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Veterans Affairs (VA) is finally admitting an association between Parkinson’s disease and an exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. VA's final regulation recognizing this association took effect on October 30, 2010. Vietnam-era Veterans exposed to herbicides do not have to prove a connection between their Parkinson’s disease (and other diseases) and military service to be eligible to receive VA benefits.
In addition, under the new final rule dated January 25, 2011, the VA will presume herbicide exposure for any veteran who served between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971 “in a unit determined by VA and the Defense to have operated in an area in or near the Korean DMZ in which herbicides were applied,” according to the statement.
For more information, visit:
Department of Veterans Affairs Website on Agent Orange and Parkinson’s Disease: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/parkinsonsdisease.asp
More Vets Approved for Agent Orange Claims http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/MilitaryMedicine/24596
In loving memory of Oreo Kelsall who passed way on January 24, 2011. She will remain forever in our hearts and thoughts.
"...what we have enjoyed, we can never lose...all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." by Helen Keller
The House is Empty Now by Tom Kelsall
I miss her big smile, bark and wagging tail at the front door each day after work.
I miss the walks in the park and her constant sniffing. Her nose surely knows.
I miss her playfulness and fetching her red ball.
I miss her supervising me while I was mowing the lawn and shoveling snow.
I miss giving her a belly rub.
Thank you, sweet Oreo, for your gentle, loving and playful companionship and for being my shadow for the past nine years.
The house is empty now.
It has been quiet around here lately. After surgery on my vocal cords on January 17, the doctor put me on a No Talking and No Whispering regimen for a week so that my vocal cords would heal. However, I was allowed to communicate by writing.
So I assigned my husband, Tom, the task of speaking on my behalf. Tom took his job seriously. He is usually soft-spoken, but for the week, he became loud-spoken. So loud that I made a sign saying “I am not deaf.” It reminded me of how frequently we speak to people with ANY type of disability (deaf, blind, mute, developmentally disabled, those with Parkinson’s, mentally ill) in a loud tone.
During the week when Tom talked on my behalf, he explained to the waitress that I had throat surgery and couldn’t talk for a week. When he ordered the wrong meal, I pulled out my tablet and clarified. The waitress said “I bet it’s quiet around your house."
When my brother called and talked to Tom, I overheard laughter when my brother joked about the possibility of his wife getting the same surgery so that he could have some peace and quiet.
I sent a lot of emails that week. When I emailed the dancers that I wouldn’t be coming to class that week because I couldn’t imagine dancing without talking, one dancer kindly responded with “your bright smile and twinkling eyes brighten our dance classes and performances…you don't really need your voice to make things better for all of us!”
When I went to my individual yoga class, Carolyn and Paul prepared cards with “yes,” “no” and “stop” so that I could maintain my side of the “conversation.”
When alone, I avoided most restaurants and stores, fearful that I would be forced to talk. I felt like a nun with a vow of silence.
After a week of not talking, when I started speaking my voice sounded crackly, hoarse, raspy and sometimes nonexistent. But my doctor reassured me with “give it time” and I started a series of voice therapy sessions. However, I received a totally unexpected benefit from surgery: being able to eat popcorn and pizza without coughing and choking. So my Parkinson’s-related swallowing problems are solved. I’ll keep you posted about my progress in achieving an improved voice.
You are fed up with the snow, sleet and ice. You hope that it’s cloudy tomorrow when the groundhog emerges and leaves its burrow on Groundhog Day, signifying that winter will soon be over.
While waiting for the warm weather to arrive, there is something you can do to move Parkinson’s research forward. From the warmth and comfort of your own home, you can take an online survey and/or questionnaire and participate in Parkinson’s research.
The survey and questionnaire listed below can be completed online or completed on a paper copy.
This survey of Parkinson’s patients (with and without Deep Brain Stimulation) is conducted by The Parkinson Alliance and DBS-STN. Their current survey is "Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Comparing those with and without Deep Brain Stimulation." It takes about a half-hour to complete online. For more information, check out: http://www.dbs-stn.org/survey-new.php
Another questionnaire conducted by The Communicative Participation Research Project at the University of Washington and is on how communication disorders affect participation in everyday life activities. It takes about an hour to complete online. For more information, check out: https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/cbaylor/14619/80409
Make a difference by becoming a research participant in a Parkinson’s Disease study. Play your part in moving Parkinson’s research forward.
For other clinical trials related to Parkinson’s, check out http://www.pdtrials.org/
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