For the sake of over 26 million people, Migraines must be recognized as a disabling disease.

For the sake of over 26 million people, Migraines must be recognized as a disabling disease.


We, the undersigned, have committed ourselves to changing the way the Government,
Doctors, Employers, and the Public treat the condition and symptoms of *MIGRAINES*

There are 26 plus million Americans between the ages of 15, and 55 that suffer from
migraine headaches. Some studies show that some 46\% of the 26 plus million migraineurs
suffer from multiple, weekly migraine attacks.

Intense throbbing pain with each beat of your heart, stabbing, pulsating pain,
sometimes stretching down the back of your head to your upper neck, behind the eye and
across the whole facial area, flashing light, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, dizziness,
spots before your eyes, tunnel vision, smells, having the shakes or trembling, numbness of
face, arms, hands, legs and feet, light and sound sensitivity, difficulty concentrating,
memory loss, scalp tenderness, drooping, watering eyes, slurred speech, swelled gums,
loose teeth, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, water retention and frequent urination,
loss of vision, loss of consciousness, Depression......
These are just a few of the symptoms taken from actual quotes of migraine sufferers
that describe the pain and the "hell on earth" we live with that the doctors call "migraine
headaches." There is more than one type of migraine, and each one has a different pain,
and different symptoms. But a migraine is so much more than a "headache." A headache
can be stopped with an aspirin, or Tylenol. A migraine, in most cases, needs some sort of
pain medication to stop (and in most cases it only *eases*) the pain.
Migraines are a debilitating disease for some people, making them unable to function
in their everyday lives, let alone work. But in most states, migraines are not considered a
disability. Even when the migraneur is suffering from daily migraines, and cannot get out
of the bed for days at a time, there is no help, financially, for the sufferer. Because,
according to the Government, "headaches" are not a disability.
For those that are able to work, employment is hard to find and or keep, due to the fact
that there are many days missed due to the migraines, or the symptoms of the migraines.
It is not like we ask for the migraines just to go home from work. We need these jobs, but
there are times when we are unable to work.
They say that migraines do not kill, but there have been no studies into the "suicides"
of migraine sufferers. Migraines can and do kill, because the sufferers cannot find the
help they need, or the treatment they so deserve, and can no longer take the pain, so they
stop the pain in the only way they feel that they can, and that is by committing suicide or
"KILLING" themselves.
The above symptoms cause those of us who suffer to feel we are out of control of our
lives. We cannot maintain a normal existence ---- the very real threat of a migraine to
render us functionless exists at all times. We never know when we can count on being
healthy and available. We cannot enjoy our families, We are not free to plan out our own
lives. We are tired...
...Tired of being treated by doctors and insurance companies like our suffering is a
figment of our imaginations. All we ask is that you treat us with respect, treat our pain,
and stop our suffering. Allow us the pain medication we need just to survive the migraines,
and to try and lead as normal a life as is possible for us.
...Tired of being treated as though we are drug addicts or drug seekers, when all we
are looking for is some type of relief for our pain.
...Tired of medical personnel not listening, or not believing we are in pain, as we are
kept waiting in hospital emergency rooms, even when we're the only ones there, as if our
pain is not really genuine.
...Tired of being refused medication, and when prescribed, the incredible costs of the
medications necessary to carry on a normal, functional life.
...Tired of the insurance companies limiting us to one or two drugs on the market or
limiting us the amount we can have per month, allowing only enough medicine for one
week, instead of one month.
...Tired of being made human guinea pigs for medicine, being given new drugs when
doctors have no idea what types of indications they will have in our future lives.
...Tired of being treated with disrespect by the medical community, the public in
general.
Please hear our cry for help! In our common quest for relief, we are in need of better
understanding and treatment from doctors, hospitals, employers, and insurance companies