Re: "Parkinson's Disease - A New Hope" , Special Report

[Greg Sterling <sterling@xxxxxxxx>]

Barbara,
Well put.  
Greg
47/35/35
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barbara Patterson" <patterso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <PARKINSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: "Parkinson's Disease - A New Hope" , Special Report


> Late last week, former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, was in
> hospital with an undisclosed illness.  The report stated that Mr.
> Trudeau also has Parkinson's.  In a later newscast, Dr. Calne, a much
> respected neurologist and expert on Parkinson's, was interviewed. Dr.
> Calne said (not quoting word for word) that the seriousness of Parkinson's
> was often understated. Besides the daily and progressively more
> difficult challenges of living with Parkinson's being underestimated, he
> said that progression of the disorder eventually involves other muscle
> groups such as those used in swallowing.  Many people with Parkinson's
> die from saliva and/or food getting into the lungs because of pd's effect
> on those muscles.
> 
> My point is that Parkinson's, not pneumonia, was the real cause of
> death.  To state otherwise would be similar to saying that a person who was
> shot and fell to the ground died from the fall rather than the gunshot.
> (I really must stop reading so many murder/mystery stories!)
> 
> Until and unless the devastation of Parkinson's is recognized, research
> into the causes/treatments/cure will continue to be underfunded.
> 
> People like Janet Reno and Michael J. Fox and Muhammed Ali are doing
> their share, so let's do ours...walk for Parkinson's; talk about it; if
> you are fumbling for change at a checkout, explain that you have
> Parkinson's.  I know it's easier to stay home so people won't stare at us
> shaking or moving rigidly and slowly or spilling our tea, but letting
> them see that may inspire them to contribute to research the next time
> they are asked.
> 
> INVISIBLE NO MORE
> 
> Barb
> ============================================================================
> Barbara Patterson                               patterso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> HSC 2J22                                        905-525-9140, ext. 22403
>                         School of Nursing
> ============================================================================
>