JANET RENO: Don't Let Parkinson's Slow Your Pace, Reno Advises

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JANET RENO: Don't Let Parkinson's Slow Your Pace, Reno Advises
By ERICA BLAKE - BLADE STAFF WRITER
Article published Saturday, March 27, 2004

Janet Reno pinched the thumb and the first finger on her left hand together 
yesterday, showing an audience of
Parkinson's disease patients how she first became acquainted with the 
progressive, degenerative illness.

In a soft voice and with a sometimes violent tremor in her left hand, the 
former U.S. attorney general said it was the
involuntary movement of those two fingers that was her first clue that she had 
the disease.

She then gave a message of hope and presented her own experiences as an example 
that Parkinson's patients don't have to
slow down.

"There are so many people who have Parkinson's who just close the doors and 
lock themselves away," she told the group
of about 300 people gathered at the Medical College of Ohio. "They can be 
powerful messages of what can be done to make
life better for so many people."

Nationwide, about 1.5 million people are affected by Parkinson's disease, a 
condition characterized by trembling,
stiffness, slowness of movement, and impaired balance and coordination.

In northwest Ohio, about 3,000 residents have the disease, said Dr. Lawrence 
Elmer, director of MCO's Center for
Neurological Disorders.

Ms. Reno was diagnosed in 1995, two years after being appointed attorney 
general by President Bill Clinton. She
admitted that she was worried about whether she could continue working and 
asked her doctors and her family for advice.

The responses all came back the same, she said: "They said there is no reason I 
should leave my office."

Ms. Reno said that despite the illness, she went on to face a multitude of 
issues as attorney general.

They were experiences that without a doubt put stress on Ms. Reno, but offered 
hope to those listening to her.

Patrick McManamon, 69, of Toledo, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1983. 
Yesterday, the retired teacher and his wife,
Mary, attended the event to stay in tune with advances in treating the disease 
and how others were handling it.

"It's always something supportive to hear somebody else's story," said Mr. 
McManamon, who helped found a local
Parkinson's support group.

"There are quite a deal of differences from patient to patient, but there is 
sameness. It's motivation to keep plugging
along," he said.

Tom Bondelier, 74, of Toledo, emerged from the conference room with his right 
hand in his pants pocket. He keeps it
there, he said, to hide just how much it shakes.

Mr. Bondelier only discovered a few months ago that he has Parkinson's.

In a state of constant learning, the retired millwright said he was relieved to 
see that, like Ms. Reno, those with
Parkinson's do not have to stop living full lives.

Dr. Elmer said the message of continued living is what he and the staff at the 
Center for Neurological Disorders strive
for.

Following Ms. Reno's speech, four doctors spoke to the audience about the 
advancements in the treatments and cures of
various neurological disorders.

"Her example of working and not letting Parkinson's slow her down is exactly 
the image we want to foster here," Dr.
Elmer said of Ms. Reno.

"There really has been a revolution in the treatment of Parkinson's, and now 
people can live normal lives for years and
years," he said.

Contact Erica Blake at:
eblake@xxxxxxxxxxxx
or 419-724-6076.

SOURCE: The Toledo Blade, Toledo, OH


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