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Dear Murray, Why injure me with a title like this? What exactly do you mean by "don't give Ivan the money"?? I need an explanation, and so do my many friends on the PIEN list. I look forward to your response. Ivan Suzman Porland, Maine On Mon, 18 Feb 2002 13:05:06 -0800 Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> writes: > Reno's doctor says Parkinson's should not affect run for office > By Nancy McVicar > Health Writer > Posted September 4 2001, 5:49 PM EDT > > The doctor who has been treating former Attorney General > Janet Reno for Parkinson’s disease for the past year says > there is no medical reason she should not run for governor. > > “We had a very long and frank discussion about it, and she > wanted to know all the potentialities,” said Dr. William Koller, > professor of neurology at University of Miami School > of Medicine and director of the Movement Disorders Center > at UM/National Parkinson Foundation. Reno gave him > permission to speak about her condition. > > Koller said Reno’s disease has progressed slowly since her > diagnosis seven years ago. She requires only low doses of > two drugs, Sinemet and Mirapex, to control her symptoms, > he said. > > Parkinson’s disease is caused by a gradual deterioration of > nerves in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra, > which controls movements such as arm swinging when walking. > When nerve cells in this area die, production of a brain chemical > called dopamine decreases. Dopamine aids neurons in the brain > to pass signals back and forth. > > Some patients progress rapidly and reach a devastating, > debilitating point in four to five years, Koller said, while some > don’t progress much in 20 years. > > “It’s hard to predict with any certainty. The yardstick we usually > use, because patients ask us, is that your prior rate of progression > is a good predictor of your future rate of progression,” Koller said. > “She has not progressed very much.” > > Koller said the drugs Reno takes, which stimulate the dopamine > receptors in the brain (Mirapex), and boost the body’s production > of dopamine (Sinemet) control her symptoms — “a tremor and > a little slowness in her left hand. > > “Her left hand is not as quick as the other hand. One of the > symptoms of Parkinson’s is slowness of movement, particularly > of the hand,” Koller said. > > Reno has not let the tremor keep her from living a full life, > including kayaking for relaxation, he said. > > “I told her I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t do > whatever she wants in her life, and that’s kind of the way > I am with all my patients. If you have Parkinson’s, it doesn’t > preclude you doing anything if you have the capability to > do it,” Koller said. “You lose out to the disease when you say > ‘I can’t’ because of Parkinson’s.” > > Possible side effects listed in drug reference books for Sinemet > include uncontrolled muscle movements, shaky hands, > headache, nausea, hallucinations, anxiety, tiredness and > euphoria. Mirapex can cause sleepiness or sleeplessness, > tiredness, constipation and nausea. Patients may develop > some or none of these effects. > > Koller said Reno is very knowledgeable about her disease. > > “She’s pretty amazing. We’ve given her books for doctors > and she’s read them and understands them, and I’m impressed > by that,” he said. > > During the three months she has spent traveling the state > exploring a possible campaign for governor, Reno’s hands > shake noticeably. She often keeps them behind the lectern > or at her sides during stump speeches. > > She has repeatedly answered questions about her illness > and gives a variation of the comment she made in mid-May > in Miami: “I spent seven years coping with the difficult job > of Attorney General and it never was a problem.” > > She frequently mentions that Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had > mobility problems because of polio, is her favorite governor. > > “He wore 10 pounds of iron on his legs and still accomplished > so much,” she says. > > Dr. Barry Baumel, a South Florida neurologist who was in the > audience when Reno addressed a meeting of the American > Academy of Neurology in May, said he was impressed. > > “She was as sharp as she could be. The tremor which is > noticeable in Ms. Reno is not an indication of the severity > of the disease,” he said. “Some people have almost no > tremor and they’re a mess,” Baumel said. “I think her mental > abilities seem to be totally intact. In listening to her speak, > the woman is bright and quick.” > > He said she spoke about people with disabilities and how > much they have contributed to society, and how proud she > was of the steps she felt her administration had taken to help > disabled Americans. > > “She was able to make a public speech in front of 5,000 > neurologists, and the talk around the meeting was ‘Wow, > did you see Janet Reno? She looked great and sounded > great,’” Baumel said. > > “It wouldn’t be such an item for discussion if not for that > tremor, but she walks okay and she talks okay. The problem > is that she shakes,” he said. “It’s not something that should > impair her ability to think clearly.” > > Political writer Buddy Nevins contributed to this report. > > Nancy McVicar can be reached at [log in to unmask] > or 954-356-4593. > > On The Web: > http://www.sptimes.com/News/072201/State/The_Parkinson_s_quest.shtml > > SOURCE: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel > http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-rxpark905.story?coll=s fla-news-florida > > * * * > [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn