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Hi Jeannette: Wonderful advice! I feel so strongly about educating re: the ravages of PD that I even teach my patients about it. This began when a few of them noticed my limping or opening single-dose medication packages slowly, and questioned me. It evolved into one of the topics of the psycho-educational groups I run. It's particularly relevant since, in a very simplistic sense PD is the flip-side of Schizophrenia -too little dopamine vs. too much. I have also educated several of my medical colleagues. Aside from the very real importance re: raising the public's awareness of Parkinson's, it is incredibly liberating to admit, yes, there's something wrong with me and this is what it is, after years of trying to cover up the signs and symptoms of a deteriorating body. Carole H. --- Leo Fuhr <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Everytime a pwp writes a letter to the editor, or > asks a clerk in a store, > "Could you fill out this check for me, I have > Parkinson's Disease and at > this moment my muscles are rigid/tremoring and I'm > not able to write > clearly.", or comments at work or when in social > settings, "Did you see > Michael J. Fox, Lynda McKenzie, Jim Finn et al on > the television last week > talking about funding for FY2000 to support > Parkinson's research, or > speaking about the experimental surgery to allow > her/him to regain use of > muscles that had been keeping her/him immobile due > to Parkinson's disease?" > the awareness level of someone is being raised. > Hopefully, that person > will comment to peers and family and the awareness > will continue to grow. > > When I pay for groceries, I don't conceal my Medical > Alert card that states > that" I'm not drunk....I have Parkinson's disease", > especially if it's a > day/time when I'm having difficulty getting either > cash, change or even > getting my fingers to slide the plastic credit card > from the plastic sleeve > of my wallet. I want those waiting and watching my > struggle to be aware > that it's Parkinson's symptoms that slow me down and > I hope that awareness > might expand that person's knowledge about a disease > that shows no > favorites and can strike anyone of any age, race or > sex in any country of > the world. > > I wear my T-Shirt that asks, "Do you know someone > that has Parkinson's?" on > the back to walk the inside track at the community > center. When the shirt, > a letter I've written to the editor, or my > struggling to pay at the retail > counter causes someone to ask a question or ask how > I'm feeling or if I > need help.....I try to respond positively but in a > way that teaches the > person asking the question that having Parkinson's > isn't fun and those with > the disease are trying to advocate for research > funding increases to > hopefully find both a cure and a cause that may > allow prevention of > Parkinson's disease in the future. > > Friends, family and members of church and > organizations or groups I or my > husband are part of are often asked by me to sign > petitions, write or call > congress asking for increased funding for focused > Parkinson's research. The > mayor of my community is married to a sorority > sister and he signed a > proclaimation for "Parkinson's Awareness Month" in > April and he and a group > of my sorority sisters posed for a picture that was > run in the local > newspaper. > > Any of these kind of actions are ways of educating > others about > Parkinson's disease. My" Pennies for Parkinson's > "jar has been passed at > organization meetings, health fairs, support group > meetings and labels for > jars have been given to interested persons who > periodically give me > collected monies to forward to fund research. I > joined Jerry Finch's > WebRing for PWP(people with parkinson's)and have > written about my own > experience with Parkinson's and have e-mailed > persons who responded to > reading that story. Information and ideas from the > PIEN list inspire and > challenge me to do more to spread the story about > Parkinson's disease. > > Jeanette Fuhr > 49/47/44? > <[log in to unmask]> > > ---------- > From: Edie Luther. <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Question: Parkinson's Awareness > Campaign > Date: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 7:02 AM > > Getting the word out to the public, not just the > pwp's, is exactly why our > support > group had a flea market last year, and we are > planning more activities > which > will > bring the public to awareness We had a group of > students from a private > school > collect money and about 20 of them come to our > walk-a-thon. I feel we are > becoming more and more acknowledged. A principal of > a public school > stopped > my husband and said, "I saw you and your wife on tv > last night. > Parkinson's > Disease is a nasty disease,." She gave a donation. > We also are included > in > medical programs. > > I agree we need more awareness, but we have come a > long way in the last > couple > of years to make the public aware of this dreadful > disease and the fact > that > this > disease also attacks the young. Edie Luther > ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com