First 200 to Parkinson Symposium Get A Copy of: A Parkinson's Primer

The Parkinson Association of Alabama will be hosting its annual Patient Education Symposium for 2023 on Friday, March 10th at the Pelham Civic Center. Thanks to a generous community grant afforded by the Parkinson's Foundation, the first 200 attendees to check-in will receive a FREE copy of "A Parkinson's Primer: An Indispensable Guide to Parkinson's Disease for Patients and Their Families."

Author, John M. Vine, and his wife Joanne, live in Washington, D.C., where he practices law with Covington & Burling, LLP. John is senior member and former head of Covington's employee benefits group. Over the years, John has represented clients before the treasury and Labor Departments and other federal agencies, testified at hearings held by House and Senate committees, and litigated cases in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Since his diagnosis with Parkinson's in 2004, John has spent considerable time learning about the disease, interviewing other patients and their partners, and developing the ideas presented in this book.

Below is an insert from the book where John shares his Guidelines in combating Parkinson's. He writes:

"I follow the guidelines set fort below. I emphasize that these are my guidelines; they are not necessarily appropriate for other Parkinson's patients, I hope, though, that they are useful as an example:

1. Consult experts. Consult a neurologist with expertise and experience in treating Parkinson's. As and when appropriate, consult other expert professionals, such as neurosurgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychiatrists, and ophthalmologists.

2. Educate yourself. Educate yourself about Parkinson's and keep up with developments. Attend seminars and symposia. Consider new therapies. Keep current.

3. Participate in treatment decisions. Do not leave decisions to the experts. Raise questions. Make suggestions.

4. Exercise. Treat physical exercise as if it were medicine. Like medicine, exercise is mandatory, not optional.

5. Be persistent. Combating Parkinson's requires sustained effort.

6. Be positive. Be optimistic. Focus on battling the disease right now rather than wondering how much longer you can keep it up. Instead of asking "Why me?" ask "Why not me?"

7. Be realistic. Excessive optimism can breed disappointment and undermine persistence. Temper optimism with realism.

8. Socialize. Do not become a recluse. Welcome, rather than resist, assistance. Participate in a support group. Help others.

9. Avoid stress. Reduce or avoid stress.

10. Sleep. Regularly get a good night's sleep.

Have you considered coming up with your own personal guidelines? Thinking through how you want to set goals and objectives for fighting PD can be extremely helpful.

To learn more about how you can register to attend the Parkinson's Symposium and receive your FREE copy of John's book, go to: https://www.parkinsonalabama.com/symposium2023

The book is available for purchase on Amazon and other retailers.

Source:

Vine, John M. A Parkinson's Primer: An Indispensable Guide to Parkinson's Disease for Patients and their Families. About the Author. Page 155. Appendix 5: My Guidelines. Page 141-142.Paul Dry Books. 2017.