I've been thinking of some of the chants and the like that I've heard from people demonstrating on Capitol Hill and how they apply to Migraines and Migraine care.
The one that sticks in my mind most is when the leader of a demonstration shouts, "What do we want?" The crowd replies, then the leader shouts, "When do we want it?"
Here's my version and the responses I'd want to hear:
What do we want? BETTER MIGRAINE TREATMENTS!
When do we want it?! NOW!
Of course, a better answer is that we want better treatments yesterday, but that's obviously impossible, so I'll settle for as soon as humanly possible.
The problem is -- How do we make this happen? There isn't a single medication on the market today that was originally developed of Migraine or Headache prevention - NOT EVEN ONE. The biggest reason for that is lack of funding for seminal research into the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of Migraine and other headache disorders. How do you research treatments until you have the basic knowledge of what causes them and how they work? That's the kind of funding we want to see the NIH fund. Pharmaceutical companies can't generally do this kind of research because it doesn't end in a treatment - it's the type of research that has to be done prior to treatment development. So, everyone has been shooting almost in the dark up to now. We've been lobbying Congress for increased NIH funding, and things are a tiny bit better, but not significantly.
The truth is that if we keep waiting for government to fund this research, not much advancement is going to be made in my lifetime, my children's, or even my grandchildren's.
So, here's my next question for you -- How badly do you want better Migraine treatments? If we really want better treatments, we have an opportunity now to help make it happen...
Dr. David Dodick, Mrs. Cindy McCain, and other people involved with the American Migraine Foundation have launched the 36 Million Migraine Campaign, and I'm with them in wanting to see it succeed. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 for each of the $36 million (plus) Migraineurs in the U.S. and use it for the needed research. You can read more about the campaign in The 36 Million Migraine Campaign - Time for Better Treatments.
I realize that many people don't have the financial resources to make many donations. That said, nobody is asking anyone to donate more than they can afford. What we're trying to do is get EVERYONE to step up and help with this campaign. When more people donate, less is needed from each person to reach the goal.
Cutting to the chase...
Almost everyone can afford to make a donation to this campaign. $5... $10... whatever you can afford. It's time we put some $$ toward research instead of continuing to just dream, wish, and complain. The truth is that if we can afford to donate to this campaign, but don't, then we forfeit any right we might have had to complain. It's that simple.
Personally, I can't donate as much as I wish I could, so I'm donating $36 per month, plus all the profits from my Café Press gift shop, until the campaign ends. You can track my donations through my 36 Million Migraine Campaign page on Crowdrise.
Just during this summer, I know of three people who took their own lives because of Migraines - because they lost hope of ever finding treatment that worked for them, because of the stigma associated with Migraine disease, just because they thought they couldn't take the Migraines any longer. This has to stop!
Will you be part of the solution? You can donate to the 36 Million Migraine Campaign by:
You can also help by sharing this information on your Facebook page, Tweeting it, emailing it to your friends, and any other way you have to spread the word and encourage people to donate.
Please join us? We truly can make a huge difference if we do this together!
We can no longer wait for government to
fund the basic Migraine research so desperately needed to provide us
with better treatments. We must pitch in and help it become a
reality.
SO, THIS IS MY CHALLENGE TO MY FELLOW MIGRAINEURS -
Donate to the 36 Million Migraine
Campaign!
The
36 Million
Migraine Campaign is an initiative of the
American Migraine Foundation, which is chaired by Dr. David Dodick.
The 36 Million
Migraine Campaign is chaired by Cindy McCain.
From Dr. Dodick:
"To Migraine sufferers across the
United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to support the
discovery of safe and highly effective treatments -- is to
lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you, your
children, and future generations – pl
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is
to support the discovery of safe and highly effective
treatments -- is to lessen the burden and improve the
quality of life for you, your children, and future
generations – please help us help you." ~ Dr. David Dodick;
Chairman, American Migraine Foundation. - See more at:
http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
ease help us help you." ~
Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine Foundation. - See
more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to
support the discovery of safe and highly effective treatments --
is to lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you,
your children, and future generations – please help us help
you." ~ Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine
Foundation. - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to
support the discovery of safe and highly effective treatments --
is to lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you,
your children, and future generations – please help us help
you." ~ Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine
Foundation. - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to
support the discovery of safe and highly effective treatments --
is to lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you,
your children, and future generations – please help us help
you." ~ Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine
Foundation. - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to
support the discovery of safe and highly effective treatments --
is to lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you,
your children, and future generations – please help us help
you." ~ Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine
Foundation. - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers
across the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to
support the discovery of safe and highly effective treatments --
is to lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you,
your children, and future generations – please help us help
you." ~ Dr. David Dodick; Chairman, American Migraine
Foundation. - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"To Migraine sufferers across
the United States - - this campaign, whose goal is to support
the discover of safe and highly effective treatments --is to
lessen the burden and improve the quality of life for you, your
children, and future generations - please help us help you."
From Mrs.
McCain:
I am here to raise public
visibility, put pressure on the powers that be, to help the und
of the most disabling medical illness on the planet. Most
importantly, it is time for this nation to stop to listen, and
to listen well - See more at: http://www.ahmablog.com/2013/07/the-36-million-migraine-campaign-time-for-better-treatments.html#sthash.YJosoiLo.dpuf
"I am here to raise public
visibility, put pressure on the powers that be, to help end one of
the most disabling medical illnesses on the planet. Most
importantly, it is time for this nation to stop to listen, and to
listen well."
You can easily donate through the
widget here or through the American
Migraine Foundation web site. You can also donate via
cell phone by texting 36Mill to 50555.
or 
