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JANET RENO: Don't Let Parkinson's Slow Your Pace, Reno Advises By ERICA BLAKE - BLADE STAFF WRITER Article published Saturday, March 27, 2004 Janet Reno pinched the thumb and the first finger on her left hand together yesterday, showing an audience of Parkinson's disease patients how she first became acquainted with the progressive, degenerative illness. In a soft voice and with a sometimes violent tremor in her left hand, the former U.S. attorney general said it was the involuntary movement of those two fingers that was her first clue that she had the disease. She then gave a message of hope and presented her own experiences as an example that Parkinson's patients don't have to slow down. "There are so many people who have Parkinson's who just close the doors and lock themselves away," she told the group of about 300 people gathered at the Medical College of Ohio. "They can be powerful messages of what can be done to make life better for so many people." Nationwide, about 1.5 million people are affected by Parkinson's disease, a condition characterized by trembling, stiffness, slowness of movement, and impaired balance and coordination. In northwest Ohio, about 3,000 residents have the disease, said Dr. Lawrence Elmer, director of MCO's Center for Neurological Disorders. Ms. Reno was diagnosed in 1995, two years after being appointed attorney general by President Bill Clinton. She admitted that she was worried about whether she could continue working and asked her doctors and her family for advice. The responses all came back the same, she said: "They said there is no reason I should leave my office." Ms. Reno said that despite the illness, she went on to face a multitude of issues as attorney general. They were experiences that without a doubt put stress on Ms. Reno, but offered hope to those listening to her. Patrick McManamon, 69, of Toledo, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1983. Yesterday, the retired teacher and his wife, Mary, attended the event to stay in tune with advances in treating the disease and how others were handling it. "It's always something supportive to hear somebody else's story," said Mr. McManamon, who helped found a local Parkinson's support group. "There are quite a deal of differences from patient to patient, but there is sameness. It's motivation to keep plugging along," he said. Tom Bondelier, 74, of Toledo, emerged from the conference room with his right hand in his pants pocket. He keeps it there, he said, to hide just how much it shakes. Mr. Bondelier only discovered a few months ago that he has Parkinson's. In a state of constant learning, the retired millwright said he was relieved to see that, like Ms. Reno, those with Parkinson's do not have to stop living full lives. Dr. Elmer said the message of continued living is what he and the staff at the Center for Neurological Disorders strive for. Following Ms. Reno's speech, four doctors spoke to the audience about the advancements in the treatments and cures of various neurological disorders. "Her example of working and not letting Parkinson's slow her down is exactly the image we want to foster here," Dr. Elmer said of Ms. Reno. "There really has been a revolution in the treatment of Parkinson's, and now people can live normal lives for years and years," he said. Contact Erica Blake at: [log in to unmask] or 419-724-6076. SOURCE: The Toledo Blade, Toledo, OH http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/NEWS32/403270371/-1/NEWS * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn