Library Links
Bibliography for the Shaky Times series of articles: What is a virus? , written by Janice Ransley. Click the link to download the document.
Bibliography virus articles
Rick Stevens, the PNMD Librarian, has selected these helpful articles to feature at this month’s General Support Meeting. Printed copies of some of these articles will be available at the Library Table.
- From The New York Times:
“The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and Toxic Chemicals”
A new book calls the increasing prominence of Parkinson’s “a man-made
pandemic.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/20/well/live/parkinsons-disease-toxic-chemicals.html?smid=em-share - New Year with Parkinson’s: Words Worth Living in 2020 & Beyond
Abstracted by Derek Ransley from the work of Frank Church · January 10, 2020
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bM3uNZmHEX1yKIgoGHD_F8luB7-9WBs6/view?usp=sharing - Online only = Journey with Parkinson’s. Read more by Frank Church on his blog:
https://journeywithparkinsons.com/top-15-posts/ - Find out more about Parkinson’s Patients Support Groups. Excellent resource for caregivers. http://www.ppsg.org/UnderstandingPD.html
- Online only = Parkinson’s and Dance: Dance is a powerful medium to help maintain and restore balance and rhythm. Watch these videos on YouTube. Videos say it so much better than text.
a. The first video is by a Brooklyn, N.Y. based group with a focus on rhythm.
https://youtu.be/ydktMq5t9Qc
b. Here is what the Denver Rockies do in Colorado
https://youtu.be/ENu51imonmU
c. Watch this northern California based group’s presentation.
https://youtu.be/7saMTzgD76M Debbie Sternbach teaches this combination dance and movement class in Walnut Creek. Class is called “Dance moves me.” - Dance Therapy May Help Improve Motor Function of Parkinson’s Patients, Pilot Study Reports
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/09/19/dance-therapy-may-benefit-parkinsons-patients-pilot-study/ - Cognitive Changes in Parkinson’s Disease. In-depth explanation of facets of cognition, and strategies for managing those symptoms:
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/what-is-parkinsons/symptoms/cognitive-changes/ - Swimmers Beware of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): This 2019 article notes that some patients who have had DBS have lost ability to swim:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/health/swimming-Parkinsons-brain-implants.html - Yoga visibly reduces tremors and improves the steadiness of gait, by Renee le Verrier RYT:
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/what-is-parkinsons/treatment-medication/alternative-treatment/yoga/ - A Privilege to Participate. The Michael J Fox Foundation collects self-reported data from those with PD. The program is called Fox Insight. It creates a fascinating series of real stories told in a quick, engaging style. This story is about Diane Winiarski, age 65.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/privilege-participate - Why Dyskinesias Are A Research Priority in Pd. Think this is of interest even though no specific answers are available. It lets us know that somewhere, in a good scientific establishment, important clinical research is being carried on.
https://www.worldpdcongress.org/home/2020/1/13/why-dyskinesias-are-a-research-priority-in-pd - Recipe for frittata.
From “Bites that Fight PD” website. Recipe for Potato, spinach, bell pepper frittata.
https://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/recipe-potato-spinach-pepper-frittata/ - Meditation and Relaxation Techniques for Parkinson’s Disease.
Meditation and relaxation techniques take many forms. They typically have positive effects on both PD patients and caregivers. Several studies have shown a connection between Parkinson’s disease symptoms and mindful meditation.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/meditation-and-relaxation-techniques-for-parkinsons-disease/ - Coping Tips for Caregivers of Those with Parkinson’s Disease.
You are a caregiver. The role you have taken on is not an easy one. The following tips offer some guidance on how you can help your loved one.
https://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/guide/parkinsons-caregivers#1 - Mood and Memory Changes in Parkinson’s Disease.
It is likely that PD will affect one’s thinking to some extent. However, new research has begun in the area of cognitive rehabilitation that can very effectively reverse this mental sluggishness.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/mood-and-memory-changes-in-parkinsons-disease-2612185
Online Resources
PD Glossary
Ever get confused with all the terms thrown around when talking about PD? Do you have to become a pharmacist or medical doctor first? Here is a quick way to understand the terms you read and may hear – from WebMD. Listed in alphabetical order; easy to browse’ contains a ton of embedded links should you want to learn more.
See this Google Doc for complete Glossary
How to live well with Parkinson’s online… Even if you’re homebound
Excellent and timely article from Davis Phinney Foundation. The title says it all. Even though connecting with people through hugs and handshakes and shared experiences is a key piece of living well, we are missing that in significant ways every day.
If you’re looking for ways to exercise, connect, and play online, the article includes a few of the options out there.
See resource: https://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org/blog/live-well-parkinsons-online/
Mood: A Mind Guide to Parkinson’s Disease
Want to know more about PD and mood changes? This authoritative 64 page guide from Parkinson’s Foundation will guide you through key topics:
- About PD
- What is mood?
- Anxiety
- Other mood issues
- Talking about changes in your mood
- Tips for caregivers
See resource: https://www.parkinson.org/pd-library/books/Mood-A-Mind-Guide-to-Parkinsons-Disease
Mood and cognition: Non-motor symptoms
One-hour YouTube webinar from Parkinson Canada.
This webinar will help you from a practical perspective, on how to deal with relationship issues stemming from mood and cognitive changes that occur as a result of living with Parkinson’s disease. The webinar will also focus on various communication strategies.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ehgnOj5hAk8
Parkinson’s Disease: Nutrition Matters
Produced by the Parkinson’s Foundation. This 72-page PDF document provides a comprehensive resource covering diet and drug interactions, correlations with physical symptoms such as constipation, bone health and weight loss. It also provides lots of recipes, menus and shopping lists.
https://www.parkinson.org/sites/default/files/Nutrition_Matters.pdf
Available at our Library Table at the General Meetings:
In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest ch
allenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending.
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession’s ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person’s last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
Here’s the synopsis:
Carol developed the first typical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in 2011, but the diagnosis was soon changed to Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). The first physical symptoms were quickly followed by hallucinations, which at first were benign, but quickly became quite scary. While caring for Carol, Bob slowly, painfully learned how to cope with her physical as well as mental symptoms. This book describes those lessons in the hope that others caring for LBD patients will benefit from them, and their path down this road will be easier.
Reverse Parkinson’s Disease
by John Pepper
“John Pepper was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1992. After only six years of regular, energetic exercise, which has since been proven to slow down or even reverse Pd, and taking medication, which has also since been proven to slow down or reverse Pd, he no longer appears to have Pd, although he still has many of the symptoms. During the first ten years, if he stopped either the exercise or the medication, his symptom
s soon returned. He does not claim to be cured, but he is able to lead a normal life today. His positive attitude and determination to stay ahead of this terrifying condition highlight a new approach to dealing with Pd. John’s story is a portrayal of courage, showing the power of focusing on and being committed to one’s beliefs. One can greatly admire his determination and self-motivation, as seen in his conscious efforts to correct and adjust his movements, which in itself is no small achievement. His positive attitude has been further enhanced by the warm and encouraging support of his wife, Shirley, and family. This close family relationship has been a positive factor in helping John cope with his disability.” –Publisher description.
The New Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Book
Partnering with Your Doctor To Get the Most from Your Medications
Second Edition
J. Eric Ahlskog, PhD, M
- The definitive guide for Parkinson’s Disease patients and their families
- Offers a crystal-clear, nuts-and-bolts approach to the treatment of PD
- Distilled from the author’s nearly thirty years of experience as a clinician and researcher
- Educates patients so that they can better team up with their doctors to do battle with the disease, streamlining the decision-making process and enhancing their treatment
New to this Edition:
- Updated chapters help patients and their caregivers develop a basic, core understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, course, and likely complications of the disease
- Thoroughly revised to reflect new protocols for medications
- The Second Edition also contains new information about the genetic and hereditary pattern of the disease; the effects of fluctuating hormones on disease symptoms; and other cutting-edge research.
Parkinson Network of Mt. Diablo 