[...]... are worth sharing with you I hope that they will help you, as well, to live a full and interesting life At the outset, you should know that current medications and therapies enable people with Parkinson’s to have a normal life and 15 16 living well with parkinson’s live it more comfortably than ever before While there is no way to eliminate all the frustrations you will experience with Parkinson’s disease,... years with Parkinson’s, before I began taking medication, difficulty with writing was an especially frustrating problem, because teaching requires so much writing My colleagues in the home economics department volunteered to do much of my writing, and they had a stamp made of my signature, 18 living well with parkinson’s so that I wouldn’t have to sign so many student passes and papers People with Parkinson’s. .. little information was available, and I didn’t know anyone else who had Parkinson’s disease Finally, Blaine learned of Merle Watson, a Parkinson’s patient who lives in a neighboring town I called Merle’s wife, Barbara, and she gave me the addresses of 6 living well with parkinson’s the four national organizations concerned with Parkinson’s disease Their free materials, which I obtained in the mail,... some other line, I apologized for being so slow and explained that my Parkinson’s was responsible Many times, someone who overheard me would mention an acquaintance or a family member with Parkinson’s and would ask questions I found 12 living well with parkinson’s that talking about it helped me to accept it as a reality I could cope with I was educating myself, and I didn’t mind educating others, too,... progression of Parkinson’s disease in Glenna provided more challenges to meet and deal with for the Atwoods One problem encountered by patients is simply getting older and living with concurrent illnesses In addition to Parkinson’s, Glenna had a cardiac condition, which eventually caused her death The second edition of this book includes her ideas and insights on living with advanced Parkinson’s disease... cope positively as a person living with Parkinson’s It is interwoven with facts about managing Parkinson’s as I have learned them since my diagnosis, through • • • • • Evaluating my own experiences Reading the current scientific literature Attending workshops, conferences, and symposia Participating actively in a support group Talking with other people who have Parkinson’s My Parkinson’s specialist, Dr...Foreword Glenna Atwood shared her experiences and insights about how she and her family coped with Parkinson’s disease in the first edition of Living Well with Parkinson’s Her words were educational and inspirational to many people affected by this intrusion in their life’s plan Glenna, with Blaine— her husband and best friend—have spoken to audiences throughout North America, sharing information... disease Each person with Parkinson’s has his or her unique experiences, which require an individually tailored plan What is universal in Parkinson’s disease is the need for each person to learn and understand as much as possible about this condition, as this knowledge leads to more effective coping, proper management, and therapeutic success This second edition of Living Well with Parkinson’s provides... so many other illnesses to deal with The question kept recurring in my mind: how much time do they really have to keep up with the latest findings on one disease Parkinson’s? Finding my specialist in Parkinson’s disease happened in a roundabout way Blaine and I began thinking that we might start a Parkinson’s support group in our area We needed to talk to others with Parkinson’s and felt that people... a part of my life My hope is that all people with Parkinson’s will find hope and guidance here: that this book may encourage them to say, “Here is a person who has had Parkinson’s for twenty years, and she and her family are living happy, productive lives If she can do it, I can do it.” Parkinson’s is a progressive disease A cure is yet to be found But with current medications and therapies, and the . +08'00' Living Well with Parkinson’s ffirs.qxd 12/28/04 9:46 AM Page i ffirs.qxd 12/28/04 9:46 AM Page ii Living Well with Parkinson’s SECOND. Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Atwood, Glenna Wotton, date. Living well with Parkinson’s / Glenna Atwood, with Lila Green Hunnewell and Roxanne Moore Saucier / foreword