The Whitewater Parkinson Support Group, which meets at Fairhaven Retirement Community, 435 N. Starin Road, will host guest speakers at its April 14 and May 12 meetings, both of which begin at 1 p.m.
On April 14, Thomas Fritsch, PhD, director of the Parkinson Research Institute at the Wisconsin Parkinson Association, will present a talk on Lewy body dementia.
On May 12, 2014, Jeremy Otte, director of outreach and education at the Wisconsin Parkinson Association, will give an overview of the Wisconsin Parkinson Association and its services to those living with Parkinson disease.
Symptoms of Parkinson disease can include tremor, slowness of movement, rigidity, problems with balance, smaller handwriting, soft speech, dragging of feet, and a decreased sense of smell. Parkinson’s is both chronic and progressive, and while there currently is no cure, the disease can be managed with medication, diet and nutrition, and exercise.
About the Association
Founded in 1984, the mission of the Wisconsin Parkinson Association is to expand medical professional and public awareness and understanding about Parkinson disease that will lead to maximum support, the best individual health care, assistance for caregivers and families and increased funding for research.
Association staff conduct local and regional education programs about Parkinson’s and provides literature, videotaped education material, and a speakers bureau. The WPA coordinates community support groups throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan that assist people with Parkinson disease and their caregivers and families.
For more information, including a complete list of the more than 100 support and exercise groups in the region as well as services available to those living with Parkinson disease, visit the WPA website at www.wiparkinson.org
The Wisconsin Parkinson Association is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Regional Parkinson Center (RPC), a comprehensive care center that provides diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, education, and research; the RPC serves approximately 3,000 persons per year.In 2013, the Wisconsin Parkinson Association and the Parkinson Research Institute (PRI) joined together to form a unique Parkinson organization that offers support, outreach, and research. PRI was established to uncover the cause(s) of the disease, advance the quality of patient treatment, and identify promising new directions to follow in the quest for a cure.
I am a 51 year old female that just found out I have Parkinson’s, but I have been having signs of it for years, tremors, depression, body weakness, etc. I honestly don’t think my doctor was reading the signs because of my gender and age.
A few years ago I had my shoulder lock up on me and I was sent to a physical therapist (P.T.) since x-rays didn’t show any physical damage. My shaking was getting worse and I began falling. Only when my speech became so bad that it brought concern to my dentist was Parkinson’s even considered. He phoned my doctor with his concerns about my shaking and balance problems. By this time I was forgoing shots in the back of my neck for back and neck pain to which once again I was sent to a P.T (although x-rays showed no damage) I was told I had a few spurs which were most likely causing the pain.
Here I was feeling like my whole body was falling apart and doctor could not find anything wrong, maybe it was all in my head? My doctor even seemed annoyed with me and things just kept progressing so I just kept it to myself. Why bother going through testing and them finding nothing? Well, it was after my second P.T. called my doctor about the weakness in my legs and arms, by this time I had developed a gait in my walk and I fell more frequently. Only then did my doctor send me to a specialist and it was found that I had Parkinson’s and that I have had it for awhile.
I think because I was a woman that my signs and symptoms weren’t taken seriously and therefore left untreated for so long. I was taking pramipexole dihydrochloride three times daily, I was on carbidopa levodopa but it only lasted 90 minutes then wore off. I found that none of the current medications were effective for me. I got tired of using those medication so I decided to apply natural herbs formula that was prescribed to me by my second P.T. There has been huge progression ever since I started the treatment plan which will last for 15 weeks. All the symptoms and signs have begun to disappear .