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Rosemary, and All.... While I agree with you in your comment about the "age of onset factor," and information being disseminated by the major PD organizations, personally, I don't think those organizations (however worthy) have a clue about the rising tide of young onset Parkies, and their. our... ever increasing numbers. IF they did have an awareness of the numbers of younger onset Parkies, they'd stop sending out their informational pamphlets, in response to inquires, etc., with pictures on the pamphlet-fronts of elderly persons ONLY! Virtually all references in those pamphlets regarding the AGE of PWP's indicates them as being "older," if not down right elderly. Not only that, but dammit.... those elderly folk pictured on the covers of PD organizational material are always SMILING and jolly looking! <rueful grin> IF ya go by the pictures and the text , it APPEARS as tho average Parkie hasn't a care in the world and everything is pretty darn tolerable for those living with PD. Take a look-see at the faces and bodies (not a walker or wheelchair in sight) of those presumably-people-with-Parkinson's pictured in current PD informational literature and it becomes obvious that the national PR organizations are still living in the past when it comes to age-of-onset, AND severity of the disease as it affects so many of those who have it. I see this as an unconscious (hopefully) attempt to "sugar coat" the picture of the average PWP's life-experience coping with the disease, so as not to scare away the newly diagnosed and the monied contributor, as well. Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Rosemary Russell <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, October 15, 1998 9:39 PM Subject: Re: News-Brain surgery helps severe Parkinsons >I think Keith Chancey raised a very good point in re to the "age of onset" >factor. I was diagnosed at 46 (had symptoms years earlier) by a PD >specialist. He told me that "young-onset" PD was, in fact, increasing -- >mainly due to exposure to toxins and chemicals. I later found reference to >what he had told me in a journal article which concluded that yopd had >increased at "an alarming rate within the last 2 decades." > >Because of this, and not because I place less importance on elderly >Parkinson's, I think the public mainly needs to be reeducated about >Parkinson's disease. Unfortunately for us, both the public and the media pay >a great deal more attention to "official" information, i.e., the APDA, NPF, >or any such group with a title. If they can get the educational information >to the public I think it will be the beginning of a change. > >Rosemary Russell 50, 5yrs. >Little Rock, Arkansas >([log in to unmask]) >