Dyanmic Duo Develop Group for Recently Diagnosed

It is May of 1996, two days after I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 46. My husband, Tom and I arrive early at a young-onset PD support group. People who we assumed were our age arrive -- limping, some struggling to be ambulatory with walkers, others in wheelchairs who had long given up dreams of walking, and one person even arriving on a stretcher.

I don't remember one word spoken at that meeting. However, the feeling that has remained permanently etched for nearly 14 years. -- horror. We freaked out. We had nightmares for three nights. If this is what young-onset PD looked like, how could normal or late-onset possibly look worse? We wanted no part of any onset PD.

That was the one and only support group meeting that we attended for 10 years. Even though I was a young-onset person with PD, what we desperately needed at that time was a support group for the recently diagnosed.

Nearly 14 years later, a dynamic duo from Denver emerges. Diane Cook and Betsy Vierck are facilitating a group for the recently diagnosed. Both are newly diagnosed with PD.  Diane is a management consultant and Betsy is a medical writer.

We wish them well in their new endeavor  I only wish there was a Diane/Betsy team around when I was diagnosed.

Comments

[Valerie Graham]

I have had the good fortune to get to know Diane on a personal level the past approximately six months as a result of our mutual participation in a number of activities, including, most notably, as a member of the Denver contingent selected to attend the Parkinson's Disease Foundation's Clinical Research Learning Institute this past October. During that time, I have found Diane to be a person of indefatigable energy and optimism, possessed of a keen mind and sharp wit, who is actively pursing virtually every avenue available to forestall the progression of Parkinson's ranging from her fierce commitment to a vigorous exercise regimen, including yoga, tai chi and Nintendo's Wii sports and balance games, to her participation in several promising clinical trials across the country.

I am also well acquainted with Betsy as a consequence of our email correspondence regarding her interest in the activities of the Denver DBS support group.

In addition, I am intimately familiar with many of the docs and staff at CNI as they were the ones who oversaw my care for many years and performed my DBS surgery in 2002.

Having said that, it is difficult to imagine more capable, caring or enthusiastic individuals to conduct a support group of this type. I fully anticipate that, with this group at the helm, this new support group will prove to be a huge success and fill a much overlooked need in the metro Denver PD community.

Sincere best wishes to them all!

Valerie Graham

[Kinnicchick]

What a wonderful sounding support group. Every area should be so fortunate. I wish that my dad had a group like this to attend.