Face to Face time with doctors is shrinking as payments from insurance companies are further reduced. No longer are the Patient Consumer Information pamphlets included with prescriptions from manufactures, they cost money. The medication information we receive from pharmacies is a cover your ass view of a few possible side effects. Doctors work on reduced rates leaving no choice but see more patients. I believe we are due the information to manage out health properly.

What do I mean by managing our health properly? We have to take responsibility to gather information the doctor doesn’t have time to give. If lucky doctors allow 15 minutes per patient. How much information can you get in that amount of time. Especially if its a new or complex illness. We are our best advocates, we have to hold doctors accountable for the information we need. It is our responsibility to understand our illnesses and medications. Doctors do not have all the answers. You have to clarify communication, don’t get caught up in “it’s the doctor’s responsibility”, wrong. Two people are in the equation and you’re the sick one. These steps may help the journey to survival and beyond. Critical to getting well is seeing the right type of doctor. A medical doctor is not a mental health specialist, has no business dispensing  RX’s. Get a referral , if not you’re a trail and error for what they think will work. Not always in you best interest. Not to mention the side effects of pick and choose.

Education is a powerful tool to build confidence, confidence you’ll need to talk toe to toe with doctors. The first place I head is the Internet. I’m one of the patients doctors don’t like. I come in with my note-book, recap our last meeting and let them know I have several questions. I spend my time researching the ailments. What are the most important symptoms. I use the info to put a short list of questions together. I ask next steps if don’t have a diagnoses. Doctors don’t have enough time to spend with each patient so I go in ready. I’ve included two resources which may help with your education. FDA.GOV is a great resource if you take prescriptions. You can find everything needed including Consumer Prescription Inserts we no longer received from medical companies. Medwatch  a FDA.gov department provides label changes, warning letters, recalls on specific drugs and medical equipment. The database is extensive however some of the tools are cumbersome at first.

Best of luck and well wishes.  XO M

“The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness. Happiness is the goal of every other goal”

Deepak Chopra

Nadine Burke Harris gives a dynamic Ted Talk on How Childhood Trauma effects health across a lifetime. Her talk reinforces what many have thought for years.  XO  W

Ted.com offeres 1900+ talks to stir your mind. 

Many of you enjoyed the softer side last week. Let’s do a week on words. Each songs beauty is in the words. Clear your head.This week I want to show another side to a couple of my favorite singer/songwriter/guitarist. They are not “B Sides”, I hear gems without the radio overplay. Pull up a comfy seat, maybe lay on couch with Black Light on. What happens in your house stays there. I want to hear what you think!!! Shout it out!  XO W

Fighting to end trafficking is a complex issue. We may not see the change ourselves, we do have to start the ball rolling. We have to understand why trafficking is happening and widely excepted in many countries. I’ve included a link to original article.   XO  W

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rights4girls-jvta-marks-a-pivotal-step-forward-in-the-fight-against-trafficking-2015-05-19

I love you Gramps. The memories we made fill my heart with joy. Teaching me how to fish. The first fish I caught, standing up almost turning the boat over. At 13 you gave me a 16 gauge shot-gun, we went to the levees to practice. I shot a duck out of season, you were pretty cool about that. Laughing when I shot at dragonflies. I will always remember throwing trash cans in truck, heading to levy for driving lessons. He picked up more cans on parallel parking.

Gramps didn’t hear this song, he didn’t know Carrie Underwood. He would rather listen to Buck Owens or George Jones, old-time country. This song touched me deeply, I can’t listen to without crying. I’ll see you soon. I know this is my temporary home.  XO Melinda

Traveling to Russia was/is number one on my Bucket List, a trip of a life time. Traveling alone without knowing the language is true adventure for me! The hotel provided A+ support and everyone treated me like a Princess. I felt safe walking after dark, the hotel called letting them know I was leaving now. I would get to the restaurant and some one would great me. The Astoria see’s many Costa Nostra everyday. The Astoria is one of two five-star hotels, I can see why they like hanging around. I’m not blind, crime is hard to miss when they wear suits and walk tall like they own the house, right under your nose. The best way to find them is eat around 3:00PM, only two people and inquiring eyes. One day I stopped for a late lunch. Found couple alone, the guy would not take his eye of me, I knew right away. On the way out he came very close to the table and said “American? smiling, enjoy the rest your day”. I’m fascinated by the Mafia. I’ll share how the Mafia touched my life one day.

I fell in love with gypsy music, vodka with every meal, Cathedrals and caviar. Being a short-term Princess wasn’t bad either. I will make another trip to St. Petersburg, maybe a glimpse of Moscow. I was close to boarding the time The Towers fell. Airspace shut down for a week, I left when airspace lifted. Nothing could prepare me for people from many counties coming up telling me how terrible it was, hug me, cry, the beauty of traveling. You never know what’s in the Cracker Jack box.     XO Warrior

JESUS ON CROSS, CHURCH OF THE SPILLED BLOOD

CHURCH OF THE SPILLED BLOOD

CHURCH OF THE SPILLED BLOOD

THE RIVER RUNS THRU CITY

 GUARDIANS OF THE BRIDGE

LET’S GET HAPPY

I’m sending you fun, a big smile and inspiration. All you need is your dancing shoes. It’s nice to see celebrities passionate, invested and real without fluff. I love the song, it makes me happy. The inventive ways people included the song in tells me its universal.   XO Warrior

NAMI Advocacy Update

 NAMI Advocates works tirelessly to educate, their website is a great resource, most important is they are always working for us and injustices.   XO Warrior

21st Century Cures Bill Passes House Committee

The House Energy & Commerce Committee passed 21st Century Cures on May 21st— a bipartisan bill designed to push for the development of new therapies for diseases that are not being treated successfully. This bill includes new dollars for the National Institutes of Health Opportunity Fund totalling $10 billion over five years.

The bill does not target specific diseases or illnesses, but it does leave open the possibility of investments in new clinical trials or therapeutic interventions for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and other mental health conditions. The 21st Century Cures bill is expected to come to a vote in the full House of Representatives in June.

View NAMI’s letter of support for this important bill.

17 U.S. Senators Write Letter To HHS Citing NAMI Parity Report

In a first step to addressing some vital concerns in Affordable Care Act health plans, a group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to Secretary Sylvia Burwell (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) calling for action to ensure transparency and mental health parity. The letter cites NAMI’s report “A Long Road Ahead” noting, among other issues, that consumers cannot get the detailed information they need to make informed decisions when buying a health plan.

Read the letter.

Stepping Up To Reduce The Number of People With Mental Illness In Jails

NAMI helped jumpstart the Stepping Up Initiative on Capitol Hill this month as part of a national effort to divert people with mental illness from jails and into treatment. The campaign brings together a powerful coalition of national organizations, including NAMI, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Association of Counties, the American Psychiatric Foundation and many law enforcement associations, mental health organizations, and substance abuse organizations.

The initiative will challenge counties and local communities to work together to find solutions that work for their local community.

See how you can step up.

Tell Congress To Help New Veterans Keep Their Mental Health Medications

The way things stand now, if you decide to transition out of military service and into veteran status, your medication might not transfer with you. This is unacceptable. Urge your member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2123 the Enhancing Veterans Access to Treatment Act.Tell them it is not ok to take away a medication that works for a service member simply because he or she transitioned out of service.

Email Congress.

Tweet Congress.

Bright Spot: NAMI Minnesota

This legislative session NAMI Minnesota led the Minnesota Mental Health Legislative Network to increase mental health funding in the 2016 state budget. Their motto, “We know what works; let’s build on it.” This coordinated campaign helped secure $46 million in new funding for mental health services and supports.

“It was the most new money invested in mental health in our state’s history. There was truly a recognition that there is no silver bullet for fixing the mental health system. Significant investments were made all up and down the continuum,” said Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota.

Books Matter: An update from ADL
by the Change.org team

Jun 1, 2015 — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) would like you to support and share with others the launch of their exciting new education initiative for educators and parents which uses children’s books as a mechanism to discuss bias, prevent bullying and promote discussion and awareness of diversity and social justice. Anyone who has ever read to or with a child knows that books have the potential to create lasting impressions.

Beyond their educational benefits, books have the power to instill empathy, affirm a sense of self, teach about others, transport one to unfamiliar places and inspire action. “Books Matter: The Best Kid Lit on Bias, Diversity and Social Justice” is a bibliography of over 600 books organized into 11 categories and reviewed by ADL’s anti-bias education experts. The categories include anti-bias, bullying awareness, anti-Semitism, racism, religious bigotry, gender and sexism, genocide and the Holocaust, LGBT people and issues, and social justice. As part of the initiative, ADL is also featuring a series of podcasts including interviews with children’s authors whose works are highlighted in the Book of the Month.
http://www.adl.org/education-outreach/books-matter/#.VWzIH1xViko

Books Matter

“As far as your eyes can see, the universe can see farther”  Oprah

Survivors Blog Here http://survivorsbloghere.wp.com is breaking out the happy dance. We’re excited to announce Robert Goldstein has joined our team. Stop by, pull up a chair, his site http://artbyrobertmgoldstein engulfs you then pulls you back looking for another gem.

Robert is a strong advocate for mental illness, he supports the WP family by sharing personal experiences of his journey with mental illness. He is a multi-year member of Blog for Mental Illness.

Robert’s talent includes poetry, photo art, writing, art work and don’t forget to click on Flicker button. His skills as a photograph takes artistry to a new level. His site is laid out nicely, topics are easy to find. He’s an all around nice guy.

 What are you waiting for, you can catch his work at http://artbyrobertmgoldstein.com or http://survivorsbloghere.wp.com. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Welcome from the Survivors Blog Here team! 

Hope you like this weeks selection, For those not familiar with Orianthi, she will blow your mind. I do believe she’s one of the top female guitarist. She was Michael Jackson’s guitarist. Lyme has me around the neck this week. Time to kick back with a cold one or warm if you’re on other side of globe. This week you may not stay in chair, so get your dancing shoes.    XO  Warrior

FREEDOM FOR VETERANS’ ACCESS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Why are Veterans’ not allowed to discuss Medical Marijuana with VA doctor? How the next round of votes go, I can’t predict. If validation proves to help,Veterans/Supporters speak louder while momentum is growing. Freedom of Speech is the right to speak my mind.     XO Warrior

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Senate Committee Approves Historic Measure To Increase Veterans’ Access To Medical Marijuana
Posted: 05/21/2015 3:48 pm EDT Updated: 05/21/2015 3:59 pm EDT

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a historic bipartisan amendment Thursday that aims to increase veterans’ access to medical marijuana.

The Veterans Equal Access Amendment, added to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, passed the committee 18-12. The measure allows Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their veteran patients.

Currently, the VA bans medical providers working with the agency from completing any forms brought by patients that seek marijuana recommendations or opinions in states where the drug’s medical use is legal. The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) blocks the VA from using funds to enforce the ban on doctors.

“Veterans in medical marijuana states should be treated the same as any other resident, and should be able to discuss marijuana with their doctor and use it if it’s medically necessary,” said Michael Collins, policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance, in a statement. “They have served this country valiantly, so the least we can do is allow them to have full and open discussions with their doctors.”

Nearly 30 percent of military veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, according to a 2012 VA report. Some research has suggested marijuana may help PTSD symptoms, which can include anxiety, flashbacks and depression. A recent study found that PTSD symptoms were significantly reduced in patients who used cannabis.

To date, 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and 14 others have legalized marijuana extracts for specific medical uses. The plant remains illegal under federal law.

While the bill still faces more votes in Congress before it comes close to becoming law, the amendment’s approval is a significant victory for marijuana policy reformers, coming less than a month after a similar amendment narrowly failed in the House. The same House amendment was also killed last year. The Senate amendment marks the first time in history Congress’ upper chamber has voted positively on marijuana reform legislation.

“Elected officials are finally starting to wake up to the fact that endorsing marijuana reform is good politics instead of the dangerous third rail they’ve long viewed it as, and that means a lot more victories are on the way soon,” said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority.

“Great Beauty, Great Strength and Great Riches are Really and Truly of No Great Use;

A RIGHT HEART EXCEEDS ALL.” 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN  

Thank you for the courage to fight to keep America Home of the Free. America’s Military takes the call of duty to free others from repression, a better and safer life. I think about gramps every Military holiday. I know little about his war-time, he would say you can’t understand unless you were there. I now understand exactly what he meant. 

I love you gramps and thank you for contributing to the success in WWII.

XO Melinda

Help NAMI Tell Congress to Help New Veterans Keep the Mental Health Medications They Need!

When someone is in treatment for a mental illness, it is common to go through several different trials of medication until they find the one that helps them feel better. It can take time to find a medicine that works for you. The slightest change could set someone back or even cause further illness. Now imagine if you are a service member who has found that right combination. You are feeling better and your medication is working. The way things stand now, if you decide to transition out of service and into veteran status, your medication might not transfer with you.

This is unacceptable.

With an alarmingly high suicide rate of 22 veterans dying each day and countless others struggling, we simply cannot allow for delays in treatment, endless appeals or the risk of being switched away from a proven effective medication for serious conditions such as depression, anxiety or psychosis. Our veterans deserve better.

Write a letter to your congressman, ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2123 the Enhancing Veterans Access to Treatment Act. Tell them it is not ok to take away a medication that works for a service member simply because they transitioned out of service.

Take Action

Thank you for advocating for passage of this important bill!

Dear Friend,

In October, we first told you about The Accountability Project, our initiative to uncover the extent of the rape kit backlog in cities across the United States. From the first four cities that provided data to us—obtained through public records requests—we discovered more than 12,000 untested rape kits sitting in storage facilities.

Today, we’ve expanded our knowledge about the rape kit crisis nationwide with the release of data on the number of untested kits from five additional cities:

Charlotte, North Carolina: 1,019 kits
Jacksonville, Florida: 1,943 kits
Kansas City, Missouri: 1,324 kits
Portland, Oregon: 1,931 kits
San Diego, California: 2,873 kits
In total, over 9,000 more kits.

We commend these cities for sharing their data with us. Transparency and yes, accountability, are the first steps toward reform. Survivors deserve the chance for justice. They deserve everything we can give to help them heal. Now that these jurisdictions have shared the number of untested rape kits in storage, we hope they will take the necessary steps to test these kits, investigate and prosecute these cases, engage survivors with care and compassion, and ensure the backlog never reoccurs.

The fact remains that there is more about the rape kit backlog that we don’t know than we do know. There is no comprehensive, national data on the nature and scope of the rape kit backlog. Few state governments and no federal agencies track this data. Across cities and counties, there are vast differences in the way law enforcement officials track and report rape kit data. These are some of the reasons we’ve undertaken The Accountability Project.

Tomorrow, Joyful Heart’s Managing Director, Sarah Haacke Byrd, will be testifying before Congress on the need for a continued national response to the backlog of thousands of rape kits. She will speak at the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution’s hearing, “Taking Sexual Assault Seriously: The Rape Kit Backlog and Human Rights.” You can watch live tomorrow starting at 2:30pm ET here.

This week is an important one in our work to ENDTHEBACKLOG. At this critical time, we ask you to join us in two ways:

Write to your elected officials.
Congress is currently considering whether to continue funding the Justice Department’s new $41 million program, which is helping communities end their backlogs with comprehensive reforms. More than 9,000 untested kits in five cities alone: it’s proof that jurisdictions need resources to end the backlog. Please take just a moment to urge your members of Congress to approve this critical funding.

Make a donation to our ENDTHEBACKLOG work.
Your donation is an investment in healing, justice and safety. Joyful Heart is at the forefront of reform efforts at the local, state and federal levels. We are uncovering backlogs and increasing transparency through initiatives like The Accountability Project. We are drawing attention to the backlog like never before. We need your help to do it all. Donate today to continue to support these efforts.

With gratitude,

Maile Zambuto
Chief Executive Officer
Joyful Heart Foundation