Dr. Michael Okun has a terrific new post on how Parkinson’s sufferers can identify, then overcome, barriers to exercise. This is well worth your time and attention.
I am a rabid exerciser. Still, my yes were opened by much in this post.
http://parkinsonsecrets.com/blog/2020/9/23/kl4edscjq0j7gcweup84w55g8rp9li
Two words preoccupied me. What and Next.
I awakened with thoughts like: More fires today? More hurricanes? More political strife? More unnecessary Covid-19 deaths? More economic blows?
Those questions had me on the wrong path, wasting time on matters I can’t control.
Instead of feeling acted upon, I needed to drive action in a vital cause, one within my reach. That cause is the wellbeing of my fellow Parkinson’s disease sufferers.
Covid-19 has disrupted personal contact within Parkie communities, perhaps for years to come. That lost comradery was powerful “medicine” pushing back at Parkinson’s. (My MeOverPD foundation will resume our in-person work in Georgia and Florida when possible.)
My altered path centers on involvement with a new global PD community named PD Avengers. (www.pdavengers.com)
Now numbering 500-plus, PD Avengers’ goal is to mobilize the millions of people touched by Parkinson’s to prevent, advocate for and treat this fast-growing malady. Technology like Zoom is the tool for wiring our community.
Two powerful messages reached me last week that reinforce my course.
The first was from Emily M.D. Scott, a peripatetic, Lutheran minister. She reflected on the travels of Jesus’ Twelve Apostles.
“These solitary travelers journeyed in situations of great uncertainty, much like our own,” Scott wrote. “Their destinations may have been clear, but their futures were less so. Somewhere along the way, however, they always encountered something unexpected: the astonishing presence of the sacred.
“Instead of clamoring to go ‘back,’ we can turn, and face into a future that is uncertain, but rife with possibilities to build a world that is more compassionate. There are others on the road ahead of us: the protesters who’ve flooded our streets, risking their health to call for a nation free of racist brutality. They can see a new world.”
The second message came from Rich Harwood, president of the Harwood Institute. (www.theharwoodinstitute.org) He is my great and good friend. His life mission is building outward-focused, strong, resilient communities. His latest best-selling book is Stepping Forward.
His email concerned why personal resiliency alone is not enough to see us through our perils.
“The challenges before us demand a shared response,” he said. “And let’s be clear: no one leader, organization, or group can address the fault lines that exist in our society. None of us during a time like this (or any time) can go it alone, on our own. It never works. We need each other.
“To build a more hopeful, inclusive society, personal agency is indeed critical, but shared agency is essential.
“We must actively and routinely reach out to others for support, to work together, and to go forward together. In doing so, I cannot emphasize this next point enough: each of us must recognize that in times like these, small steps in the right direction are so important, as they get us in motion, and when we are in motion, we gain confidence, and new possibilities arise. We make room for progress, serendipity, and hope.”
Thank you, Emily and Rich. You helped clarify my What Next.
For Dr. Michael S. Okun, author as well as leading neurologist, this has been a smashing year. His name is on two books, each of which set new standards for excellence in Parkinson’s disease treatment and advocacy.
He and three other renowned Parkinson’s experts opened March with the acclaimed call to action, Ending Parkinson’s Disease. The second book, also acclaimed, came in August: Living with Parkinson’s Disease.
“Ending” is a powerful indictment of how medical care systems worldwide have given short shrift to Parkinson’s and its 8 million sufferers. The book authoritatively writes the history of this fast-growing condition that will afflict 1 in 15 persons living today.
It zeroes in on the urgent need to limit exposure to the industrial chemicals—pesticides in particular—that are strongly linked to its cause. “Ending” calls for bold action to prevent, advocate for, care for and treat this bedeviling brain disease. In addition to Okun, the authors are Ray Dorsey, Todd Sherer and Bastiaan Bloem.
The four are willing into existence an international cadre of people determined to realize the four-part action plan. Its name is PD Avengers. (pdavengers.com) I am one.
Okun‘s newest book “Living” is written with Parkinson’s experts Irene A. Malaty MD and Wissam Deeb MD.
The authors promise a “complete guide” to the infinitive mysteries of Parkinson’s disease for sufferers and care partners. They deliver in Living with Parkinson’s Disease.
“Living” is approachable, well organized, authoritative and invaluable. It’s reader friendly with pull out summaries, helpful margin notes, case examples, “clinical pearls for a better life” and a “concluding note” at chapter ends.
A just-diagnosed sufferer can get the guidance needed in starting their fraught journey. Each chapter deepens to meet the more detailed needs of midcourse sufferers and beyond.
“Living” belongs in the hands of all persons affected by PD. It is the indispensable guide to living as best possible with this inscrutable condition.
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