Open Response to a Doctor Who was Well-Treated by a Fellow Doctor

"Have you had similar experiences when a healthcare provider went the extra mile to show you they cared?"

Nope.

You're another doctor and you are acquainted with the fellow doctor you saw. He felt guilty when he saw you in the gym and remembered he had not gotten back in touch with you. What, do you think he'd have risked ignoring you in front of the others in the gym? Or horrors, what if you'd approached him first??

I'm a toadstool with many signs but in all the wrong places. I don't have a gym membership nor money for one. I'm not long-time friends with doctors.

You're a doctor who was cared for by his office staff with attention and respect because doctor's offices close ranks. I make low-cost home-made treatments for myself from plants I forage out of the woods or with rocks from the dirt.

I'm terribly sorry you've got something to deal with health-wise. It's true, the old saying that if you have your health, you have everything.

But it's great to be you, isn't it?


Sincerely,

The Sagittarius Sun of Cynical, Sarcastic Bluntness




Copyright 2008-2010 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission. Use the ShareThis link if you want to share this. Nothing in the above article is remunerated content. 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.

Love Beats Hate Blog Event

Too many of us who are chronically ill and disabled have to give up our precious spoons to fight off attacks from sometimes aggressive and assuredly misguided people.

I plan to participate in this blog event with an article about a dreadful episode that happened to me recently. Blogger Extraordinaire Diana Lee of Somebody Heal Me is helping to organize the Love Beats Hate Blog Event.  Check out Diana's article and the list of participating blogs.

Next Wednesday November 17, 2010, consider contributing a article. Love Beats Hate better than anything. :)


Copyright 2008-2010 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission. Use the ShareThis link if you want to share this. Nothing in the above article is remunerated content. 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.

Sharethis: Shrink Rapping: Signs and Symptoms and Diseases, Oh My!

Well, THIS was eye-opening.  Here's an explanation of one criterion that's used when deciding on a psychiatric referral for some invisible illnesses.

I appreciate the doctor's candid answer.

Please read the doctor's blog post.

Shrink Rapping: Signs and Symptoms and Diseases, Oh My! Source: shrinkrapping.blogspot.com
Parin Stormlaughter sent this using ShareThis.

Sharethis: Dear White House - The Personal Data Challenge

Now here's an idea I could get behind.

Please read the article, check out Alexandra Carmichael's CureTogether site, and ponder whether this might be a better use of taxpayer dollars than government-run EHRs.

Not doing well. July is just a bad month for me all around. Going to hide underneath some rocks and read about the monster of an alligator not too far from me in Mulga, Alabama.  I've only seen a picture of it but man, it was a beauty.  Must have been at least 7 feet long.

dear-white-house-our-personal.php from kk.org - StumbleUpon Source: stumbleupon.com
Parin Stormlaughter sent this using ShareThis.

Sharethis: Medication Overuse Headache Article: Education Through a Biased Lens? ~ Somebody Heal Me by Diana Lee

Diana Lee has a critically analytical mind. Her commentary on the article she links to is excellent. Everybody read both her article and the one she comments on. What she and the article say are both absolutely right, in addition to being true.  At IRS this would be called full, accurate, and complete.

Neither Diana's article nor the one she links to is about what to do in that Land of the Living Dead that exists between the end of pharmaceutical treatments and the end of the attack, but that little problem is a huge problem for me. 

As Sparkling readers know, I'm huge into complementary treatments for Migraine and Meniere's, and for all the stuff that bothers me. It appears to me that complementary treatments are a Migraineur's sole port in the storm when he or she reaches the acute reimbursed pharmaceutical treatment limit, limits which despite claims to the contrary are frequently set by insurance companies according to toxicity of the treatment rather than desire to preserve company profits. I am aggressively pursuing complementary treatments to go with preventative work all in close conjunction with all my doctors.  I'm all about prevention, myself.  The fewer attacks that I have to treat at all, the better for me from my point of view.

Today's Full Scorpio Moon matches my own progressed Full Scorpio Moon and I'm taking the day to doctor it. I did a few little complementary things to prepare for this one and so far, this occurrence of the twice-monthly Full Moon/New Moon attacks is less intense than usual. That's a good thing.

Medication Overuse Headache Article: Education Through a Biased Lens? - Diana Lee, Somebody Heal Me
Medication Overuse Headache Article: Education Through a Biased Lens? ~ Somebody Heal Me by Diana Lee Source: somebodyhealme.dianalee.net
Parin Stormlaughter sent this using ShareThis.

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.

Cure Together - Open Source Health Research wellness site

New chronic illness link at left here at Sparkling With Crystals. I'm making hay while the sun shines (and burns us up--forecast is for 97o today) and before I give out, I want to share this with you.

Cure Together - Open Source Health Research is a ten-plus year old organization. It has a number of offerings for chronic illness folks, participant reported information, and a rather stellar staff.

I'm looking forward to fully exploring the areas I've scanned through. In a Twitter message, @accarmichael of Cure Together explained that information comes from members. That disclaimer is at the bottom of the pages along with the copyright information. Would that everyone would be so upfront about their sources! Big plus for Cure Together, to me.

I value anecdotal information, frankly, provided it's not part of an advertisement for a product or cure. I see good things about the member-provided information at Cure Together. The homepage lists the number of participants at more than 3,000. Seems to be a well to draw from and I'm encouraged.

It has 18 gajillion things for people to track for themselves such as various medications, exercise, weight, caloric intake, and many dozens more categories.

I'll share things from Cure Together as I find them. Check them out when you can in the meantime!



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.

Putting Our Heads Together Poetry Contest 2009! Deadline 4/17/09

Now this is down my alley:

Putting Our Heads Together Poetry Contest 2009!

Teri Robert, the USAs Number One Migraine and Headache Patient Advocate, has this information on her Heathcentral MyMigraineConnection site.

It's a poetry contest!

Click on the links at the bottom of Teri's page for more information.

Self expression is crucial to my being. Cannot WAIT to get started writing.

Actually, I've got one started already...something that happened Monday morning of this week...wrote about it in metaphorical poetry form. :)

Just a short note today since this month-long attack is still in progress. Complicating it is a geomagnetic storm in progress. Just got an automated phone call from Spaceweather.com about it. Solar flares, solar storms, geomagnetic storms--all consistent, non-stackable, stand-alone triggers for me.

Will post about that in a day or so when this subsides. Off to take more meds and crawl underneath rocks before the pain gets too bad again.

Write poetry! Feel better! :D



On Twitter--Parin Stormlaughter

Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more effective.

Urgent: Contact Your Congressional Reps about Migraine Treatment Funding!

Below is the text of an email from the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA, link left also) sent out today. If you have not already signed up for their email alerts, what are your waiting for?? (Link on left also.)

Teri Robert PhD, the USAs Number One Migraine Disease and Headache Patient Advocate along with Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain, one of my Migraine blogging compatriots (all three links at left also), met with members of Congress last week to discuss the serious issue of Migraine treatments. None of the treatments currently available are harmless and there is no cure for Migraine, a genetic disease that has made Yours Truly disabled and retired that way--for now.

It is WAY PAST TIME for the National Institutes of Health to properly fund research into safe and effective Migraine Disease treatments. If you think Migraine is a non-issue since the advent of triptans then read this about Imitrex, the flagship triptan, and tell me if you still feel that way.

I've sent my email. Click on the link and send yours today. The AHDA website will automatically determine who your Representatives are based on your zipcode so you won't even have to try to look it up. You'll have a place to add your own information and message to your Representative and the AHDH has generously programmed thousands of characters, so you'll have room.

I'm battling a Migraine attack right now. I've staved off treating it with meds for two days but the time has come, the Walrus said. I hope what I've written makes sense and that all the links work but forgive if they don't and please let me know.

I borrowed a computer to make this urgent post. Now, I'm going to take meds, crawl underneath rocks, and pray. Yeah, with all my crystal and mineral specimens on me, I feel like a reptile. :3



From: Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy
Subject: We Need Your Help
Date: Mar 2, 2009 2:12 PM
One voice can make all the difference!
We Need Your Help
It's time to ask the House support fair funding for research on headache disorders

Take Action!
Ask your member of the House to sign the "Obey/Tiahrt letter."

Dear AHDA advocates -

The moment has arrived for you to contact your members of the US House of Representatives to take action for increasing National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on headache disorders.

Please go to the AHDA website as soon as possible to send strong but focused emails to your members of the House with just a few clicks. (http://www.allianceforheadacheadvocacy.org/)

Publicly funded research is the key to fundamental discoveries that accelerate drug development and expand the field of headache medicine. However, the NIH has never provided adequate funding for research on headache disorders. Currently, NIH expenditures for headache research are less than $13M annually, comprising less than 0.05% of the NIH budget. Meanwhile, headache disorders cost more than $31B in the US annually, including 9% of lost labor productivity, and result in more lost years of healthy life every year than epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and ovarian cancer combined. As a consequence of insufficient research, only two innovative drugs have received FDA approval for migraine treatment in the past fifty years.

We are requesting that the US House and the Senate each include language that prioritizes research on headache disorders with the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bills for the NIH. At this particular time, we need our members of the House to sign a "Dear Colleague" letter that they received last week.

The AHDA website simplifies contacting your members of the House with the right message at the right time. You will also be able to add a brief personal statement to your members of the Houseif you wish.

The more emails that members of the House receive from constituents right now, the more likely they will act upon this issue. You CAN make a difference. Let Congress know you care now.

Also, right now please forward this email to everyone you know that also cares about someone suffering from migraine or other headache disorders.

Through collective advocacy we will improve the care for individuals with headache disorders. Thanks very much for your help.

Best regards to you all,

Robert Shapiro, MD, PhD; Burlington, Vermont
William Young, MD; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Brad Klein, MD, MBA; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Teri Robert, PhD; Washington, West Virginia






On Twitter--Parin Stormlaughter

Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more effective.

Thank you, Diana, for choosing 'Twas the Night Before Nut Cakes (below) for the Somebody Heal Me 10th Anniversary December 2008 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival!

December 2008 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival link.


From Somebody Heal Me(link on left also):

Happier Holidays: December 2008 Headache Blog Carnival

Note from Diana: Generally speaking, a blog carnival is a collection of links to a variety of a blogs on a central topic. The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both headache and migraine disease patients and people who blog about headache disorders with unique opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us. Visit the link to this month's carnival for a collection of informative entries on how to maximize your enjoyment of the holiday season. Thanks! Diana
--
Diana Lee
Somebody Heal Me: SomebodyHealMe.dianalee.net
SomebodyHealMe@dianalee.net

Maggots and castor oil and old-fashioned forward thinking

Oooo yum! Castor oil! XD

Tonight I gave myself my second castor oil pack, according to the readings of Edgar Cayce. No, not any castor oil internally but an external pack made with flannel soaked with castor oil, put in place, and kept warm with a heating pad.

For whatever reason, my gall bladder hurts now and then. I've had an ultrasound done and there are no gallstones, and blood work shows that my gall bladder is functioning normally, so there's no reason I can think of to have it removed. The doctor said that gall bladders can become inflamed and painful for no obvious reasons.

I had tried a heating pad and ibuprofen over the years and frankly, got no relief. I try to stay away from over-the-counter analgesics these days because--and who knew?--taking recommended amounts of OTC analgesics for non-headache reasons can cause an attack called a medication-overuse headache in susceptible individuals by themselves in the absence of any other trigger so...Time to search for a non-drug method to relieve the discomfort.

I'm a fan of Edgar Cayce's readings as I've mentioned before. I don't agree with everything he said. He said a number times that people should only take from his readings what was "helpful and hopeful" and discard the rest. Humble man, major psychic, wrong on some important theological points. Right on many health issues.

I really, really would like to do a series on his readings and what I have been able to take from them and use. So many things to write about, so little ability...

The castor oil pack is applied for an hour to an hour and a half daily before bed for three days, then on the evening of the third day a tablespoon of olive oil is taken. Lay off for four days, then start the cycle again.

I'll let you know if I get any relief.

In other news from my blogging compatriot Marijke Durning, RN, of Help My Hurt (link on left too):

Maggots and infections: you may want to skip this post if this gives you the heeby jeebies!

Natural and non-drug ways to do what artificial chemicals do now is what this blog is all about. Marijke explains maggots and leeches in use today for infections and to maintain circulation in reattached limbs.

If I were to ever need this type of therapy, I'd have to repeat to myself..."they're only eating the dead flesh...they're only eating the dead flesh..." :p

Kreativ Blogger Award

I'm smiling again.

Here I am, dealing with this broken-off bone spur and degenerative disk disease in my neck, aggressive chiropractics and acupuncture to see if they will manage it so I won't have to have surgery, got the normal family dynamics of life after a major death going on, a close aunt who truly relied on my late father her brother after her husband died just had a mastectomy for breast cancer, Aikichik has both mononucleosis and pneumonia, and I'm about at my wits' end, and lo and behold! This blog has been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by my bud and migraine blogger compatriot, MaxJerz of rhymeswithmigraine (link also on left).

MaxJerz is a true writer and poet. She won Third Place in the Putting Our Heads Together 2008 Poetry Contest. Her blog is worthy of following, if it's not already on your blog feed.

She'll educate you, make you laugh, and migraine awareness and advocacy are well advanced by her efforts.

I'm humbled and appreciative of the recognition. Thank you, MJ!

Time to ice my neck and back again and close my eyes for a few. Unfortunately, no broad-leafed plantain poultice recipes for you in the near future--the chiropractor has strictly forbidden me to put any heat on my neck and back. Can't even take a hot shower. Ice is all I'm allowed for now. Maybe I'll post instructions for making ice packs from tea towels, water, and rubbing alcohol once I've gotten the system in working order.

I can eat all those marvelous leaves though. Melt a pat of butter in a skillet, toss the leaves around with a bit of salt until they're wilted...oh me, the joys of foraging for supper. :D



Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Megan Oltman: Take Back Your Life From Migraine Key #3

Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain has created an E-course called Take Back Your Life From Migraine.

The six-step course was so good for me, I decided to share a few bits with you. Not gonna give away the course though! Sign up for it. Even if you don't have Migraine, odds are you know someone who does.

Check out her blog to sign up. Or you can sign up here.

Key #3: Know Your Triggers

*************************************************************************************

Have you ever wondered exactly what is happening during a migraine? In a migraine attack certain stimuli trigger neurons in the brain to fire off in a rapid sequence, increasing vascular pressure. This leads to head pain, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances (aura) and in rare cases, temporary paralysis. There are many potential triggers. Common ones include:

> Bright or flashing lights (fluorescent lights are blinking in a rapid sequence and can trigger migraines for many) - Yep

> Smoke - never paid attention until now, but you better believe I’ll be on the lookout. I’m not exposed to second-hand smoke at home but I do have a wood stove. Smoke is smoke, I imagine.

> Dehydration - oh yeah, right up there

> Chemical fumes, scents - tied for first place

> Alcohol (particularly red wine) - stackable. Sometimes yay, sometimes nay.

> Hormonal fluctuations (including menstruation) - sadly, my hormones have no effect on migraine as triggers for anything except–well, on to the next one...

> Insufficient sleep, too much sleep, or changes in sleeping patterns - an impending migraine actually disrupts my sleep on its own.

> Changes in the weather (usually large changes in barometric pressure as when a frontal system moves through) - dealing with that right now in fact.

> Motion travel - moving further up the list as Meniere’s worsens

> Loud noises - soft noises, certain frequencies of noises, certain timbres of noises...

> Certain foods - (I'm not counting food additives or processed foods here--they're 'chemicals' on my list) Not so much except that I can count on garbanzo beans as a stackable trigger

> Changes in altitude, or being at a high altitude when unaccustomed to it - hmmm...never been at a high altitude except on an airplane. Need to check that one out! :D

> Sudden or drastic changes in eating habits (such as dieting) - missing meals for sure is a stackable trigger for me

> Changes in caffeine consumption - I don't consume much caffeine now but when I was a full-caffeine coffee drinker, reduction in caffeine was a stackable trigger



Not on Megan's list but also tied for First Place for me is anxiety. Stress, not a migraine trigger at all unless the stressor makes me anxious. Back when I was well, nothing got me focused at full speed like a short deadline. Now, stress triggers Meniere's for me. Anxiety triggers migraine for me. Can't win for losing.

Here are the components for First Migraine Trigger Place. They don't exert influence in this order necessarily:

• Chemicals, fumes, additives, and crap like that
  
• Energy drains and EMF
  
• Noise
  
• Anxiety
  
• Motion, especially moving my head independently from my body. That makes a weird picture in my head but hey! It's me! ;)
• Light, especially glints of sunlight and fluorescent lights and computer screens and my cell phone. And television.

Next lesson: Keep Track of Everything


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Megan Oltman: Take Back Your Life From Migraine Key #2

Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain has created an E-course called Take Back Your Life From Migraine.

The six-step course was so good for me, I decided to share a few bits with you. Not gonna give away the course though! Sign up for it. Even if you don't have Migraine, odds are you know someone who does.

Check out her blog to sign up. Or you can sign up here.

Key #2: Get Medical Help


************************************************************************************

Identify issues to discuss with your current or new doctor....

Wow, issues to discuss with current doctor...if I cared about his opinion...

! Why did you hand me back my Migraine diary without even looking at it?? Have you any idea how much TIME I spent working on it?? I’ve had Migraine for 42 years. This diary was never about me. It was for YOU and it’s standard in Migraine care for migraineurs to keep a diary or journal for doctors.

! Why do you take such good care of the single most incompetent staff of any of the doctors I see–and I see plenty, I’m disabled– but care not a whit about your patients??

! Why was it always about YOU??


When I get a new doctor...

* I know nearly as much about Migraine as you do. Don’t tell me what you know. My last doctor charged me astronomical amounts of money to tell me everything he knew. It was virtually worthless when it came to patient care. Show me what you’re willing to do to work alongside me.

* If you don’t care what self-care things I do to manage Migraine, you’re an idiot.

* If you don’t care about Migraine symptoms other than pain, you’re fired.


Wow. That felt GREAT.

Megan Oltman: Take Back Your Life From Migraine Key #1

Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain has created an E-course called Take Back Your Life From Migraine.

The six-step course was so good for me, I decided to share a few bits with you. Not gonna give away the course though! Sign up for it. Even if you don't have Migraine, odds are you know someone who does.

Check out her blog to sign up. Or you can sign up here.

Key #1: Knowledge is Power

*************************************************************************************

From Take Back Your Life From Migraine Pain by Megan Oltman

Write about your migraines in detail. How do they affect your life? What would be possible if you had fewer? Specifically, what would you do if you had half as many migraines as you have now?

Great questions and food for thought.

If I had fewer migraines, I would...

~Play in the rain instead of watching it out the window

~Capture lightning in my hands instead of listening to it rattle the windows

~Help people whose energy is so disrupted that it disrupts mine and triggers migraine attacks and Meniere’s attacks

~Never have met some of the most intelligent and educated people I've ever known in my life

~Have to learn to say, “No” with no thought to migraine

~Write about what inspires me when the inspiration strikes instead of trying to embed it into my brain until the attack is over.

~Be proud that my children would no longer be required to say, “My mother can’t. She’s disabled.”

I expect this list to lengthen.

E-course: Megan Oltman's "Take Back Your Life From Migraine"

One of my blogging compatriots, Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain (link left also) has written a very, very good, educational E-course about migraine, free for the asking.

I signed up for "Take Back Your Life From Migraine". Of course I did! Who knows everything there is to know about migraine, except Caffeine Man whose life is so lame he has to get his bizkit going by poking Girls Who Know More Than He Does?

I will say this about Megan's course: No one knows migraine like a migraineur.

The course is a series of six Keys. They include prompts for thought, actions for improvement, and some of Megan's personal experiences. They will educate you, make you think about migraine, and for me they've given me food for blogs.

I won't give away the course in its entirety--go ahead and sign up for it! It will come through email. Take your time going through it. Take Megan's advice.

You'll learn, rest assured. If you don't already have a handle on how to manage migraine, you will. If you know or love someone with migraine, you'll have a better concept of what this thing really is.

Look for my next post to be parts of my work for Key #1: Knowledge is Power.

Come on, Caffeine Man, hit me.

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Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.