Living with Migraines
Thank you for your recent article on migraines ("Relief at Last," December 2016/January 2017). My husband and I and our two daughters all get migraines. Mine began in my mid-twenties and were so debilitating I missed work and family events. I would be in bed for a couple of days. Now I take a medication as soon as I feel a migraine coming on. Once I went through menopause, I had fewer migraines but they were just as debilitating. My husband, who has had them for years, takes daily medication. He also tried acupuncture, homeopathic treatments, food eliminations, and stress therapy, none of which helped. Our daughters experience migraines when stressed. Our family knows all too well the debilitating effects of migraine. - Linda DiPanfilo, Lynnfield, MA
No More Stigma
I was jubilant reading Melissa Smith's letter about stigma ("Standing Up to Stigma," December 2016/January 2017). In her letter to the editor, she tells of her early diagnosis of epilepsy and how she and her mother defied the limits put on her. I was diagnosed early on with severe mental illness. It is not that I have eliminated all symptoms or that my days are not challenging. It is more that I have realized a life-my life-that works for me. Smith says it best: "I'm no longer going to be ashamed of myself and my illness. I am not going to hide. That only furthers the stigma." - Leslie Robin Kassal, Baltimore, MD
I learned this week of a survey showing that 48 percent of the evangelical Christian community believes that psychological problems should be resolved by prayer alone. I was raised in an evangelical church, and I also have temporal lobe/complex partial seizures. I know the difficulty of finding a world view that is helpful and not hurtful. Even with a recent medical diagnosis, my evangelical family still believes I was healed when the church leaders prayed for me when I was 4. Resources like Neurology Now did not exist when I was struggling to understand my experience and spent hours in the library looking for answers. I am grateful for how much things have changed, and what your publication does to educate all of us. - Elaine Reeves, Sylvania, OH
Seeking Information
My son passed away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) two years ago, the day after he turned 43. I don't know much about ALS and would like to find out more. We must do something about this disease. - Gillis Henzman, Vincennes, IL
I have fibromyalgia and would like to see more information on this subject. It is a very difficult and painful condition. - Joan Mingle, Lititz, PA
I have been subscribing to Neurology Now for about a year, and I love it. Every issue has at least one thing that affects me or my family and relatives. I have hereditary ataxia. Have you written about this condition? If so, please let me know. - Cynthia A. Lackey, Center Point, AL
I am writing to request information about the shingles virus. I am still dealing with the results of a case of shingles eight years ago. I am now 79 years old. I have trouble walking, my right side is weak, and my lower right calf muscle is atrophied. My balance has also been affected so I use a cane. If you haven't already written about the shingles virus, I hope you will do so. - Charles B. Calvert, Glen Arm, MD
I am writing to ask that your publication cover narcolepsy. I have never seen a feature article on it. With this disease affecting 1 in every 2,000 Americans, it seems like it deserves more attention in Neurology Now. My neurologist believes there will be a cure in my lifetime. I am hopeful, but I am already 76. - Carolyn Wilson, Centreville, VA
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letters requesting coverage of different neurologic conditions. We try to cover as many diseases as we can, including ALS, ataxia, fibromyalgia, narcolepsy, and shingles, and will continue to do so in the future. For now, visit BrainandLife.org and type in the name of the condition in the search bar to read past articles on these diseases.
