How You Can Help Hobby Lobby at the Supreme Court on March 25

Dear friends, 

In 2012, it was my special honor serve as "Rally Captain" in Winston-Salem for the "Stand Up for Religious Freedom" campaign that hosted hundreds of rallies all over the country in opposition to President Obama's HHS Mandate. I'm writing today to ask for your special help supporting the cause of religious freedom when the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two critical cases next week. 

On March 25, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius -- the first two cases on the HHS Mandate to reach the high court. The HHS Mandate is one of the most controversial parts of Obamacare. It forces employers to provide FREE abortion inducing drugs in their health plans -- without any regard to religious or moral objections. 

The Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, and the Hahn family, owners of Conestoga, are standing for ALL of us who cherish religious freedom by challenging the HHS Mandate in court. So where do you come in? There are THREE ways you can support the Green and Hahn families when their cases go before the court: 

1. Attend a prayer vigil and rally at the Supreme Court on March 25. If you can't be there yourself, let all your friends and family in the area know about it. Here are the details:

 EVENT: Vigil and Rally at the Supreme Court WHEN: Tuesday, March 25, 9:30-11:30 a.m. WHERE: U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St NE, Washington D.C. 

The Rally will take place on First Street, right in front of the court steps. You can get a map and more details here: http://standuprally.com/2014/march25

2. Spread the word about these important cases and the religious freedom issues involved through every channel: email, Facebook, Twitter and your personal blog or other website. Forward this email to all your contacts, and find Facebook graphics to share, a link to the Facebook event for the rally, hashtags, sample tweets right here:

 http://standuprally.com/2014/march25 

 3. Keep the Green and Hahn families, all their attorneys and the Supreme Court justices hearing their cases in your prayers over the coming days before the oral arguments. Thank you for doing your part to support the cause of religious freedom as these two critical cases go before the Supreme Court on March 25. 

Sincerely, 

Pattie Curran 

3 Antibiotics at a Time

Having immune compromised kids means we battle infections. All the time. 

J started antibiotics 10 days ago for a sinus infection. 4 days in, he developed a skin infection in spite of the fact the antibiotic he was on covered most skin infections. We added a second antibiotic last week. 

His neutropenia and neutrophil chemotaxis issues cause dental problems. Because a medication he takes for his neurogenic bladder adds to the dental problems, we have to bring him every three months. Because he is immune compromised, he has to take antibiotics before dental cleanings or procedures. Because the two he was already on don't cover dental work, he took a third one this morning. 

Here's what his toe looked like while already on an antibiotic. No entry wound found and keep in mind he's had four surgical procedures on his great toes so there's no ingrown toenail. 

Butterbur for Migraines

This was something else that was too interesting not to share. The neurologist also started my son on 75-100mg of Butterbur BID. We found 75mg capsules at Whole Foods.

Who knew!?

I found this info at Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/028866_butterbur_migraines.html#

(NaturalNews) New research into the causes of migraine headaches reveals that a little-known herb called butterbur offers tremendous promise for migraine headache relief. Clinical trials also indicate that butterbur, discovered originally in Germany, can prevent the recurrence of devastating migraine headache pain.

Butterbur's Two-pronged Action for Migraine Headache Relief

Butterbur acts on migraine headaches in two ways. It removes painful migraine headache symptoms by lowering the inflammatory effect of chemicals like leukotrienes and prostaglandin E2. The second active benefit found in butterbur is its ability to function as a natural beta blocker whose action results in the normal flow of blood to the brain. This helps control blood pressure and spasmodic capillary action, which can also contribute to the onset of migraine headaches.

Wondering how well butterbur works? In a study of 245 people conducted by the Department of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 68% of participants saw the incidence of migraine headache symptoms reduced by at least 50%. This is a huge breakthrough for people suffering from migraine headaches and the results are better than those of many dangerous over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

The May 2000 issue of the journal, "Headache", states that butterbur is gaining recognition in the US as an effective alternative migraine headache treatment. Additionally, the report confirms its ability to reduce active migraine headache symptoms and prevent future migraine headache attacks. The best part is people taking butterbur reported no significant side effects and only infrequent, mild stomach upset.

Buy Specially Processed Butterbur at Health Food Stores and Online Herbal Pharmacies

When buying butterbur as a migraine cure, be sure to choose a brand labeled PA-Free. This means the product was processed to remove potentially harmful, toxic chemicals found in the butterbur plant. The special butterbur extract is prepared by having all liver-toxic alkaloids removed. Purchase butterbur at most health food stores and online herbal pharmacies.

Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Butterbur for Migraine Headache Relief

Double-check with a healthcare practitioner before using butterbur as a migraine cure. Clinical guidelines for using butterbur for migraine prevention include documenting the frequency of migraine attacks, determining the recurrence of migraine headache symptoms and whether they interfere substantially with daily routines, and charting the patient's use of conventional medications and how well they are tolerated.

The recommended adult dosage is 50-100 mg twice daily to reduce migraine headache symptoms and to prevent future migraine headaches. Take butterbur for an adequate amount of time to observe its efficacy. A three month trial is suggested for this assessment.

If conventional medicines or other herbs are taken for migraine headache treatment, consult a doctor for a timetable to wean the individual off those other preparations to avoid interactions between medicines. Avoid using butterbur if the person is allergic to ragweed, daisies, chrysanthemums or marigolds.

The use of butterbur as a migraine cure and to prevent future attacks of migraine headaches is on the cutting edge of alternative treatment for this debilitating condition. Speak to a holistic doctor to find out how butterbur may be integrated into an individualized treatment plan for migraine headache relief.

Sources:

http://www.petadolex.com/
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA281222
http://science.naturalnews.com/pubmed/156236...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028866_butterbur_migraines.html##ixzz2q320i400

High Dose Riboflavin for Migraines

Who knew? The neurologist increased S's Riboflavin to 400mg BID today for his migraines. Even his mito doc had not heard of it.... I did a quick search and it turns out that they have done many studies on using Riboflavin to treat migraines!

He's had migraines since he was around 6 and been treated for them. We are also adding Magnesium Oxide and Butterbur along with abortive drugs to stop the migraines he does get. Figured I'd share this info in case there are other people like me who didn't know about this migraine treatment.

This link had a lot of info: http://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/natural-remedies/riboflavin-vitamin-b2/

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) for the treatment of migraine headaches: an introduction

Riboflavin is a B vitamin that is essential for growth. Riboflavin, also known as Vitamin B2 or B₂, can also be produced synthetically. It is often used as food coloring and to fortify foods including baby foods, cereals, and cheese. Riboflavin is destroyed by light, so food containing this vitamin shouldn’t be stored in clear containers.

Food containing Riboflavin

• Milk
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Turnip greens
• Spinach
• Eggs
• Almonds
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Whole grains
• Poultry
• Lean meat

Riboflavin and migraines

Riboflavin supplements have been used for more than three decades as natural remedy for newborns with jaundice and ariboflavinosis (riboflavin vitamin deficiency). More recently, Riboflavin, in high doses, has been identified as a vitamin that can help migraine sufferers.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and migraine headaches

Riboflavin is necessary for growth and for the production of red blood cells. Riboflavin also plays an important role in how our bodies gets energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Migraine sufferers may not have enough Vitamin B2. This makes Riboflavin a potential treatment option. Because migraines can be caused by many events in the body, Riboflavin is often used in combination with other migraine treatments.

Studies on Riboflavin and Migraines

One 1998 study of 80 patients who suffer from migraine with aura or migraine without aura found that 400 mg of Riboflavin worked better at preventing migraines than an inactive placebo pill. After three months, patients in the Riboflavin group experienced fewer migraines and deceased severity of migraines than those in the placebo group. Here’s a breakdown of how many patients benefitted:

• Riboflavin cut the number of headache days at least in half : Riboflavin 50% , Placebo 15%

A 2004 study, which didn’t compare Riboflavin to a dummy placebo pill or any other treatment, found that patients who took 400 mg of Riboflavin daily experienced significantly fewer headaches and used fewer migraine pain killers or abortive medications for migraines. However, total headache hours and headache intensity did not change significantly. Here’s a summary:

• Headache days per month : Before Riboflavin 4 days , After three months of Riboflavin 2 days
• Pain killers used per month : Before Riboflavin 7 units , After three months of Riboflavin 4.5 units

Formulations of Riboflavin available

Riboflavin is available as:

• Capsules
• Tablets
• Tablets, Enteric Coated

NLH article:  "Possibly effective for...    Preventing migraine headaches. Taking high-dose riboflavin (400 mg/day) seems to significantly reduce the number of migraine headache attacks. However, taking riboflavin does not appear to reduce the amount of pain or the amount of time a migraine headache lasts."   http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/957.html