For those who do not have access to the Times, here is a copy I pulled =
off Nexis:
=20
----------------------
Copyright 1995 The New York Times Company =20
The New York Times
December 27, 1995, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final
HEADLINE: Personal Health
BYLINE: By Jane E. Brody
WHEN Attorney General Janet Reno announced last month that she had
Parkinson's disease, she joined an estimated 500,000 to one million =
Americans
with this still-mysterious neurological disorder. Each year, about =
50,000 people
in this country -- most of them over 50 -- receive a similar diagnosis, =
based on
the presence of symptoms characteristic of the disease and an inability =
to find
any other explanation for them.
Parkinson's disease results from a progressive loss of cells in the =
brain's
motor control center, the substantia nigra. These cells produce a =
substance
called dopamine that transmits nerve messages crucial to normal, fluid
movements. Without sufficient dopamine, patients commonly develop =
tremors, rigid
muscles, difficulty in initiating movement, slowness of movement, a =
stooped
posture, a shuffling gait, loss of balance and sometimes a slurring of =
speech. =20
Symptoms are usually minimal at first (Ms. Reno's current symptom is =
a
tremor in her left hand), but gradually get worse over the years. In =
addition to
physical symptoms, depression afflicts some patients, beyond that =
related to
receiving the bad news of the diagnosis. And one in three of Parkinson's
patients will eventually develop Alzheimer's disease, a rate three times =
that
found in the general population of elderly people .=20
=20
Fighting Back
Parkinson's disease is chronic, progressive and incurable. When Ms. =
Reno
announced her condition, she expressed confidence in her continued =
ability to
perform her job and, with the aid of medications and following a regimen =
of self
care, to remain a vital and useful individual for many years to come.
There are a growing number of drugs and still-experimental surgical
treatments to slow the progress of the disease and reverse or at least =
temper
many of its symptoms. But Ms. Reno's attitude may very well be her best =
weapon.
My aunt, Ruth Tischler, now in her upper 80's, has had Parkinson's =
disease
for more than 20 years. But the diagnosis did not stop this =
Brooklyn-born dynamo
from traveling abroad, attending cultural events and going on shopping
expeditions that would exhaust a healthy person half her age.
At 75, nearly 10 years after her diagnosis, she studied intensively =
with her
rabbi and, before a large and admiring audience, joyously celebrated her =
Bat
Mitzvah, a rite of passage in Judaism she had missed as a youngster. =
=20
At 85, though then quite deformed by her disease, she gave herself a =
birthday
party attended by friends and family who were envious of her indomitable =
spirit.
A neighbor and friend in her early 50's whose Parkinson's disease was
diagnosed just last summer at first became seriously depressed by the =
prospect
of a premature and progressive loss of her ability to continue her work =
as a
psychotherapist, sculptor and author. But with the help of medication =
and
counseling and the support of a loving family and friends, she has shed =
the
crippling yolk of depression and returned to her beloved pursuits, =
although at a
less frenetic pace.
"I look around me at people I know with AIDS and cancer and I say to =
myself,
at least what I have isn't fatal," she said the other day. She is fast
recovering her infectious laugh, wit and enthusiasm for life and =
learning to
enjoy the many things she can do, instead of focusing on future =
disabilities.
One of the most tenacious of Parkinson's patients is Earl Ubell, who =
recently
retired as health and science editor at WCBS-TV in New York. Mr. Ubell =
was 62
when he first noticed a telltale weakness in his right hand, which =
caused
aberrations in his handwriting. He was all too familiar with =
Parkinson's, both
through his science writing career (he is still health editor of Parade
Magazine) and as the stepson of a man who lived for 30 years, to the age =
of 99,
with exactly the same disease.
Parkinson's is not Mr. Ubell's only problem. His biological father =
died of a
heart attack at 44 and two of his brothers developed clinical heart =
disease in
their 30's. Mr. Ubell, a lifelong nonsmoker, has always taken good care =
of
himself, sticking to a low-fat, high-vegetable diet and getting plenty =
of
vigorous exercise. Even in his late 60's and despite Parkinson's, he =
could be
proud of his body and its continued ability to withstand the rigors of =
singles
tennis and cycling trips.
A bout with sciatica and an irregular heartbeat interrupted his =
athletic
pursuits, but he is now back on track and has resumed physical therapy =
to regain
the muscular strength and physiological stability that became depleted =
during
his enforced sedentary period. Exercise, he and others say, is a must =
for
Parkinson's patients, vital for maintaining flexibility, mobility and =
emotional
stability.
Mr. Ubell recalls that his doctor was surprised that he was not =
depressed by
his diagnosis.
"I didn't want to sink into a mire that would keep me from doing what =
I want
to do," he said. "I wasn't going to mope. I do what I can: go to the =
theater,
read, travel, write, visit friends."
He continued: "My attitude has always been open and friendly. I can =
even make
jokes about my disease. I've been an optimist all my life. If you're a
pessimist, you don't think of solutions. If you're an optimist, you look =
for
solutions. You don't let things happen to you willy-nilly."
For example, when his fine motor control got too poor to permit =
efficient
typing, he got a voice-activated computer, which allows him to continue =
to write
a monthly column for Parade and to work on a book. To keep his brain =
stimulated,
he also takes on a new intellectual challenge about once every five =
years, =
=20
among them learning French, statistics and brain biology. His next task, =
he
says, will be advanced mathematics.
=20
Getting Treatment
Mr. Ubell's positive attitude was fostered by a famous neurologist, =
Dr.
Lucien Cote of the Columbia University College of Physicians and =
Surgeons, who
told him early on: "You're very lucky. For most neurological diseases, I =
can't
help you. For Parkinson's, I can."
The primary treatment for Parkinson's is levodopa, or l-dopa, which =
is
converted to dopamine in the brain. Unfortunately, l-dopa tends to lose
effectiveness after three to five years, so its use is often delayed and
modifications made to keep it active longer.
Now there are also several drugs that can suppress different symptoms =
of
Parkinson's and at least one drug, Eldepryl (selegiline), that may slow =
its
progression. Still other drugs are under study. Though not yet proved, =
there are
indications that high doses of vitamin E (400 to 1,000 International =
Units
daily) may also delay the progress of the disease.
Surgical possibilities include computer-guided stereotactic surgery =
in the
brain to relieve tremor, a burning out of hyperactive neurons in an area =
of the
brain called the pallidum (pallidotomy) and transplants of fetal brain =
tissue.
=20
For More Help With Daily Living
People with Parkinson's disease, like those with other chronic =
illnesses, can
greatly benefit from talking with others who have the same problem. =
There are
more than 600 Parkinson's disease support groups around the country. To =
find
one, write to Parkinson Support Groups of America, 11376 Cherry Hill =
Road,
Apartment 204, Beltsville, Md., 20705, or telephone (301) 937-1545.
A listing is also available from the National Parkinson Foundation =
at 1501
N.W. Ninth Avenue, Miami, Fla., 33136, phone (800) 327-4545, or in =
Florida at
(800) 433-7022. The foundation provides free educational materials, =
far as possible without straining
or losing balance, then straighten up.
4. Finally, bend sideways at the waist and make a circle with the entire =
trunk,
first in one direction, then the other.
=20
1. Stand straight against the wall and lift arms overhead to touch the =
wall.
Then lift head so ceiling is visible, count five, and lower head and =
arms; rest
and repeat.
2. With back against wall, march in place, raising legs high.
3. Hold onto table or chair, squat down as far as posssible, then rise =
and
repeat.
4. In straight chair with hands behind chair, arch shoulders back as far =
as
possible. Look at ceiling for a count of five. Rest and repeat.
5. Raise alternating arms across body diagonally, while keeping eyes on =
hand.
=20
(Source: National Parkinson's Foundation)
End of Message
Robert ([log in to unmask])
