Resources

12 January 2017

Unused Paid Time Off? Use it to Fight Migraine…

Because of the drastic under-funding of research for migraine, I’m always interested in new ways to get that research going. Thanks to a start up, those in the United States now have a unique way to donate.

It may seem odd to those in other developed countries, but in the United States there is no national law making paid leave a requirement. But many of those who get the privilege, for whatever reason don’t use it.
Paid Time Off Exchange Now I certainly recommend you do use it – it’s important for your health, productivity, and creativity. But the fact of the matter is, at certain times you may not be able to use it, or you may have friends and family who have unused paid time off that they haven’t used.

Depending on a company’s policy, this can lead to a lot of confusion in the books over the years. But some companies have used this new start up to organize this paid time off (PTO) and use it to help other employees, the employees who weren’t using it, and even charities – ah hah!

There may be people you know who qualify – and who can give some of their PTO to the Migraine Research Foundation. The startup is called PTO Exchange, and the Migraine Research Foundation is one of the registered charities.

If you’re in the USA, please tell your family and friends about this opportunity to give to migraine research. 100% of their donation will go directly to cutting edge research. Some companies may want to consider using PTO Exchange for the first time. Share on Facebook, Twitter, and at your next dinner party – let’s see if we can find some funding to fight migraine!

5 January 2017

7 Ways to Stick to Your New Treatment (or not)

James Resources, Tips 0

Migraine patients are constantly frustrated by a lack of good treatments, good information, trained health professionals, and funding for research. And we’re right to be concerned. But there’s another major issue that is keeping many patients from the best treatments.

It’s simply this: we don’t do what the doctor tells us to do.

One of the major recommendations for solving this problem is creating a “blame-free” environment. Well, sometimes we need the truth, even if it involves so-called “blame”. But it’s actually a lot more complicated than simply “the patient is bad because he didn’t take his meds”.

There are many reasons why we don’t listen to our doctor’s instructions. Sometimes – hopefully not often, but sometimes – a doctor may just give horrible instructions. Like “find yourself a husband” or “stop being so stressed”.

There are a lot of things doctors can do to improve “adherence” or “compliance” as it’s called in the medical field. There’s a whole area of study related to this issue.

Did you know, for example, that some doctors will not even discuss certain treatments with you, because they think it’s a waste of time, because chances are you won’t listen? An example might be a strict diet. Even if you could drastically improve your health by weighing and measuring everything you eat – would you? Or by running 10 miles every day?

But there are some things we as patients can do in order to take our doctor’s recommendations more seriously. After all, if you’re going to try it, go all the way, and make sure you know whether it works or not. Taking your medication 60% of the time, or adhering to your diet 3 days a week, really won’t tell you if the treatment “works”.

Here are some suggestions to maximize your treatment in the year ahead (remember, this is a very complex issue – these are just a few ideas to help you, not a complete overview of the issue).

Get Organized. Do you forget to take your meds? No time to make that healthy meal? A big part of it may be organization. What can you do to help remember? Why not invest in a nice pill dispenser (here are some popular examples – Pill Organizer Box Weekly Case, 4ucycling 2 Pack Easy Carry Waterproof Pill Case, or the extremely popular Borin-Halbich 7 Day 3 Compartment Pill Organizer)? How about an app to remind you (like the very entertaining Medisafe)? Why not plan a weekly menu on Saturday morning? Whatever works for you.
Find a Friend. Can someone else help you? Hold you accountable? Everyone needs a friend once in a while.
Rewards. How about a reward at the end of the month if you stick to your treatment?
Understand your disease (and the treatment). Sometimes we’re reluctant to try a treatment because we don’t see why it would “help”. Educate yourself – it’s your responsibility. But feel free to ask your doctor lots of questions.
Understand your disability (keep track!). If we have a 20% improvement, but don’t notice it, we won’t care about the treatment. As much as you can, keep track of where your symptoms are at. Use a paper diary, or an app, or a periodic test. Whatever works – the more detail the better.
Recognize your beliefs. Sometimes we’re not even aware of them, but we have a lot of ideas (whether correct or correct under some circumstances, or even mistaken) that affect our treatment. Are you afraid of taking a “daily medication”? Why? Do you believe that “vitamins” won’t help? Why? Are all “drugs” bad? There may be a lot of wisdom in your idea, but there may be circumstances in which you need to rethink a little. Don’t be afraid to examine your beliefs.
Communicate with your doctor (and be honest). Do you have a plan for communicating with your doctor? Ok, under some circumstances you may just need to find a new doctor. But if you’re going to stick with the one you have, you need to communicate. And be honest. If the treatment regimen is just too complicated – say so. If you’re simply not going to give yourself an injection – admit it and move on. If you need a break from trying new meds – take a break. There are going to be times when you can’t “adhere” perfectly to your treatment – and sometimes you just need to be ok with that. But if you communicate to your doctor, she can help you find something that you can adhere to.

One more thing – at this time of year, full of focus on New Year’s resolutions, there is actually some good advice out there to help you stick to your plan. If you’re reading that advice, think about how you might apply that to your medical treatment.

After all – imagine if you gained even a few more days of health this year! What would you do with them?

1 December 2016

The Migraine Expert in Your Pocket

James Resources, Tips 0

Patients want to get treated, doctors want to treat them. But one of the biggest challenges is simply telling your doctor what they need to know.

Your doctor may not have a lot of time. Or, she may not know what questions to ask. Or, you may forget something under the time constraints at the doctor’s office.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a migraine expert that you could call on first, who had all the time in the world to discuss your symptoms with you? And then that expert could put the most important information into a nice, compact package and give it to your doctor?

Ah yes, in a perfect world. But actually, there is something similar that already exists.

It’s a website called BonTriage, and it was developed by migraine experts. Actually, it’s still being developed and improved, which should give you some peace of mind as our knowledge of headache disorders is growing day by day.

The concept is simple. You go to the website and you are asked some very specific questions about your symptoms. Very specific. Remember, the idea is to get lots of information that your doctor could easily miss, and find the information that will be most important to know.

So don’t expect to sit down for 5 minutes and answer a few simple questions. It will take some time. (Actually, there is a “short” version, but it’s worth your time to do all the steps.) Remember, this is time you’re saving in the doctor’s office.

Once you’re done, you’ll have a printable page that you can take to your doctor.

Even if you’ve already been seeing a doctor, this is a great way to breath fresh air into your conversations. Or, if you’re going to see a specialist, or a chiropractor, or another health professional, bring this along. It will give you a head start.

This is not a “perfect” solution – the computer cannot diagnose you. It is, however, a conversation starter. And if you’re willing to use it, it could be a great help.

To try it now, go to the assessment page for BonTriage here.

8 August 2016

Flickering Lights: No More Excuses

James Resources, Tips 4

A few years ago, as more and more CFL light bulbs started flooding the market, many people found that the lights meant more migraine attacks. Reasons for that aside, we either had the choice to cling to the less energy efficient incandescent bulbs, or make a major investment in LED bulbs.

Those days are over. The price of LEDs has plummeted, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t start changing your bulbs over today.

Why LEDs?

Like CFLs, LED bulbs are designed to replace the traditional incandescent bulbs. But LED bulbs are designed to be more energy efficient (and so cheaper!), and to last longer than their predecessors. They don’t have the flicker of CFLs (which some people claim is the trigger for migraine attacks), and they don’t get hot like incandescent bulbs (an energy waster, and a problem if you’re trying to control the temperature during a migraine attack).

How to buy LED bulbs

There are some things you should know before jumping into the LED world. First, ignore the watts if you want to know how bright the bulb will be. What you need to know about is lumens, an actual measurement of light.

Here’s a quick chart to help you out. A traditional incandescent bulb of so many watts – how many lumens would that be?

Incandescent 40 watt = 450 lumens
Incandescent 60 watt = 800 lumens
Incandescent 75 watt = 1100 lumens
Incandescent 100 watt = 1600 lumens

Take for example the CREE 800 lumen bulb. It’s only drawing 8.5 watts, but as as bright as an incandescent 60 watt (and should last 15-20 years!).

The other thing you need to know about LED bulbs is that they don’t dim like a traditional bulb. If you connect it to an old dimmer switch, it might just get confused, because that kind of dimming relies on changing the wattage. So find an LED that is compatible with an older dimmer switch.

Watch out! Some LED lights still flicker with a dimmer. A CNET test recommended the Phillips A19 (60 watt equivalent) as a great quiet, non-flicker option.

As with any bulb, you need to also think about colour. There are bulbs with a warmer glow, and others with more of a daylight feel. And you need the bulb that will fit wherever you want to put it.

The Next Level: Smart LEDs

You’re lying in bed, and you just need to dim the lights a bit? No problem. And it won’t cost you a fortune either.

Check out this amazing Cree Soft White 815 lumen dimmable bulb. This will work with various home automation systems (it’s a long story, but some of these bulbs are designed to work with a hub – check the details before you buy!).

One option is to get a starter pack, like this highly rated Philips Hue LED Starter Kit, which comes with 2 bulbs and a hub, which can be controlled through your smart phone or systems like Echo and and Wink.

Many people find that the colour of light around them makes a huge difference during a migraine attack, or even when it comes to preventing them. Yes, some smart bulbs will change colour for you.

Take for example the remarkable LIFX LED Smart Bulb. A little on the pricey side compared to some of the others we’ve talked about, but you have complete control via it’s special apps (no hub required) to change the colours, set schedules (so that the light will gradually dim at night, gradually turn on in the morning, — no more harsh changes! — and even go on and off when you’re not home), and change the mood. 🙂

The Bottom Line

At less than US$15 per bulb (currently under US$4 in a pack) for even a dimmable or smart bulb, this is really a great time to change the lighting in your home. Light has a tremendous effect on mood and health, as migraine patients know. Being able to control colour, or just turn lights off from your bed, is a tremendous advantage (in the case of smart bulbs).

You will rarely ever change a bulb again with LEDs, and you’ll be saving money by using far less electricity. LEDs are also safer to dispose of than CFLs.

Check your options today – Cree is an excellent brand to start with if you’re not sure (I see a six pack at less than US$4 per bulb).

Here are a lot more options. Check the left sidebar to help you choose the exactly right bulb for your – bedroom, fridge, dining room, man cave …

By the way, if you’re wanting to start small, think about where you are most of the time, or where you are during a migraine attack. For example, why not start with a bedside light?

Check out our discussions from a few years ago, in particular regarding lighting in the workplace:

21 June 2016

Important Announcement: Migraine Summit Library

James Resources 0

I’ve started going through all the wealth of information from the Migraine World Summit, which was held back in April of this year. As you probably know by now, the summit included 32 interviews with researchers, doctors and advocates in the fight against migraine from all over the world.

After the summit, the interviews were made available for purchase as a one-of-a-kind cutting edge library of migraine information.

But that library will only be available for purchase until this Thursday, the 23rd of June, at 9pm EST. At that time the website is going to be revamped to further serve those who are already using the service.

As it has turned out, the conversations have continued, and the website will be used for those who have invested in the materials, so that they can continue to process and discuss the information, and the new research that is coming out.

The VIP Access Pass includes a lot more than just the interviews. Here’s a breakdown:

The 32 interviews include experts from Stanford University, Harvard University, the National Headache Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic, Migraine Trust, and much more. And you get not only the video interviews, but an mp3 version and the full transcript to read. As I said before, this is a one-of-a-kind library with absolutely cutting-edge information about migraine from some of the top experts from around the world.
Lifetime access to a private support/discussion group.
A full treatment directory with clinical evidence.
Trigger guide
The Treatment Plan Checklist and 5 Mistakes Migraineurs Make booklets.

At this time there is nothing else like this library of information. As one person who attended the summit said,“I learned more in 5 days than I have in all those years…“

Until Thursday you still have a chance to purchase the library and also be a part of the ongoing discussion.

To find out more, visit the Migraine World Summit Access Passes page.