the April 2016 Newsletter

April 2016
Volume 4, Issue 4
The Friend of Parkinson’s
Inside this issue
Success of Funny Bunny Race
Advisor Board
Karla Huntsman
Funny Bunny Race Activities
3
4+5
5
6+7
Funny Bunny Race Support 2016 7
Taking the high Jump
8
The Marble Halls of Power
9
In the News
The mission of Friends of Parkinson’s is to improve
the quality of life for those affected by Parkinson's
disease through services, education and advocacy
Publisher
Friends of Parkinson's
Executive Director
Jamillah Ali-Rahman
Editor
Diem Nguyen
Int’l Research Specialist
Lisa Vanderburg
Distribution Manager
Jon Carl Olson
Staff Writer
Sue Geizler
The Face of Parkinson's
Liana Jamil
Advertising
725-222-8181.
Office
The Parkinson Post
2400 N. Tenaya Wav
Las Vegas, NV 89128
Ph.: 725-222-8181
Fax: 702-838-26A40
E-mail
[email protected]
Website
FriendsofParkinsons.org
Contributing Writers
Jamillah Ali-Rahman
Lisa Vanderburg
Chirstina Howell
Advisory Board
Quick Recipe
12
Christina Howell
13
Events and Resources
14
Medical Symposium
15
Meet and Greet
16
Important Dates
03/26 Parkinson day
Jacqueline Claudette Jones
04/21 Meet and Greet
Donna Jensen
Dir. Of Operation
Frank Fuentes
Dir. Marketing & Pub. Relations
Lanie Spradlin
Dir. Community Affairs
Susan Anger
Dir. Community Affairs
Dr. Eric Farbman
Dir. Medical Information and Services
Elizabeth Doto
Dir. Medical Services
Jim DiFiore
Dir. Business Development
Charles Jensen
Legal Advisor
Shirley Hofmeister
Dir. Emeritus
10 + 11
Parkinson and WE
Charmaine Lee
Dir. Of Activities and Events
Dir. Of Policy
10
08/20 Medical Symposium
Success of the Funny Bunny Race
By Jamillah Ali-Rahman
The 2016 Funny Bunny Race for Parkinson’s was a great success! We could not have done it without the support of the
Las Vegas community – thank you!
We had three goals:
1. Have fun with the family and friends of those with Parkinson’s disease. That is always the best bit!
2. Bring awareness to the Las Vegas community about the effects of Parkinson’s disease on those affected and their
families. With YOUR help, we can check that box!
3. Raise $20,000…close!
We did raise $15,000, and while that is a great help, we could use your help to reach our ultimate goal. Here’s why….!
That shortfall of a mere $5,000 jeopardizes the programs we have in place through the next three months. We have our
support groups, information center and outreach that all need to be funded in order to bring all our Parkinson’s friends
fully supported.
There were many in the park on Saturday because they know someone who has Parkinson’s disease. There were many
attending the event that have Parkinson’s disease. Those with Parkinson’s disease want others to know that they are a
productive part of our community and are willing to remain active. The show of solidarity and support was very
powerful.
So I appeal to all; it’s not too late for each of you to give a small tax deductible donation to reach our goal!
It was amazing watching the children dance, play and hop to the music and entertainment
I even joined in….the children were not impressed! One of them suggested that I really didn’t know how to dance; and
another suggested I couldn’t get it right…so I sat down with a smile on my face. I know when I’m licked! But it was fun to
be with the community and allow them to express their compassion and love for those with Parkinson’s disease.
It takes a lot of work, coordination and money to create such a great event. We are thankful for our sponsors and
those who paid to run. We are thankful for those of you who are willing to chip in just a little bit more to help us
reach the $20,000 goal.
Advisor Board
Charmaine Lee
Dir. Of Activities and Events
Charmaine Lee as an Inspirational Speaker, Author, Coach
and Trainer has worked behind the scenes supporting people
dealing with adversity for the past 30 years. She focused on
maltreatment against others with multiple organizations and
started her own business through Foundation for Insight and
Mindful Success Systems. Her advocacy against violence,
abuse and bullying inspired the creation of Victors of Abuse.
Donna Jensen
Dir. Of Operation
Jamillah Ali-Rahman
Executive Director
Jamillah is a highly motivated leader who
brings energy, enthusiasm and dedication
to a team-oriented organization. She has
strong problem solving, communication and
customer relations skills. She is adept at
envisioning the big picture and exploring
new avenues of thinking.
Jamillah has lived in Las Vegas for over 20
years and has an extensive business and
personal network and in-depth community
knowledge.
In 2010, Jamillah was asked by a close friend
to join the board as a director of a national
Parkinson’s organization. He wanted to use
her event planning and organization skills to
bolster visibility of the organization in
Southern Nevada. Within a short time, she
was hooked. Not only was she able to do
events, she was also able to make a
difference in the lives of those with
Parkinson’s disease.
This is where the passion started. To see
the needs of the Parkinson’s community not
being met was a big deal. Jamillah has lived
her life in service, to make a difference.
There was the drive and desire to change
the lives of those with Parkinson’s disease.
The empathy and concern she developed
for Parkinson’s became a life mission. She
worked with the national organization to
affect the local community by being a
driving force to bring awareness and
visibility to the conditions.
In organizing the Friends of Parkinson’s,
Jamillah has developed relationships
throughout the United States that
understand and support the need for
continued research while creating a strong
community.
Donna Jensen is the Operations Manager for Friends of
Parkinson's and has been volunteering with the
organization since 2014, including directing the annual
Funny Bunny Race. Donna has been an engaged member
of the Las Vegas community for over 50 years- from
childhood through raising her own family and now as an
avid supporter of the Parkinson's community, serving local
families affected by the disease. She and her husband
launched a small business in 1989, Bristlecone
Construction, which they continue to operate, and which
provides them with a connection to the greater Las Vegas
community as they help people stay cool in this desert
heat.
Donna has also committed her time to working with
Parkinson's Southern Nevada to facilitate local support groups for both patients and
family members/ caregivers living with Parkinson's disease. Her enthusiasm and empathy
for this particular cause stem from her own experience as a spouse living with and
adjusting to the demands of the disease. She is a strong believer in the benefits of
bringing people together who can relate to each others' pains and joys as they live with
this life-changing condition.
Jacqueline Claudette Jones
Dir. Of Policy
Jacqueline Claudette Jones, born in Jamaica, Queens,
New York has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for 10 years.
Jacqueline attended Rutgers the State University of
New Jersey where she earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in Public Health Administration. She also has a
Master of Social Work degree, with a concentration in
International and Community Development, from
Monmouth University. Jacqueline has extensive
experience working in social services, community
development and targeted outreach programs. She is
presently a Licensed Social Worker with HealthCare Partners Medical Group, in Las
Vegas.
Jacqueline has an accomplished career in program development and implementation, in
organizations, corporations, non-profits and education. She has extensive experience in
several volunteer capacities including (but not limited to) work with the National
Association of Social Workers (NASW) Nevada Chapter, and as new member to the
Friends of Parkinson’s Advisory Board. Recently, the NASW Nevada Chapter recognized
Jacqueline as the 2015 Social Worker of the Year. Jacqueline presently serves as President
-Elect on the Board of Directors.
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Advisor Board
Lanie Spradlin
Dir. Community Affairs
Lisa Vanderburg
Int’l Research Specialist & Writer
Although born in Iowa, she claims to
have set out to swim the Atlantic at age
6, where she was 'brought up by crazy
floating Nuns who made me eat with a
fork AND knife'. As she's writing this
herself, she gets to speak like the Queen
(who she does indeed live next to) or like
a Southern Belle (grown up, married and
with two sons, they all moved back
Stateside for 20 years. Now back in the
UK since 2008 with her husband Pete,
they leave behind two married and
ginormous sons and...Wives :)
The reason behind joining Friends of
Parkinson's is that Pete is now into his
17th year with PD. In her own words, Lisa
tells me, 'yes...although we were
Restaurateurs - me the Chef, Pete the
front - all our lives, we both fell ill at the
same time. No amount of health
insurance helped, and we were made
bankrupt in 2006...losing everything'.
Despite that, she knows how fortunate
they are! In 2012, Pete received Boston
Scientific's Vercise DBS a la NHS! That's
jammy :) And that's also when Lisa
started to really research! 'My hubby's
noggin' is an endless source of interesting
bits and bobs, and I just HAD to know!'
she says. Hence she started badgering as
many Neuro-noggin's as she could - her
publishing can be found here. 'They keep
me honest', she says of her many
hundreds of Neuro-everything.
Lisa continues to write all about PD. Of
her husband (nearly 40 years now!) she
says, 'actually, his primary disease is
optimism...yes, yes, but it does prevent
him from seeing the proverbial that's
about to hit the fan,' but these days,
that's a blessing! Lisa suffers from
Behcet's Disease, causing 'copious
pain...God help anyone in my way as I
tear my skull off - and a huge amount of
hospital visits from recurrent meningitis'.
She asserts, 'this has caused she to go
quite mad....
Lanie Spradlin is originally from Cheyenne,
WY & she has lived in Las Vegas, NV since
1975. Lanie is the mother of one son who is
currently in college. She has a love for animals
of all kinds & works with many animal
charities. Lanie has worked in the medical field
for over 15 years and is currently employed
with Gerinet Hospice of Las Vegas. Lanie is
also certified as an Advanced EMT. She has
been a member on the Friends Of Parkinson’s
advisory board since May 2015. In her free
time Lanie likes to spend time at her family cabin in the Utah mountains fishing,
riding atv’s & enjoying time with her family.
Frank Fuentes
Dir. Marketing & Pub. Relations
Frank
Fuentes
is
the
Public
Relations/
Marketing Director for Friends of Parkinson’s and the
Communications and Social Media Director for Trosper
Communications. His contribution to the board of
directors concentrates primarily on public relations,
marketing, social media, and event management, to
further the organization's growth and objectives of
providing support groups for persons with Parkinson's,
their caregivers and care partners, providing a resource
center, outreach awareness, and social events. Frank graduated from UNLV with a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in sociology. During his time as a
student, Frank served as the president for Spectrum, the LGBT organization on
campus, as well as the civic engagement director for the Rebel Pride
Council. Frank was also known as one of the original ten students to be accepted
in the Englestad Scholars' Program. His additional experience includes an
internship with Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, client service manager for UNLV's
Student Union Event Services, and photographer for Confess, LLC.
KARLA HUNTSMAN
Have you ever read a book that had you so engrossed
in the story that you couldn’t put it down until you
finished reading it? We had a similar situation with our guest speaker, Karla
Huntsman, a professional storyteller, at the Support Group meeting held in February
at HealthSouth Desert Canyon. She introduced herself and like a weaver, began to
spin a story about her childhood with her mother, playing the guitar as a background
to the story. She captivated everyone’s attention to the point that her story brought
tears to our eyes thinking about memories of our own mothers and childhood.
Prior to the story about her mother, she shared a couple of short stories with
accompaniment of the autoharp and a bongo-like drum that made you feel like you
were deep in the jungles of Africa. The cafeteria of HealthSouth served a great lunch
to all attendees and we thank them for it.
Because our professional storyteller was so well received, she will be invited back later
in the year. We hope you will join us when she comes back because she definitely has
a talent – one that you do not want to miss. Sue Geiszler
S
aturday, March 26th brought a different type
of activity for the “Friends of Parkinson’s”
organization – our first Fundraiser of 2016.
A 5K/10K/1 Mile walk (Funny Bunny Race) was held at
the Bruce Trent Park on Vegas Drive and Rampart.
Trophies were given for the 1st, 2nd. and 3rd place winners for the 5K and 10K races in the following categories: under 19 years of age, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59,
60-69, and 70 and over. A trophy was also given for
the best overall man and woman.
Author: Sue Geiszler
Bounce Houses, a Petting Zoo, Bunny Hop, and several
vendors including U.S. World Meds, Medtronic,
Abbvie, HealthSouth, Whole Foods Markets, Pets for
Parkinsons, Winder Farms, Moe’s SW Grill, 3 State of
NV organizations (Talking Books, SMP and Office of
Consumer Health Assistance), Addus Home Care,
Assist Care Pharmacy, Asian Community Resource
Center, Young Living Oils, the Republican Party,
Friends of Parkinson’s and PAN helped to make our
fundraiser a great success. Some of our local
Parkinson patients staffed the Friends of Parkinson’s
booth (Julie Vanica and Mark LeVay – a shout out to
both for their help) and Ron Olender and his daughter
Kathy were among some of the Parkinson patients
that attended our fundraiser. Hopefully our Parkinson
patients saw something that interested them and will
attend one of our Support Groups. For more
information, please call Friends of Parkinson’s at (702)
381-4141.
better chance of inviting more runners and walkers,
along with more vendors. That will allow us to have
more fun activities for the entire family. We hope you
will remember us next year and help to make our 3rd
year an even bigger success!
A special ‘shoutout’ goes to our sponsors, US World
Meds, Medtronic, Abbvie, and HealthSouth.
Without their help and suggestions, we would not have
been able to hold this vital Fundraiser for the
community.
Our Friends of Parkinson’s sponsors were very happy
at the turnout and the way the Event was scheduled.
They are already talking about next year’s Funny
Bunny Race and how it can be improved. Our goal will
be to get the word out ahead of time so we have a
Continue next page
Continued last page
water for all of our runners and walkers on the
day of our race, but also
allowed us to set-up
tables in front of their
Lake Mead store the
day before the race.
This allowed the preregistered runners and
walkers to pick up their
packets ahead of time
for Saturday’s race.
Thanks so much to
Whole Foods for their
generosity. It was very
much appreciated.
A special thank you goes
to Moe’s SW Grill in
downtown
Summerlin.
Moe volunteered to hand
out one free meal to each
volunteer at his restaurant
in
Summerlin.
Thanks so much Moe for
offering to feed our volunteers and a BIG THANKS
to our VOLUNTEERS
who made this event possible. With their help, the
outcome was a winner!
A special thank you to
Whole Food Markets.
They not only donated
fresh apples, bananas and
Sue Geiszler
FUNNY BUNNY RACE SUPPORT 2016
Sponsors
1. Whole Foods Markets
2. PDR Group/POS – Professional Office Services
3. US World Meds
4. HealthSouth
5. Gerinet Home Health
6. First Person Complete Care
7. DopaMind Boxing and Cycling
8. Assist Care Pharmacy
9. Asian Community Resource Center
10. Get Active Foundation
11. KJUL/KOOL Radio
Vendors/Exhibitors
1. US World Meds
2. AbbVie
3. Conquer Every Obstacle24Seven
4. HealthSouth
5. Whole Foods Markets
6. Addus Home Care
7. Assist Care Pharmacy
8. State of Nevada SMP
9. State of Nevada Talking Books
10. Friends of Parkinson’s
11. Parkinson’s Action Network
12. State of Nevada Office of Consumer Health
Assistance
13. Asian Community Resource Center
14. Winder Farms
15. Hearts Alive Village (Pets for Parkinson’s)
16. Gerinet HealthCare
17. Moe’s Southwest Grill*
18. Medtronic
Donors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Right at Home
Get Fresh Companies
Mind Success Systems
Courage Unlimited, Inc.
Volunteers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Nalani Paliotta
Emily Zimmerman
Ryen Weaver
Haley Falk
Roy Acero-Baguyo
Jiselle Marguez
Tyrel Nelson
Melissa Amezura
Juan Gutierrez
Mallorie Amezura
Edwin Lopez
Jessica Zorn
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Melanie Amezur
Maricris Jude Ramos
Juan Bernal
Priscilla Chan
Ben Bartsehi
Erick Forbush
Sue Murphy
Jane Mallory
Sue Geiszler
Jon Olson
Sue Anger
Diem Nguyen (Jackie)
Lisa Vanderburg
Now and then a noteworthy gem comes along to make
us look at other less mainstream techniques and how
they address Parkinson’s symptoms. Not of the snakeoil variety - no ‘hot rocks’, floating Buddhas or pixiedust, just rational reasonable techniques that may help.
Quite a number of PwP have ‘tricks’ to control some
symptoms for a time. I remember a couple who used
to come to our restaurant. This was before my husbands’ diagnosis. Every time they entered, she’d toss a
tissue over the threshold, and he’d inevitably retrieve
it….it was really rather sweet! Finally I asked them
Publisher
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reader's book
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www.reverseparkinsons.net/
He’sDirector
currently touring New Zealand!
Jamillah Ali-Rahman
This time I’d like to introduce a man who’s spent a great
deal of his life taking a different path. You may have heard
of him. John Pepper is a South African who was officially
diagnosed 24 years ago, although his symptoms started
over 40 years ago. His Reverse Parkinson's Disease BlogSpot reads….er…um…horribly, really, so he’s
much better explained here! But just because he’s not a
natural blogger doesn’t mean his science is bad!
Mercifully, Norman Doidge, a gifted and renowned writer,
pioneer of neuroplasticity and author of ‘The Brain’s Way
of Healing’ published a great article about Pepper in
the Guardian, a respected London Newspaper. Doidge
further makes significant reference to Pepper’s work in
‘The Brain’s Way of Healing’, available US and UK
Both books are notable and well worth the read. However,
it’s John Pepper’s methodology that is interesting – particularly given his longevity.
He developed a meticulous method of ‘conscious walking’
that involved paying very specific attention to the tiniest
sequence involved in motion. He subsequently developed
finely detailed programs to encompass every minutiae of
movement. What he’s doing may seem difficult – unnatural even, but in time, becomes rote. The supposition is rewiring the brain to circumnavigate around the disease and
develop new pathways.
John Pepper’s book is available US and UK or from his
blog http://www.reverseparkinsons.net/ He’s currently
touring New Zealand!
Whatever you make of him, he’s well into his 80’s and going strong! Here’s his Facebook Page
The first time I wandered the halls of Congress, I didn’t pass through any metal detectors, I was not winded, and I was not given a pat down. President Kennedy was still
alive, the Beatles were singing I Want To Hold Your Hand, my favorite TV show was
Lassie and a girl in my geometry class had a bit part in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The
Birds. It was 1963 and I was still a naive young lad. When I walked through the Capitol
Building, I believed my teachers when they said everyone has an equal voice and your
elected officials are there for you. When I saw men (at that time, it was mostly men—
not much has changed) in suits with briefcases, I believed them to be carrying out their
sacred duty to do what is best for the country.
Fast forward fifty-two years and my how times have changed. I’m older now and a little
more jaded and cynical. I can’t believe that shutting down the government or the sequester was good for the USA. Partisan squabbling often seems to be more about ego
than legitimate policy differences. Scandals proliferate. I could go on and on. Liberal or
conservative, each of us can come up with dozens of examples of poor behavior on the
part of our elected officials.
Then, a funny thing happened on my journey with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Last
spring, I had the opportunity to attend a two day workshop in Washington, D.C. with
the Parkinson’s Action Network—an advocacy group representing the entire Parkinson’s community. The workshop was focused on preparing us for the third day—a visit
to the Hill. Two hundred and fifty people from across America came together to lend a
unified voice promoting federal support for neurological research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the FDA and the DoD Parkinson’s research program. [Traumatic
Brain Injury—TBI—is closely associated with PD.]
Four of us from Idaho met with our Representatives (Raul Labrador and Mike Simpson)
and our Senators (Mike Crapo and Jim Risch). Unbelievable—they actually met with us!
And they listened. We had a chance to tell our story and make our case. It doesn’t
mean they voted the way we wanted, but they and their staff made time for us. My
faith in government is at least partially restored.
I also discovered the difference between an advocacy group and a lobbyist. In a word:
money. Those of us with the Parkinson’s Action Network paid our own way—airplane
flight, hotel, and meals—some with the assistance of small scholarships. Lobbyists, on
the other hand, frequently have deep pockets and platinum credit cards. We had to use
logic and reason—we didn’t have thousands of dollars (or more, much more) to give to
political campaigns. Nevertheless, our voice was heard.
A parting thought: I know why they’re called the marble halls of power. Even the bathroom fixtures are made of marble.
A.C. Woolnough spent 37 years in public education as teacher and principal in California, Idaho and Alaska. Diagnosed with PD in 2014, he is a member of the Parkinson’s
disease Foundation People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, a PDF Research Advocate and an assistant state director for Parkinson’s Action Network.
In The New
Stir, not Shake!
You may already have seen this:
the GyroGlove
As recorded by MIT Technology
Review, Faii Ong used Physics to
develop this amazing batteryoperated
gyroscope which is
attached to the back of a glove. It’s
literally a revolution, as it revolves in
direct correlation to the amount of
tremor. The concept is that it will
counter-act tremor that make doing
anything from eating to writing to
chores easier for PwP. It have proven
to be up to 90¿ effective and (for
once), requires no surgical or
pharmaceutical intervention – simply
brilliant!
Ong and Imperial College, London,
are working on prototypes expected
to be available in the UK by
September 2016.
Doc, to go!
There’s been a lot of hype recently
about Telemedicine or mHealth.
These are sort of doctor-online sites,
the idea being is it will cut down (the
time AND cost) of your doctor’s visits.
However, some people with chronic
illness are reporting being ‘blacklisted’ by some sites for over-use
(duh….that’s what chronic is, no?).
But, the idea is brilliant and certainly
well worth consideration! With that in
mind, I’ll offer you two sites:
TelaDoc, because PAN was talking
about them.
MJFF,
because
Parkinson’s.
they
know
Holiday Recipe
QUICK BLACK-BEAN, AVOCADO, MEXICALI SALAD
RECIPE
It is often said by experts in the field of medical sciences
that as we age one of three degenerative diseases will
most likely affect us. Those three degenerative ailments
are: neoplasm's (cancers), diseases of metabolism
(cardiovascular disease) and neurodegenerative diseases
(like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s).
If you were able to get to the last support meeting you
will remember that I spoke to the group about Parkinson’s and Modifiable Lifestyle Factors. If you were not
able to get to the support group, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kirstin Keilty and am an Integrative
Nutritionist. I have been teaching and coaching others
about the necessity of improved nutrition to help prevent degenerative disease and assist with managing already diagnosed disorders. My training includes a Master’s level certification in Human Nutrition with emphasis in nutritional biochemistry.
The term “modifiable lifestyle” factors means simply,
those actions, which one can take to help minimize the
progression of symptoms associated with the diagnosis
of a disorder or disease, like Parkinson’s. Certainly, starting medication early is one of the first steps in managing
the disease.
However, there are other pro-active things that one
can do to help. During our talk last month, I touched
on the topic of inflammation. This is a very important concept right now. Body inflammation is
seen as a culprit that precedes the onset of degeneration, many experts think. Anything you can do that
helps to reduce inflammation may be helpful, such
as quitting smoking or eating fried foods, getting
better fats or a better array of fresh vegetables.
Within that framework of reducing inflammation
are the choices we make every day with the diet.
More and more science is telling us that eating a
better-quality, more nutrient-dense diet is protective to everyone regardless of age, gender, race or
diagnosis.
As we move forward with this newsletter toward
getting to know one another better, I will be contributing often with articles on nutritional research
as well as recipes that will help to get you thinking
along the lines of improving your daily nutrition
choices and offering suggestions through easy recipes to try.
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Continued last page
Before I run to the grocery store, I wanted to leave
you with a few quick tips that might help you when
shopping to get the healthiest, most nutrient dense
selections available:
1.
Shop the perimeter of the store, these are your
fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits, dairy. These
foods are least adulterated, or processed. Processed means that necessary nutrients have been
removed to increase shelf-life and synthetic vitamins have been added back. Fiber, one of your
best friends, is always sacrificed during the refining process. Middle isle items in the grocery store
are always the most sugary, fatty, sodium-filled
and fiber poor, calorie-dense and nutrientdepleted food items. They are often flashy and
associated with a happy commercial so children
will beg for these foods. Go-Gurts and the latest
(snacking chocolates) offer loads of calories, but
little for the body to really want. Usually these
middle isle foods have greatest contributions to
the land fills in our communities as well.
2.
When purchasing bread, look for breads that have
at least 3 grams of FIBER per serving.
3.
Cereals are best when purchased in whole-grain
form, like steel-cut oats or Quaker oats. Cereals
should have 5 grams of fiber per serving.
4.
Experiment with whole grains and beans you may
not have cooked with before. Great options are
quinoa (keen-wah), faro, and bulgur (makes a
great warm cereal and these grains are great to
add to salads and greens). All of these grains are
quick to cook 15 minutes in boiling water. Beans
and legumes like garbanzo beans, navy beans and
lentils are high in
fibers as well.
They may need
to cook awhile
longer,
but
canned versions
can cut the cook
times or remove
them all together.
Quick Black-Bean, Avocado, Mexicali Salad Recipe
2 cans of black beans (or 1 can garbanzo beans and
1 can black beans)
1 and ½ cups tomatoes (can use any kind of tomatoes grape, cherry, large) cut into bit-sized
chunks
1 ripe avocado cut into chunks
¾ c chopped onion (if you don’t like raw onion, you
don’t need to include)
¾ chopped pepper (can be green, red, yellow, or
jalapeno to your taste or omit if you don’t like
it)
½ c chopped cilantro or more if you love it
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lime
cayenne pepper or anchor chili pepper to taste
Salt to bring out natural flavors
Open the two cans of beans, and drain in a colander.
Place them into a large bowl. Cut the 2 medium sized
tomatoes or grape or cherry tomatoes equivalent to 1.5
cups of chopped tomatoes. Add to beans. Remove pit
of avocado by cutting around the avocado and opening
it. The pit can be removed and then the skin of avocado
peeled off with fingers. Chop and add to bowl with tomatoes and beans. Chop both onion and peppers to ¾
cup. Add to bowl. Add as much chopped cilantro as you
like. Squeeze juice of one lime over contents in bowl,
add ¼ cup olive oil, a dash of cayenne pepper and a
pinch of salt and stir. Keep covered in refrigerator for up
to 6 days or eat right away.
This salad is delicious and nutritious and VERY
simple to create.
Lisa Vanderburg
Here I am (once again) bleating about Parkinson's Disease....that because the month of April is Parkinson's Awareness Month. I have decided to take a different
Ya know, not be so.....pissy.............
And, as of today (march 22) we have nearly 300 members
of 10 Million Tulips, in just over two weeks - can't even begin
to count the actual blooms! Not bad, for someone who tends
to avoid FB like...er..the plague.
Huh. That was very revealing. I asked her why...why she
thought that everyone regardless of gender, saw their spouse
with Parkinson's as a 'nicer' person. She answered, '...it has
something to do with humility.' Most interesting, no? Sure it
is! I think, for my husband Pete - being diagnosed with Parkinson's, losing control of his body, that was...unsettling, to say
the least...?
That said, I have met so many wonderful, loving, funny and
sweet PwP (people with Parkinson's) there - and their caregivers, families, spouses....what was I worried about? Admittedly, I do tend to stick to private groups, but not always. These
are delightful people - some so painfully young that it makes
my heart ache. Most all are doing something for Parkinson's,
writing, blogging, running, cycling, shaving their
heads...whatever it takes! Radio Parkies have PD DJs! I listen
to them here. I can across Radio Parkies in 2013 when they
approached me to read out my paper on Parkinson's and
DBS. Then (I think) they were only in Europe - now they're
global!! Hearing their broadcasts from Jimmy Smith from the
West Coast and others in the USA is wild - what a kick! Then
there's one lady Melissa - half my age and can barely text in a
DM, but has gone through amazing efforts to lovingly show
me how to do things there..and with such humor, God love
her:)
Just a little aside here, as my wont......
A few years back, a Parkinson's social worker came visiting to 'quantify' us, I guess. A lovely, shy, English rose. She interviewed us separately. Her last question she asked....after the
caveat of, 'I'm so sorry....it'll sound strange...you don't have to
answer it...', was; 'Do you think your spouse is a better person
NOW than before [he] got Parkinson's'? Before I could stop
and think, I immediately said yes. Then she explained to me
that almost everyone said the same thing.
Well, put it this way: when I do a presentation, one of the first
statements is a character reference of Pete - loving, alphamale, in control of his destiny, fabulous father, completely at
ease in himself, a 'nothing can stop me' sorta guy. This is inevitably followed by, 'you wanna know how to crush a guy like
that? Give him Parkinson's....works like a charm.'
So these new Parkinson's peeps I've met? They are astonishing in their frankness and honesty. Yes, they hurt. Yes, they
know what's happening (worse - what's gonna happen). But
they also have realized the preciousness of life. They are
embracing life in it's most meaningful way - like it will end
tomorrow.
A little humility goes a long way....we could use a few of these
'humble' people to be cured - to become ambassadors for
humanity, no? We could actually use a cure....
In honor of Thomas Neil Berdine, diagnosed at age 33 with
Parkinson's, who died at the time of this posting. A much beloved and selfless encourager who helped so many through
those terrible times of the newly diagnosed. Tom was 48.
At this time, she was working two jobs; Madame Tussards and the
Metropolitan Art Museum. Such divine taste! It wasn't long before
her symptoms were noticed by her co-workers - her balance was
worsening.. Christina began using a walker. But, just like the Ever
Ready battery, she never complained. Like so many other, her life
was ‘overtaken’ yet Christina ’ successes her challenge – took the
bus to work 21/2 hours earlier to make her shift.
Over time, falls begin to occur more frequently and concerns
grew. By 3 months, she had to resign, putting yet more strain on
her finances. By the way then she had no choice but to go for
disability. After the usual wrangling, she finally received her first
pay check 4 months later. And we all know what an awful process
this is. The bills piling up, the cost of medication, the doctor’s
visits…co-pay (if you’re luck enough!).
Christina enlisted out of High School into the United States Air
Force where she spent the next ten years. Her final duty station
was in England. After Military service she returned to Nevada –
eventually working for a very English-originated company;
Madame Tussauds!
Even with the overtime and she found she was not able to make
ends meet so she looked for another job. This time she found a
part-time position as sales clerk at the Metropolitan Art Museum.
Again she found time to work extra and stay late and found a great
position she loved. This position lasted until the store closed here
in Las Vegas.
Christina's friend - an RN, explains her plight
Christina's return to Las Vegas and only seeing her occasionally,
she would visit me at work and this was
when we first noticed her gait was off
slightly and her hands were ice cold. Never
complained of any illness or pain but over
the next several weeks observed her more
and became intoned with her gait. As an RN
and along with my co-workers, we reviewed
her symptoms and did the general neuron
exam. Decided it was time for physical exam and labs. After all the
testing, and evaluations, she was sent to a neurologist for further
evaluation and testing, results: Parkinson's Disease.
It was her family who noticed neurological signs, which led to
Christina’s diagnosis. This was a profound shock – no Parkinson’s
in the family and only 38 years old. Sadly, as we all know, this is the
‘new’ PD – getting younger and younger. She was first lulled into a
false sense of security – she could continue working! But it – too
soon – became apparent that, with the diagnosis came meds and
more troubling aspects: side-effects. Christina developed COD,
insomnia and ultimately, the financial burden. This ‘obsessive
compulsion’ led to gambling; the sleep problems led ultimately to
her moving back to her family after she totally her car.
The VA social services program was very helpful! and directed us to
resources associated with the VA. On program, We Heart Vets,
was top of the line and thru their assistance and guidance we
found money to help with her care and medications, along with
being able to care for her at home.
Christina, continually adapts to her limitations, as Parkinson's has
taken her life into many different directions. Active, fun loving,
independent to requiring assistance with daily living. She
continues to be fun loving and deals daily with her limits, eating,
walking, speaking, and memory or just interaction between family
and friends. She copes but does have days when frustration and
anger creeps in when she tries to go beyond her limitations. We
attempt to keep her active and moving all the time. Allow her to
make decisions and let her tell us what she needs, where she wants
to go and encourage her to walk and keep active. We have learned
to Laugh when out and about, if she falls, she knows how to "tuck
and roll" keep her head up and limits getting hurt. we laugh at the
bruises she gets and when others ask, she tells them she is ok and
she has Parkinson and her major symptom is balance. We do not
limit our outings, we go where ever and take the outing with
stride.
She had a great vacation last year when we went to Ireland. Her
sister, Shelley and myself went and had a great time.
Unfortunately she fell and fractured 6 ribs, landed in the hospital
for 5 days. Christina never let on how much pain she was in, just
kept moving with our help. When I had two broken ribs, it was
painful. Christina never complained. Trip home not problem for
her, mom, yes. I never heard her
complain once.
Family has adapted to her ever
increasing limitations. We all just go
with the flow. She has a really good
support system with family and few
close friends.
anyone with neurodengerative disorders) Lou
Ruvo Center for Brain Health. 888 W Bonneville, contact Lakita Arrington.702-483-6032.
($10 drop in price).
HEALTHSOUTH, 1ST Wed, HealthSouth
Henderson, 1pm-2pm; 3rd Thu, HealthSouth Desert Canyon, 9175 West Oquendo
Rd., LV,11am-12pm, 4th Tue, HealthSouth
LV, 1250 S. Valley View, LV, 1pm-2pm, Call
702-381-4141
LET'S MEET & EAT FOR CAREGIVERS,.
2nd Fri, 10am, H2U Mountain View Office,
3150 N. Tenaya Way# 114. Call 702-381-4141
for info. 3rd Tue, 2pm,VidaTraining Center,
1785 E. Sahara Ave., suite 430. call 702-3814141.
MOVE I EXERCISE GLASSES, Tue & Thu,
11:15am to 12:15pm, (seated exercise for
anyone with neurodengerative disorders)
Lou Ruvo Center fbr Brain Health. 888 W.
Bonneville, call Lakita Arrington. 702-4836032.
ZUMBA GOLD, Wed, 9-1Oam. 2651 Paseo
Verde Pkwy, Suite 180. Contact Kim Riddle.
702-616-4902. ($5/per session or 5 sessions
for $20).
AGELESS WOMAN WORKOUT Tue & Thu, 9
-10am. 2651 Paseo Verde Pkwy, Suite 180.
Contact Kim Riddle, 702-616-4902($5/per
session or 5 sessions for S20).
GENTLE YOGA, Tue & Thu, 10-11am. 2651
Paseo Verde Pkwy, Suite 180. Contact Kim
Ruddle, 702-616-4902. ($5/per session or 5
sessions for $20).
AEROBIC FUN EXERCISE CIASSES, Mon,
Wed & Fri, 9:30am. Fern Adair Conservatory
of the Arts, 3265 E. Patrick Lane.
TAI CHI FOR BALANGE, Fri, 9-10am. Desert
Breeze Community Center, 8275 Spring
Mountain Rd, LV 702-455-8334. Facilitator,
Tamalyn Taylor MS.
DANCE FOR PARKINSON'S, Wed, 12:301:30pm, Las Ventanas (open to the public).
YOGA FOR THE SOUL, Yoga class designed
for you; no pressure. Starts in Jan $I0/class.
Call Wendy @702-750-0850 for details.
YOUNG ONSEI PD SUPPORT GROUP OF
SOUTHERN NEVADA, Cidney Donahoo, 702
-326-6831. [email protected].
DBS SUPPORT GROUP OF SOUTHERN
NEVADA,
Kip
Smith,
702-755-5704.
[email protected].
VETERAN'S INVOLVED PARKINSON',S
(VP), 1pm (1st Tue) Friends of Parkinson's
Office, 2400 N. Tenaya Way. 702-381-4141.
HEALTHSOUTH DESERT CANYON HOSPITAI, The Parkinson's Disease Rehabilitation
Program provides a full range of rehabilitative
services aimed at meeting the global range of
medical, psychological and functional needs
of Parkinson's patients. 9175 W Oquendo Rd.,
Las Vegas. Call 702-252-7342.
MOVE ll EXERCISE CLASSES, Tue & Thu,
12:3Opm to 1:30pm, (standing exercise for
EVENTS
DONATE
DOPAMIND BOXING & CYCLING, Tuesdays & Thursdays.
These non-contact boxing and
forced exercise tandem spin
classes have been shown to aid
in the regression of Parkinson’s
symptoms by improving motor
function, dexterity, and coordination
PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PARKINSON’S COMMUNITY and
Pledge your contribution to
Friend of Parkinson’s to help
us continue our serving the
Parkinson’s Community
Call: 702-979-8006
THANK YOU
We appreciate your support!
Call: 702-381-4141