I was asked for a copy of this poem date August 1994 and thought I would
repost here for any who might want to try another approach to getting our
message across the table:
Where will you slice the pie?
It is budget time in Washington D.C.
Time to decide how to slice the pie.
Why should you add to Parkinson's research?
Is that a disease from which millions die?
Will drug trials be helpful for Fred and Barry?
Is neurosurgery worth a try?
What about the neuro clinics?
(They are seeing younger folks up there.)
Is that because of all the pollutants
that are hanging in our water and air?
Is that what's causing our shakes and tremors?
Or do our genes hold the secret, a DNA error?
Can you find the answer for Mike and Patrick?
They are our next generation will they be spared?
PD's not a fatal illness, all of us are growing old.
Some of us shake, some of us shuffle,
there is no single Parkinson's mold.
Some have pain, some have dementia,
bradykinesia....that's. . . movement. . . slow.
Can you find any help for Mike and Bernie?
How far can you make the dollars go?
No, we don't die of Parkinson's syndrone.
The doctors don't make a mint on us.
They have no cure for moving and shaking.
Funding is low.
What's all our fuss?
Research is what keeps us going,
therein the answer is lying still.
Who leads the search for Lewy bodies?
Who will try out the next pill?
Who will leave their brain for testing?
Can you give any hope to Sharon or Bill?
Oh, we've tried drugs like levadopa, carbidopa, symmetril.
Then tried selegilene, bromacriptine, pergolide and eldypryl.
No. . . Parkinson's disease won't kill us.
We get to live a long, long life.
What about Don's dreams of retirement. . .
relaxation, time with his wife.
Those dreams are gone now, he won't do that.
I'm a reminder every day. . .
Parkinson's doesn't kill the victim,
it only takes the body away.
Parkinson's takes from all who touch it:
From the husband, dreams and his wife;
From the children, it changes their future;
From the wives. . .their way of life.
Joe, who shakes, and Bob, who shuffles,
and all of our friends who are gathered here,
All we want is your commitment
to help with research and ease our fear.
Can you give us hope for our tomorrow?
Will we continue with quality care?
(We are not asking for more entitlements,
Movement disorder spells long term care.)
One and a half million fight this personal battle
with a devastating disease that rules our life.
We try to maintain jobs, we hope for the future,
we don't want to burden our husband or wife.
We hope you'll find funding for Parkinson's research
so that some day science can answer our "why?"
It could be tomorrow or far off in the future. . .
It depends on where you slice the pie.
Rita Weeks August 1994
