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COLUMBUS: Parkinson's Group Forms To Offer Local Support By SCOTT AUST/Telegram Staff Writer COLUMBUS - About five years ago, one of Betty Noonan's grandsons noticed she was dragging one of her legs and urged her to see a doctor. That led to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, a motor system disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine is a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells within the brain. Loss of dopamine causes the nerve cells to fire out of control, leaving patients unable to direct or control their movement in a normal manner. In addition to problems with her gait, Noonan had stiffness and wasn't swinging her arms when she walked. "I knew there was something wrong," she said. "Some people have tremors. A soft voice is also a sign. Your balance gets bad, too." Until this week, Noonan and other local Parkinson's patients would travel to Norfok, Lincoln or Omaha to participate in a support group. But Noonan's daughter, Therese Noonan, and Mary Ann Jarosz, whose husband has Parkinson's, have formed a local support group, which will meet for the first time at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Pawnee Room at Columbus Community Hospital. "It's easier for us to travel down the street," Therese Noonan said. Sponsored by the American Parkinson's Disease Association, the Columbus support group will meet four times per year. Deb Olson, director of rehabilitative services at CCH, will be the group's professional sponsor. On Thursday, the group will hear from Paul Blaser, a Parkinson's patient who had a device surgically implanted into his body that allows him to control his tremors using a remote control. Therese Noonan said the support group is not intended to be a substitute for a doctor's care, but sharing information in the group reduces stress levels, something Parkinson's patients are urged to do. "I think it gets stressful when it gets a little worse, when you fall or something," Betty Noonan said. Parkinson's patients may have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks. The disease is both chronic and progressive, and is not usually inherited. Early symptoms are subtle and occur gradually. Betty Noonan said there is not yet a cure for the disease, and it "gets worse and worse as the years go by." But she takes three medications that help, though they only last four or five hours. She said the purpose of the support group is both support and also education. "You're with people that understand who have the same thing," Betty Noonan said. "You know how it is when you talk about your sickness among people that don't know the first thing about it - (it's like) so what." Therese Noonan hopes making the organization larger and more visible will translate into more money directed toward finding a cure. "Finding a cure, that's the main thing," Betty Noonan added. At future support group meetings, Noonan hopes to bring in nutritionists, speech/language pathologists, people with Parkinson's and other medical professionals as speakers. If anyone needs a ride to Thursday's support group, they are urged to contact Noonan at 564-9745. SOURCE: The Columbus Telegram, NE http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2003/09/23/news/news3.txt Reference: American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) APDA is a support organization that provides education, counseling, assistance and referrals throughout the United States. The association sponsors 65 chapters and more than 800 support groups. The web site offers information about the association and its services. http://www.apdaparkinson.org/user/index.asp The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) lists over 1000 active Support Groups throughout the United States and Canada. http://www.parkinson.org/support.htm Locate Support Groups by Area Code http://www.parkinson.org/acodemap.htm * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn