Author and Migraine Advocate Invited to Capitol Hill

JP Summers is joining ClusterBuster’s and the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy in Washington D.C. for their annual “Headache on the Hill” event in February
By: SJ Publicity
 
WASHINGTON - Jan. 31, 2014 - PRLog -- JP Summers of Wisconsin never imagined her battle against migraines and cluster headaches would lead her to the front steps of Capitol Hill. She developed migraines at age 10, and by age 36, she became severely disabled. Eighteen months ago, disabling symptoms – including severe head pain, dizziness, imbalance, decreased motor skills and, blurred vision – made it impossible for her to drive and Summers lost a bank job she loved. She then began to research her condition and new treatments for migraines and cluster headaches. She also sought to spread awareness, and it was this mission that led to an invitation to join the ClusterBuster’s and Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy in Washington D.C. for their annual “Headache on the Hill” event. The event takes place February 10-12.

Summers, along with the other ClusterBuster representatives and volunteer advocates, will urge congressional leaders to support funding for headache research and also strongly request that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reverse their decision to deny medical coverage for high-flow oxygen as an acute treatment for cluster headache attacks.

Additionally, they will also ask for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to give provide a solution to the problem of unfair reviews given to grants for migraine and cluster headache. The advocate group will also ask the CMS to cover the costs of oxygen for cluster headache and ask the Senate to renew funding through the military budget for chronic migraines and post-concussive headaches.

This past December Summers was contacted by Huffpost Live’s Nancy Redd to do a segment on chronic migraines. She opened up to the Host about the way her condition has not only changed her life but that of those around her.

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/the-dangers-of-chronic-migraines/529f4ec602a7600cfd00008d

About JP Summers

Summers is a wife, mother of three, and a women’s fiction author who has battled migraines for 26 years. When she was 10 years old, her parents had to drive 200 miles to the nearest Children’s Neurologist every few months to see if there was anything he could do to help give Summers relief from her migraine pain. It took years of trying various medicines until one, Imitrex injections, became effective enough that she could shorten the period in which she would have to deal with migraines.

As Summers continued to use her Imitrex injections into her early thirties something happened that she wasn’t expecting. She had finally grown immune to the only thing that had helped her. Unfortunately, she learned that she could not use some of the recommended medicines currently given to majority of migraineurs.

She became more educated about migraines from sufferers and was disturbed to learn that there is currently no cure for migraines. What shocked her the most was discovering that 36 million American’s live with migraines and 91% of migraine sufferers cannot function during an attack. Even with those statics, there has only been one innovative drug developed in the last 50 years for migraines.

It took months of trying out all types of medicines until Summers was finally able to try Botox injections as a form of treatment. She began her first round of injections in May 2013. Her second round in August was more effective. In October, she was able to drive for the first time 16 months, yet Summers still has limitations due to severe dizziness and migraine-induced vision problems that cannot be fixed.

Summers also suffers from cluster headaches. Nicknamed the ‘suicide headache,’ cluster headaches are most painful condition known to medical science. Cluster headaches affect approximately 1 in every 1,000 people. The suicide rate among suffers is believed to be in excess of 20 times the national average, yet it is astounding to find lasting relief from this neurovascular disorder. She lives on a 140 acre farm in northern Wisconsin with her husband and their children.

JP Summers' Writing

While Summers tried to figure out ways to cope with all of her the symptoms and severe head pain there were hundreds of people rooting for her to get better and back to doing one of the things she loved the most: writing and publishing books. Summers released her third book The Storms That Fated Us this past October.

The Storms That Fated Us is a story about two former best friends, Tia and Carson, who are brought back together five years after graduation under unfavorable circumstances. As a massive storm brews outside, another one develops inside, causing their treacherous past to resurface. Old wounds are exposed and it doesn't take very long for Tia and Carson to realize some things may never be forgotten or forgiven. With the strong winds from the blizzard of mass destruction leveling their only means of shelter one window and roof tile at a time, Tia and Carson must make a vital choice to either put aside their anger towards each other or let their heartache dictate what could very well be their final days.

Storms recently spent four days on Amazon’s New Adult & College Best Seller list. Summers credits SJ Publicity, her family, friends, readers, and the people in all of her support groups for her success.

The Storms That Fated Us is available for purchase online from:

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-storms-that-fated-us-jp-summers/1117170887?ean=2940148412922

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Storms-That-Fated-Us-ebook/dp/B00FXA6YZC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1391144173

Summers is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book-signings contact sj@sjpublicity.com

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Tags:Capital Hill, Headache on Hill, ClusterBuster’s, Headache Disorders, Migraines
Industry:Government, Health
Location:Washington - District of Columbia - United States
Subject:Events
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Page Updated Last on: Feb 06, 2014
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