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Got to meet so many folks, several from the board that I've interacted with for years! The big take away for me? At the 2010 conference in Portland we had one neurologist in attendance....our own bostonheadachedoc....this year we had several including one of our longtime members son who became a neurologist as a result of his Dad's clusters!!

It was again an awesome time and great to se it growing over the few short years I have attended. Many more Doctors Authors and Vendors. Most of all a bunch of fun happy clusterheads from literally all over the world. Hope you all can make it next year.. Bring a friend and leave with 100 new ones.

It makes me feel hopeful that more neurologist are becoming educated and familiar with CH. It's good progress for us bangers. Thanks for the share.

DAY 3 - Sunday We started our morning with yoga, lecturer, yoga teacher and yoga therapist Tiina Hemminki guided us to safe and relaxing journey, where one could notice the signals from our body following Tiina's soothing voice eyes closed. Yoga Federation of Finland has their own orientation of hatha yoga which is the one we did. Especially interesting were the notions how one can affect to different sides of your body just by thinking and also how we can guide our breathing via left or right nostril, in and out, using only your better non-Horton side for an example. (yoga moment starting and adorable Tiina) Next in line was OLKA coordinator Tarja Kulmala. OLKA means coordinated organizational and volunteer activities in the finnish hospitals. OLKA also helps non-profit organizations to reach their audience and connects them to hospital units. OLKA also has an app called Toivo (Hope) where you can find peer support for any condition you may have 24/7. We have done cooperation with OLKA right from the beginning. (OLKA coordinator Tarja) Last presentation of the day was an Art photographer and an Expert by Experience Riina Sorjonen who talked about peer support via her own story. Main focus was also on keeping up the inspiration in life and always looking for new fun things and not giving up on anything you have enjoyed doing in life. This too was something different and a beautiful closing performance for the great event. Planned Safe room sessions were cancelled due to lack of personnel but we had such an open, honest, wild, limitless and crazy vibe and discussions all the time that there really was no need for "safe space" - everyone and every space was safe. Presentation about psychiatric burden and psychiatric symptoms caused by Horton was cancelled as well. When planning the event we noticed that there seem to be no one in the local healthcare (psychiatry) that could talk about this subject - there were zero volunteers. So, this really needs to be covered next year. Tired but happy, until next year !

Our finnish conference was a complete success. I still don't understand how, with our limited resources and fuctioning brains available. This time we were in my hometown Seinäjoki, it's a bit further away from larger cities. Nice round-shaped hotel called Sorsanpesä (Duck's Nest) surrounded by nature, by the river. Here's a short rundown. DAY 1 - Friday No official agenda. We were welcoming people arriving at the hotel and spent the whole evening sharing stories and having fun, getting to know each other. DAY 2 - Saturday President of Suomen Horton-yhdistys (Finnish Horton Association) Julia Bergroth and treasurer Toni Taipale opened the 2nd ever Horton Conference at 9am saturday. (Julia and Toni opening) We now have a medical advisor of our own, GP Risto Rapila with staggering amount of Horton and ER experience. He is a magnificient person and absolutely priceless to us. Risto presented about our typical problems and possible relief in the future, and also what people with Horton are using already by themselves and why our treatments work. (Risto and Mikko (Horton patient) were interviewed for the local newspaper) Neurologist Matti Ilmavirta presented the injection treatments again like last year and we also had a demonstration about them. There are only few doctors here with an expertise such as Matti's and these options should be available more widely. Matti has trained a few younger doctors for these procedures. Woikoski delivers medical oxygen in Finland, they had a presentation. (Tiina from Woikoski presenting) Then time for some oxygen demonstrations, discussion and questions. (Toni and Aapo explained oxygen) Niklas Koponen talked about coming down the "Horton stairs" and climbing on a hills instead, finding enjoyable views and activities in life. Are you able to get rid of this condition combining the right treatments (psychedelics) and having happiness as a permanent goal in life? How to first treat your own children, then teach them how to manage with Horton when you are not around anymore to guard them. This was "something different" Medical director of local neurology unit, Jari Kankaanpää did a comprehensive presentation about orthodox treatments and the discussion was about lack of functioning treatments. Toni from Finnish Horton Assocation (Suomen Horton-yhdistys, in finnish) talked about the history of our association and before that, a patient community. He also covered the meaning of Clusterbusters in our existence and other international connections and stories behind things. Final presention for saturday was by an acupuncturer Veera Majamaa who shared her techniques of rather simple acupuncture treatment specific for Horton. She shared a treatment guide and everybody was able to try needling on themselves (on the top of the head). So there were a lot of clusterheads walking around with needles in their heads (Acupuncture by Veera Majamaa) Unfortunately there were quite a few cancellations. We were supposed to have body workout for issues one might have in their body created by Horton attacks, personal training session and material you can take home to prevent these issues. There was also a presentation about what Horton does to your ability to work and function and how to cope with this in society. Hopefully these will be included next year. Many of the presentators were Horton patients themselves. I will add sunday later ...