Sharethis: Frustrated by 'Intervention' Episode Featuring Migraineur, Addict ~ Somebody Heal Me by Diana Lee

Simul-posting here and at The Carmelite's Habit.

I cannot believe that the state of Migraine has come to this. The day has arrived when the media capitalized on the plight of a person with multiple health problems as well as addiction, picked out Migraine to emphasize, and made it into "good television".

I won't be able to watch the episode itself. Movement on television screens triggers vertigo; however, Diana Lee's word on this is enough for me.

Diana Lee is inviting comments from people who have watched the episode.

I'm going to be sure to tell EVERYONE I KNOW that Intervention may be reality TV, but it isn't real life.

Addiction and Migraine: both are treatable illnesses but they are not co-morbid.

"Intervention" episode with Migraineur
Frustrated by 'Intervention' Episode Featuring Migraineur, Addict ~ Somebody Heal Me by Diana Lee Source: somebodyhealme.dianalee.net
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Sarcasm Ahead - Sharethis: New Space Headache Category Proposed Following Astronauts' Survey

The Space Program has given us wonderful things like Tang and freeze-dried ice cream. Ok, Velcro is useful. :)

If anyone can show me widespread benefit to Migraineurs and headachers to come from diverting research dollars to study a new Space-travel Secondary Headache Category that occurs only in astronauts, I'll stop with the sarcasm.

To spend time and money on this seems almost as out-of-this-world as would some hypothetical make-believe pork-barrel project to study ways to reduce homicide rates within the world of organized crime.

They should do what we Earthlings have to do: Take a triptan and shut up about it. Astronauts are always making excuses for botched space projects--and now, they can blame headaches with the full approval of the United States Government.

Nope, not fair until we can too. Nope, they're not entitled to better care for their spaceman head woes than we are.

This is as ridiculous as someone adopting a baby animal to keep it from being put down but who wouldn't imagine adopting a child to prevent it from being aborted. Study spaceman headaches when the funding for Migraine and Earthling headaches is so underfunded it barely shows up on the National Institute of Health budget radar?

Oh whaaaa....me BITTER???

The government actually did this. They did.

Research $ for astronaut headaches
New Space Headache Category Proposed Following Astronauts' Survey Source: sciencedaily.com
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Sharethis: 9 Unhealthy High Calorie, Fat and Salty Meals at Chili's, Applebee's, Uno, Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory - ABC News

I'm just saying...

Bad restaurant ordering choices
9 Unhealthy High Calorie, Fat and Salty Meals at Chili's, Applebee's, Uno, Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory - ABC News http://shar.es/b7gw
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Sharethis: Family Says Doctors Tried to 'Euthanize' Stroke Victim - Heart Disease - FOXNews.com

Horrifying story, even for this doubly Hades Moon. Where was the Living Will or Advance Directive?

I can't picture a more important topic to cover with a local attorney who fully understands the laws of the state, province, prefecture, county, country, land, or planet on which you reside than Living Wills and Advance Directives. Everyone of majority age needs one or the other, and deserves to be informed about each one. Review the document and reasons for the choices periodically the way you'd review a Last Will and Testament.

Here where I live, Living Wills are NOT the same as Advance Directives. Here, Living Wills put end-of-life decisions such as the timing of "the end of life" in the hands of medical professionals. Here, Advance Directives put decisions about heroic measures and such things as continuation of food and hydration in the hands of whoever the patient designates. Here, a Living Will won't give a dying patient even the most basic things all living beings need: food and water. Or things to allow for the most basic comfort for humane death.

Here, Living Wills give discretion into the hands of medical professionals. Advance Directives can be written to provide for virtually anything one would wish when one is unable to decide for oneself.

It's an extremely personal decision.

I have an Advance Directive. I will never have a Living Will. The way I see it, Living Wills allow doctors to end your life. To me Advance Directives allow whomever you designate to require that you have whatever will allow for the continuance of your life, or to require that you be given simple, non-heroic measures such as food, hydration, and palliative care without heroic measures. That's just my own extremely personal decision.

Read the article, then make plans for one or the other if you don't already have one or the other. Tell your family and friends about your decisions and give copies to those people who'll be legally allowed to speak for you, should the time come.

Advance Directive vs Living Will??
Family Says Doctors Tried to 'Euthanize' Stroke Victim - Heart Disease - FOXNews.com Source: foxnews.com
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Sharethis: Music may have a future role in heart and stroke patient rehab

Good start in beginning to understand how and why music is so influential to health. When I converted to Roman Catholicism, I learned that my sponsor's daughter had a degree in Music Therapy. I had never heard of such a magnificent route for healing.

The subject really, really needs much more research and the world deserves to understand it better. The article does mention this. With better understanding comes better utilization.

To add to the discussion from the transpersonal side, certain notes on the Western musical scale have been associated with human chakras. Chakras, whatever your belief system, do have measurable parallels in Western medicine: Endocrine glands, organs, and nerve plexus centers identified so far and a human body has many chakra spots. There's a whole field of alternative medicine that uses tuning forks, bowls constructed of of certain metals and crystals, and other sounding devices for therapeutic effects on chakra spots.

Here is a list of notes on the Western music scale associated with various chakras:

Root - C
Sexual - C#
Sacral - D
Solar Plexus - E
Heart - F
Thymus - F#
Throat - G
Zeal Point - G#
Third Eye - A
Pineal - A#
Crown - B
Above Crown - C

Music for cardiovascular therapy
Music may have a future role in heart and stroke patient rehab Source: americanheart.mediaroom.com
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3rd Annual Month of the Self

July 2009 starts in just a little while. I say this every year but man, what a year.

Traditionally, the Sparkling One has taken the month of July to herself. She will do so again this year. And now I'll stop referring to myself in third person. XD

I was a Secular Carmelite for some years, as many of you may have read in these columns. Once a Carmelite, always a Carmelite. In July I celebrate a Solemnity, a Feast, 2 Memorials, and an optional memorial each of which call for spiritual preparation.

I also bring all my mourning into July: The anniversary I would have celebrated had I not sued to end the marriage, my four babies who were never born because they died in miscarriage, family and friends who have died, every now and then a friendship that may have ended during the year, all the things needing emotional attention that haven't gotten it yet. I take care of myself during July.

So, utilizing Blogger scheduling technology, I've got a month's worth of (mostly) Sharethis news articles with a few comments and a couple of "Best of" columns, plus one serious Editorial for the end of the month. This Editorial has taken me 11 months to write--yep, I started on it in August of 2008. I don't do anything with any great speed, I'm afraid.

Enjoy the month, Happy Independence Day! August will mark one year for this blog.

Thank you all for reading. Love you all, and please pray for me as I pray for everyone who reads this little work of mine.

Take care of yourselves, and the Sparkling One will see you all in August. :)




Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission. Use the ShareThis link if you want to share this. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else without proper citation, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more effective.