Parkinson’s Disease used to be a death sentence. But it doesn’t have to be.
“People used to think if you have Parkinson’s you can’t do anything,” Norman Parkinson’s support group member Midge Gerber said. “You sit in your recliner and wait to die. That’s the opposite of what you want to do.”
That was one of many messages presented Thursday night during the Parkinson’s Blitz event at Norman’s central library. The first undertaking of its kind in Oklahoma, the Parkinson’s Blitz will cover 16 cities in 20 days to spread techniques and tips for managing the central nervous system disease, as well as information about the front line of research development.
“It’s football season, so it’s a good time for a blitz,” Parkinson’s Foundation of Oklahoma spokesperson Bruce McIntyre said.
Thursday’s Parkinson’s 101 presentation coincided with the City of Norman’s Parkinson’s Awareness Day. It covered a lot of basics. Much of the information was probably not new to Norman’s monthly support group, which is the oldest of its kind in Oklahoma.
But Fritz Schmitz, who has been a member since shortly after the group’s founding, said there’s always something to learn.
“When I read what was going to be presented at this meeting, I thought gee I’ve already learned all that stuff before. But it was a little different. There was a different kind of enthusiasm. It provided a spark.”
Gerber said when she and her husband moved to Norman two years ago, the first thing they did was look for a support group.
“This is where you learn stuff,” she said. “Without these support groups pretty much everybody would be in the dark. We have to get the word out.”
Her husband was diagnosed at 48, but at age 65 she said most people can’t tell he has Parkinson’s because of his Deep Brain Stimulation treatment regiment.
Gerber said that’s just one of the many options available to those in the know, which is why support groups and informational sessions are so vital.
“Without this group people would be very much on their own trying to find out answers to questions, getting support from others,” Phoebe Schmitz said.
McIntyre said every Parkinson’s patient is different. Symptoms are wide ranging and highly variable, so the information patients share among themselves can be highly valuable. He is hoping to foster a culture of knowledge sharing across the state.
“As you learn, you put tools in the toolbox and you also allay fears that are unnecessary,” McIntyre said. “As we go around the state, we meet people who don’t know anything about Parkinson’s and they are unnecessarily afraid and they don’t know about things they could be doing to combat it.”
While the knowledge gained is life changing, Phoebe said the group offers something more. Month after month, she said they grow closer together through their shared suffering and success.
“There are so many programs in Norman,” McIntyre said. “Patients have access to speech therapy and exercise programs, as well as some of the best neurologists in the state. And Norman has the longest-running support group in the state for Parkinson’s. We want to encourage that kind of community building across the state. We know it can help people.”
Actor Michael J. Fox has become an outspoken advocate for Parkinson’s research since his diagnosis in the early ‘90s. His thoughts on the disease mirror the motives of the Blitz.
“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation,” Fox said. “We may each have our own individual Parkinson’s, but we all share one thing in common. Hope”
The Parkinson’s Blitz rolls on, as does the Norman group, whose next meeting will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Norman central library’s Lowry room. It will feature a sort of show and tell segment on gadgets and gizmos, little tools that help Parkinson’s patients conquer practical problems. Looking ahead, the Nicole Jarvis MD Parkinson’s Research Foundation will host its annual winter gala fundraiser Dec. 8 at Embassy Suites in Norman.
http://www.normantranscript.com/news/local_news/parkinson-s-blitz-pushing-awareness-in-oklahoma/article_5d54563c-94f5-599d-9d24-c037ee3edc79.html
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