
Veterans Give Voice to Invisible Wounds of War
APF’s Director of Program Development,
Tamara Sloan Anderson, and the APF Military/Veterans team recently
attended a week-long conference as members of the Coalition for Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans. Tamara shared her thoughts and conference
experiences on the need for paradigm change and improved care across
healthcare systems.
Click here to read Viewpoint. Listen to APF’s
NEWEST audio show,
Pain and the Military.
APF Calls For Balanced Reporting of Misuse of Prescription Drugs and the
Medical Necessity of Pain Medications
APF
recently submitted an Op Ed (Opposite Editorial) and a Letter to the
Editor to the Las Vegas Sun in response to a series of articles titled
The New Addiction. The articles discussed the link between abuse,
addiction and diversion to an increase in pain medication prescriptions
and how prescription medications can be illegally diverted. APF believes
the articles failed to adequately recognize the medical necessity of
potent pain medications for people debilitated from chronic pain. To
view the Op Ed,
click here. To read the Letter to the Editor,
click
here.
APF and HealthCentral Network Call for Artistic Submissions for
Creativity and Pain Exhibit
APF
and The HealthCentral Network, Inc. announced their
call for
entries for the second annual “Pain and Creativity Exhibit”.
Those dealing with chronic pain from around the world are encouraged to
submit expressions of how pain has influenced their lives. Welcome
submissions include photos of still art, videos, music and writing that
reflect the experience of pain, as well as quilt blocks that will be
incorporated into a larger work of art.
Select artists and their pain stories will be highlighted through video,
online and print publications to help share and illuminate the stories
of pain and its impact on individuals and families. Selected videos and
the completed pain quilt will be shown at APF’s annual celebration and
awards dinner, Images and Inspiration, to be held in Baltimore, Maryland
on October 23rd.
Click here to electronically submit an entry. Online submissions
must be entered by September 15th. Quilt submissions must be
received by August 15th.
Read the full press release.
Calling
for quilt block submissions!
Create and submit an actual quilt square
that represents your journey with pain, or the journey of a loved one.
Quilts are a literal and figurative symbol of comfort and the joining of
patchwork is a symbol of unity and community. Find out how you can send
your quilt square to the American Pain Foundation, and have it joined
with the quilt squares of other pain sufferers. Quilt submissions must
be received by August 15th.
Read for the full press release with further
quilt information.
APF Collaborates with Life Love & Health
APF
collaborates with Life Love & Health to launch a series of brief
messages about pain. Life Love & Health has become America's most
listened-to daily health and lifestyle program, reaching millions of
listeners. Listen to our NEWEST
show,
Pain and the Military. Other recent shows include
Fibromyalgia is Real and
Risk with Medication. For more shows,
click here.
APF Calls for Caution on Black
Box Labeling and Balanced Decisions Regarding Benefit and Risk
APF has concerns about a Food
and Drug Administration hearing scheduled for July 10, 2008,
on anticonvulsant risk of increased suicidality and whether to
require a black box warning label. APF commends efforts to
investigate all potential risks. However, we ask agency
experts to bear in mind that there are always risks in
treating chronic medical conditions and the benefits of these
treatments are often great. Please read
APF's position statement.
APF is Pleased to Welcome Derek McGinnis as the New Amputee Outreach
Program Advocate!
Derek
joins APF’s Military/Veterans team to further the mission of APF and
specifically to focus on members of the military and veterans who have
pain, and who have experienced amputation and its painful consequences.
Derek will be working with APF on local and national levels. Derek is an
Iraq war veteran where he served in the Navy as a Corpsman until he was
wounded in November of 2004 in Fallujah. He was most recently employed
as a Program Support Assistant at the VA in Palo Alto California. He has
a BS in Health Care Administration, is pursuing a Masters Degree in
Social Work, and is a competitive athlete. Recent articles about Derek's
achievements include "Life
Shattered in Iraq Pieced Back Together" (watch
the video) and "Disabled
Vets Plunge into Alcatraz Triathlon." For information on
Amputation, please
click here.
Action Alert: WA State Residents - Share
Your Pain Story
If you are a WA State resident interested in sharing your story and
registering your opinion with the public, elected officials and other
decision makers in Washington State, please
complete our WA State Pain Survey. By sharing your voice and
experience, you will help increase awareness about the need for timely
and appropriate pain care.
Click here to take action and for more information. If you are not a Washington
resident but would like to share your story, please visit
Voices of People with Pain.
Veterans Pain Care Act of 2008 (HR 6122) Introduced in the House!

Pain is a leading cause of disability among veterans. As a result,
providing adequate pain management is a crucial component of improving
veteran health care. Thanks to Representative Walz of Minnesota who has
sponsored the bill, the Veterans Pain Care Act of 2008 (HR 6122) has
been introduced to the House of Representatives.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
The New Health.com Website Provides Comprehensive Information on Chronic
Pain
APF’s
MissouriPOP Action Network Leader, Rebecca Rengo, and APF
Board Member and Pain Advisory
Community Council Member, Andrea Cooper, both
trained advocates, were interviewed by Time, Inc. about their experiences
living with fibromyalgia. These and other
interviews are available on the new
Health.com
website.
Click here to view the chronic pain section of the website. Go to the section entitled, “Real Pain, Real Stories,” for “Be
the Best Patient You Can Be,” “Building
a Health Team,” and “Joy
is the Greatest Analgesic in the World” and other related stories.
Leading Pain Organizations’ Support of
Fibromyalgia Community Recognized Through Charitable Donation Program!
The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), American Pain Foundation
(APF) and National Pain Foundation (NPF) are pleased to announce that in
recognition of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and the support they provide
to millions of people affected by chronic pain conditions like
fibromyalgia, Pfizer is providing a charitable donation to support their
educational activities and advocacy efforts.
Click here to view the full joint statement.

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