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At 06:22 2001/06/12 -0500, Joan Snyder wrote: >This is a repost of an article that I wrote for the PLWP: >"My newspaper didn't even mention that April was Parkinson's Awareness >month...why not?" I have been asked this question so many times recently >and I always have the same answer: the news media in any area just >reports on things that it considers news. If you think that PD Awareness >is news, then YOU must make it newsworthy. YOU must make the media in >your area "Parkinson-friendly." > >This is not something that happens overnight, but if you really want to >see more mention of PD, NOW is the time to start. Think of this as >addressing an audience, trying to educate & help your friends and >neighbors to understand what it is like to have PD. Take advantage of >the inroads that Janet Reno, Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali have blazed >across the TV screen-who can >forget Ali struggling to light the Olympic Torch or Janet Reno shaking >like crazy but still in charge during a recent Oprah appearance or >Michael J Fox testifying before Arlan Spector, obviously >under-medicated? > >I am no way in the ranks of these trailblazers, but I must admit to >being uneasy about the way that I appear on camera. I have gained so >much weight since my 2nd pallidotomy and because of the mirapex that I >hate the sight of myself on camera. My face has no expression anymore, >my >voice is gone, I drool on myself and I cry when asked anything remotely >personal. I have taken the TV cameras along with me as a fiber optic >camera was slid up my nose and down my throat and my vocal chords were >displayed for all the 5 o'clock news watchers to see, flapping aimlessly >in >an attempt to vibrate together. I was filmed in hospital gown, shower >cap and footies as I walked into have collagen injected into my vocal >chords and then was filmed unconscious with my mouth pried open & >breathing loudly through my nose. Newspaper pictures of me have included >me getting a metal halo screwed into my head on the occasion of my >surgeries and most recently, a >fetching picture of me in a wild & very obnoxious balloon hat at my last >Parkinson's Awareness Day festivities. > >The point of all of these true confessions is that it would much easier >and kinder for me to stay at home with my lift chair & the TV remote and >let my disease take it's course. But the truth is: PD is not glamorous >nor is it pretty nor will I allow it to impose its will upon my life any >more than is absolutely necessary. I push myself to be seen in public, >bouncing off walls, falling down on Main Street, or whatever it takes to >make the public notice that what is happening to me, happens to millions >of others and our voices must be heard. > >It all starts when you decide that you are no longer willing to allow >your disease to dictate your life. When you reach that point, you will >find the strength & courage deep inside of yourself...you will find >yourself talking to the media and you will allow yourself to be seen in >the unflattering light that PD forces upon us and YOU are the way to >awareness!! > >-- >Joan E. Blessington Snyder 49/11 >[log in to unmask] >http://www.geocities.com/joanbsnyder/ >"Hang tough............no way through it but to do it." > Chris-in-the-Morning (Northern Exposure) yowwwwsa!!! janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit perky, parky . pd: 54/41/37 cd: 54/44/43 tel: 613 256 8340 email: [log in to unmask] . snail mail: 375 Country Street, Apt 301, Almonte, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1A0 . a new voice: the nnnewsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/janet313/ . a new voice: the wwweb site: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn