs a bad apple in every cart.  For me, that’s my insurance company.  They have to be on the team.  In fact they are a vital member of it, but they are the most difficult player to deal with!  I’d really like to give this last player a face and name just as I have for all the other team players.  But I cannot because they aren’t only the most difficult to deal with, but they are also the least dependable and most invisible of any of them!  Getting a hold of a live person to talk with is almost impossible.  I guess I should get off my soap box over them now. <3rd Flag down!>

I think those previous rants have got me wandering in the wrong direction.  Let’s move onto the second half of the two-part prompt and see if I can clean up my thoughts here so I can stay in the game.  What team players are still needed?  I think I’m covered pretty good based on what’s available at this time.  However I do believe a local support group made up of peers, advocates/educators, and healthcare professionals would be a nice addition to the team.  There are plenty of these online, but we do need more of them in our off-line communities.

If you know anyone who’s robbing a casino (like the Ocean Eleven team) and the money would go to helping find a cure for Migraine disease – put me on the team!

Let’s Play a Different Game!

So even after filling in this round of prompts I’m not quit caught up yet.  There are still a few more to get to before I’m back on board with the schedule.  And I’ll try to get completely caught up by tomorrow.  But for now – I’m thinking that if I keep up this pace of ranting, I’m likely to lose my blog audience.  I best switch over to a new game.  Care to join me?  This one is called  “Show the Support – Win Some Fun Papers!”  Okay, okay – so my game naming skills are lacking here, but my paper making skills are just as good as ever.  And truth be known if I don’t stop and make some papers soon my scrap stash is going to force us to move out of the house.  It’s taking over!

Here’s the thing, my lilacs are in full bloom.  They are purple and smell so pretty!  Purple is the ribbon color for Migraine and Chronic Headache Awareness.  I’m thinking…. I should make up a batch (or two or 12) of handmade purple papers.  And add lilac botanicals to some of them.  Then…. well…. I can’t use all of them myself… so I think I shall give them away and make someone’s day.  I’ve clipped some lovely lilac petals to dry for paper inclusions.  They will be ready to go before the end of this month.  And I KNOW I’ll be ready to do some paper making too…. in several different colors!

If you’ll show your support for our awareness campaign, I’ll toss your name into a raffle bucket and at the end of the month I’ll pull a few names.  Those folks will win a bundle of handmade papers wrapped with a lovely purple ribbon.  If smells are a trigger for your migraines, I’ll gladly leave the smelly ones out of your winning packet!  I will have plenty to go around without scents in them too!  Because when I have a paper making day in my kitchen, I make a lot of paper!!!!

So how about it?  Care to take your chances at winning some handmade papers?  They are great for creative cards, scrapbooking, journaling projects, rubber stamping, and painting too. My dear friends, you can even do your Lineweaving on them!  🙂

Here’s How to Enter the Giveaway Drawing:

1. Do any type of project you want in support of Migraine and Chronic Headache Awareness month and be sure to use purple in your project.
2. Then post it online somewhere with a mention of the awareness campaign. (Use Flickr, Lineweaving.Com Gallery, Your Blog, Your Facebook Wall, etc.)
3. Then come back to my blog and point me to your support item by leaving a comment and a link to it on any of the articles here at the Rainbow Elephant that are in the Migraine Awareness Month category.

Need a Purple Project Idea?

Here’s a few ideas to get your juices flowing:

• Draw, paint, scrapbook, do up a journal page, or stamp a pretty something in purple.
• Write a poem, blog post, a relevant article, tweet or facebook status update – Something to do with Migraine.  Use purple text or maybe include a purple ribbon on the web page.
• Take a picture or make a collage of pictures that tell a relevant story or feature a wonderfully purple anything in it.
• Paint your nails purple, show off your purple accessories, or that great new blouse with purple stripes.
• Purple clay project or maybe purple beads strung together in a lovely bracelet?  By the way if you have a purple beaded bracelet for sale, please let me know.  I’m looking for one to purchase!
• Pretty much anything goes as long as it includes purple and a mention of our migraine awareness campaign!

That’s really all there is to it.  Whether you’re a crafty person or not, you can participate.

• All raffle entry comments (with your link in it) must be submitted by noon on June 30th!
• You may submit up to 3 comment/link entries for the raffle.  I’ll add your name for each awareness project (up to 3) that you submit!

Let me know if you have any questions!

A Few Paper Samples

Field Notebook Made Using my Handmade Papers

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June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

Hugs to you all!
~Cindy/PChip