Dear Davis County PD Support Group Members, Many thanks to all of you who attended our October support group meeting last Wednesday night, and a very special thank you to our guest speaker, Ms. Kassi Harris. Her knowledge of Parkinson’s disease and how it affects swallowing was outstanding, and her suggested ways to compensate for swallowing difficulties was truly helpful. Some of the methods that Kassi discussed included sitting upright near 90 degrees, keeping your chin down, placing food in the back of your mouth, taking small bites, using a straw, and drinking lots of liquids. For all who might have missed the meeting, I have extra handouts that Kassi provided, and I will bring them to the next meeting. If anyone would like to contact Kassi, she can be reached by email at [email protected]. Thanks again Kassi! As I mentioned at the meeting, a recent study published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease found that approximately 30 percent of patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at risk for malnutrition. You can read the full story at the following link: https://michaeljfox.org/foundation/news-detail.php?parkinson-patients-may-be-at-higher-risk-for-malnutrition Another article I spoke of was about how migraine headaches in middle aged people have been linked to an increased risk of Parkinsons disease and/or movement disorders later in life. You can read about this at the following link: sciencedaily/releases/2014/09/140917172736.htm Another subject I talked about was with regards to the stabilizing eating utensils that are offered by the Lift Labs Design Company in San Francisco. Although I cannot endorse any product, this particular item may be very useful to those who have trouble eating due to an essential tremor. (If you are interested in purchasing this item, be aware that your insurance company might not cover the costs, so be sure to check with them first) You can read about this company’s product at the following link: liftlabsdesign/. (And thanks to one of our newer members, Diane Warrant, for sharing this information.) As Jennifer Penn-Jensen spoke about at the meeting, the Parkinson’s Wellness Program 8-week exercise course begins October 15th at the Stuart Rehabilitation Center, 3902 Harrison Blvd., Suite 400, in Ogden. Sessions are scheduled for every Wednesday and Friday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, and the two-month cost is $50.00. Call 801-387-2080 to register, or contact Jennifer Penn-Jensen ([email protected] or JennpennPT@yahoo), or John Ostroski ([email protected]), at the Stuart Rehab Center for more details. (Be aware that a physician’s referral and physical therapy evaluation are required prior to participating.) Our phone number sharing list keeps growing! If you would like to share your phone number with other members of the group, in order to (perhaps) assist, talk with, or otherwise network with them during the month, let me know and I will add you to the list. I will also provide a sign-up sheet next month for anyone else who might be interested. Here are the members who have provided their numbers: • John Chase – 801-621-2103 • Dale George – 801-451-6238 • Jock Glidden – 801-394-0457 • Rich & DeAnne Hawkes – 801-451-7396 • Norm & Sarah Potter – 801-544-2572 • Dennis & Gloria Vega – 801-773-5276 (Please keep in mind that providing your phone number is completely voluntary.) Our group book sharing program kicked off this month, so just to remind you, if you’ve got a PD-related book that you would like to share, bring it in. If you see a book you’d like to read, go ahead and borrow it, read it, and bring it back. If you choose to share your books, be sure to identify it so that the person who borrows it knows who to return it to. (One good method that Roger Richins used to mark his books was that he placed a return address sticker right inside the front cover.) Of course, this book exchange is also totally voluntary, and only if you want to lend your books out. Registration is now open for the 2014 Annual PD Symposium, to be held on Saturday morning, November 1st at the Salt Lake City Marriott University Park, 480 Wakara Way Salt Lake City, UT. Cindy and I have gone to the previous two symposiums, and if you can make it, I highly recommend you attend because you’ll get to hear from the top PD specialists in the state. This year’s guest speakers include Brandon Barton, MD from Rush University, Chicago, IL speaking on cognition, and Christopher Dromey, PhD BYU, who is a speech pathologist. You can register online at this link: apdaparkinson.donordrive/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=742, or call Rebecca Starks at 801-585-2354. Also at this year’s symposium, they are planning on highlighting the talents and skills of those with Parkinson’s. If you want to display works of art, crafts, handmade items etc. at this year’s symposium please contact Rebecca Starks by Monday, October 13th and tell her what you would like to display. She will do her best to accommodate you. In addition, I will have a table set up especially for our support group. If you plan on attending, please drop by and say hello. (You may catch a glimpse of one of my restored antiques that I plan on displaying!) Our schedule for the next three months looks like this: Wednesday, Nov 6th: Ms. Amanda Thompson, Physical Therapist; dizziness, balance & fall prevention Wednesday, Dec 3rd: Christmas Party & Social Wednesday, January 7th, 2015: Rebecca Starks, CHES, American Parkinson’s Disease Association The quote of the month for October: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives, I like to see a man live so that his place is proud of him” - Abraham Lincoln Finally, many thanks to the Andes family for their very generous donation and bringing in water and treats for the group! Thanks again to you all, and I hope you have a great October! Sincerely, Dale George
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 13:07:28 +0000
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