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Learning To Cope With Parkinson's Disease Wednesday, 6 October 2004 Ashtonfield resident Neville Elphick has spent the past 15 years learning to live with Parkinson's disease. Now, as the chairman of the Coalfields Parkinsons' Support Group, he is helping to organise a seminar/workshop to help other people in the area learn more about the degenerative neurological condition. The free event will be held at the East Maitland Bowling Club on October 20 between 9.30am and 3.30pm, providing information for people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, as well as their carers. Guest speakers on the day will include John Hunter Hospital's senior neurologist, Dr Jeff Blackie, the Lions Spinal Cord Fellowships' Dr George Owen and Parkinson's co-ordinator and nurse specialist from John Hunter Hospital, Evelyn Collins. "The speakers will be there to talk about a number of issues such as equipment, dress, exercise and the law and there will also be a range of static information displays which will give people the opportunity to catch up on the latest news regarding medication and treatment of the disease," Mr Elphick said yesterday. This is the first time the Coalfields Parkinson's Support Group has put on an event of this kind since it was formed in Maitland 18 months ago. Mr Elphick said the group has been very well supported in the Maitland area since it was established and has doubled its membership in the past year. "The group allows us to compare our experiences, our symptoms, medications and treatments and cry on one another's shoulders if it comes to that," he said. "I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 15 years ago and I continue to live a fairly active life today. "When I heard this group was getting started last year I decided to join in to see if I could help somebody else with my own experiences, because that's what we try to do." SOURCE: The Maitland Mercury http://tinyurl.com/5fdut * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn