PSGTC Newsletter

PSGTC Newsletter Jan.-Feb. 2015

Parkinson Support Group Debbie Benner and Susan Williams, editors
of Tarrant County [email protected] or [email protected]

WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT Our Meetings are held at:
Broadway Baptist Church / 305 W. Broadway, Ave.
Happy New Year Everyone
Room 302
Our membership has grown substantially during Fort Worth, Texas 76104
2014 and we welcome everyone. It is our privilege to be a
part of your Parkinson’s journey. We all have so much to Monday, January 26—General Meeting
share and so much to learn. We all need to give and to get 1:30 p.m. Broadway Baptist Church, 3rd floor
the support offered by our group. meeting room. Speaker: Dr. David Capper, on
Advance Directives. Snacks will be provided by
We welcome our newest member of the Board of Brookdale Senior Living.
Directors, Katherine (Kate) Leary. Kate is one of the
moderators of the group that meets at the Bedford Library. Our exercise group meets Monday, Wednesday and
Kate replaces Norma Carethers and we thank Norma for Friday of each week from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at
her service. We also welcome David Keerins as our new Broadway Baptist Church, Room 206 We invite you
publicity chairman and Sue Wallace as our new telephone to join us in the fight to keep mobility.
committee chairman. As you all know we are an
organization of volunteers and currently we have openings Caregivers meet on the 2nd and 4th Fridays in the
on the Membership and Hospitality committees. Becoming room behind the exercise group to share ideas and
involved is a great way to get to know one another. The give support. Come join us. Never feel alone on this
more involved we become the more effective our group journey.
becomes.
Monday, February 23—General Meeting
Looking forward to the coming year, 1:30 p.m. at Broadway Baptist Church, 3rd floor
meeting room. Speaker: Dr. Halim Fadil, on Non-
Barbara Batts Motor Symptoms. Snacks will be provided by
President, PSGTC Brookdale Senior Living.

North Tarrant County—Another location to meet for Parkinson support.

Parkinson Support North Tarrant Parkinson Support Group February Meeting
Group in North
Tarrant County January 13, 2015 / 10:30 am – Noon February 10, 2015

Meeting the 2nd Tuesday Speaker: Karen Schroeder, J.D. 10:30 am—Noon
of each month. Everyone Topic: Getting Your Legal House in Order
is welcome Speaker: Amanda Horn,
Bedford Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Dr., Bedford, TX 76021 Personal Trainer

Snacks provided Topic: Optical Fitness for
People Living with PD

During bad weather, exercise or other meetings may be cancelled. Call the help line (682) 216-7947 if you have questions about a
particular day’s meeting. Be sure to check our Website at: www.psgtc.org.

The contents or opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of individual writers and do not constitute an endorsement or approval by Parkinson’s Support Group of Tarrant County.

2

Parkinson Support Group 10 Early Warning Signs
of Tarrant County of Parkinson’s Disease

Officers http://www.parkinson.org/10signs
President - Barbara Batts
Here are the 10 signs you might have the disease. No
Vice President - Cameron Thompson single one of these signs means that you should worry.
Secretary - Linda Williams But if you have more than one symptom you should
Treasurer - Michael Hairgrove make an appointment to talk to your doctor.

Committees: Tremor or Shaking
Caregivers - Loretta Belisle Have you noticed a slight shaking or tremor in your
Hospitality - Janet Edgar, Edith Smith, finger, thumb, hand, chin or lip? Does your leg shake
Beverly Bolton when you sit down or relax? Twitching or shaking of
Library - Elsie Wilson limbs is a common early sign of Parkinson's disease.
What is normal? Shaking can be normal after lots of
Membership - Beverly Bolton, Carolyn Turner exercise, if you have been injured, or could be caused by
Directory - Susan Williams a medicine you take.
Programs - Cathy Collier
Sunshine - Susan Williams Small Handwriting
Publicity - David Keerins
Has your handwriting suddenly gotten much smaller than it
Webmaster - Doug Day was in the past? You may notice the way you write words
Facebook Manager - Maureen Batts Steele on a page has changed, such as letter sizes are smaller and
the words are crowded together. A sudden change in
Newsletter - Debbie Benner, Susan Williams handwriting is often a sign of Parkinson's disease.
Telephone - Loretta Belisle, Carolyn Byrnes, What is normal? Sometimes writing can change as you get
older, if you have stiff hands or fingers or poor vision, but
Conna Davis, Melba Dumas, this happens over time and not suddenly.
Kathy Smith, Sue Wallace,
Patti Waser Loss of Smell

HELP by VOLUNTEERING Have you noticed you no longer smell certain foods very
The best way to help your Parkinson’s well? If you seem to have more trouble smelling foods like
Support Group is to volunteer. bananas, dill pickles or licorice, you should ask your doctor
about Parkinson's disease.
We need volunteers who can help with What is normal? Your sense of smell can be changed by a
Membership and Hospitality Committees. cold, flu or a stuffy nose, but it should come back after you
are better.
Call Barbara Batts at (817) 738-5937
For more information about volunteering Trouble Sleeping

Date of Annual Dues Changed Do you thrash around in bed or kick and punch while you
are deeply asleep? You might notice that you started falling
As part of the business meeting on Dec. 16 it was out of bed while asleep. Sometimes, your spouse will notice,
proposed and voted unanimously to change the dates on or will want to move to another bed. Sudden movements
which PSGTC dues would be due. It was decided that during sleep may be a sign of Parkinson's disease
our fiscal year would change to Jan. 1-Dec. 31 with What is normal? It is normal for everyone to have a night
membership dues due January 31 and delinquent when they 'toss and turn' instead of sleeping.
March 31.
Trouble Moving or Walking
Help, He’s fallen and he can’t get up!
Do you feel stiff in your body, arms or legs? Sometimes
The Fort Worth Fire Department offers NON- stiffness goes away as you move. If it does not, it can be a
EMERGENCY help with lifting after a fall. If your sign of Parkinson's disease. You might notice that your arms
Parkinson person is hurt, you need to call 911. If there don't swing when you walk, or maybe other people have
are no injuries, but you can’t get the person up, call said you look stiff. An early sign might be stiffness or pain
this number, but ONLY if you live in Fort Worth. in your shoulder or hips. People sometimes say their feet
seem 'stuck to the floor.
(817) 922-3000 What is normal? If you have injured your arm or shoulder,
you may not be able to use it as well until it is healed or
another illness like arthritis might cause the same symptom.

3

Constipation Words of Sunshine:

Do you have trouble moving your bowels without straining New Members:
every day? Straining to move your bowels can be an early
sign of Parkinson's disease and you should talk to your Priscilla Cramer
doctor. Robert and Sondra Gabhart
What is normal? If you do not have enough water or fiber George and Beth Hawkinson
in your body, it can cause problems in the bathroom. Also Aletha “Darlene”, Bob and Jeff Hewitt
some medicine will cause constipation too. If there is no David and Cheri Keerins
other reason such as diet or medicine that would cause you Nancy Knowles
to have trouble moving your bowels, you should speak with Nancy Mahanay
your doctor. William(Bill) and Oralia Massey
Debra McCawley-O’Brien
A Soft or Low Voice John M. and Sue McCright
Sylvia Peay
Have other people told you that your voice is very soft when William L. and June Peterson
you speak in a normal tone, or that you sound hoarse? If Lorri Pratt (Right at Home)
there has been a change in your voice you should see your Irwin and Rhona Raffel
doctor about whether it could be Parkinson's disease. Janet Stuart
Sometimes you might think other people are losing their
hearing, when really you are speaking more softly. Prayers and Thoughts:
What is normal? A chest cold or other virus can cause your
voice to sound different but you should go back to sounding Buzz Graves, a long-time member of PSGTC, passed away
the same when you get over your cough or cold. November 10, 2014 after a long battle with Parkinson’s
disease. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Janet and
Masked Face their family.

Have you been told that you have a serious, depressed or Arlet Boyer passed away December 5,2014 from
mad look on your face more often, even when you are not in complications due to a fall. Our continued thoughts and
a bad mood? This serious-looking face is called masking. prayers go out to his wife, Helen and his family.
Also, if you or other people notice that you have a blank
stare or do not blink your eyes very often, you should ask Members currently having medical issues.
your doctor about Parkinson's disease.
What is normal? Some medicines can cause you to have the Our wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to all of them.
same type of serious or staring look, but you would go back
to the way you were after you stopped the medication. Bruce Dougherty, the PSGTC photographer and publicity
guru, had shoulder surgery in October. He is now
Dizziness or Fainting recovering with rehab and helping David Keerins take
over the publicity responsibilities for PSGTC.
Do you notice that you often feel dizzy when you stand up
out of a chair? Feeling dizzy or fainting can be signs of low Wear your Parkinson pin with pride.
blood pressure and can be linked to Parkinson's disease.
What is normal? Everyone has had a time when they stood Parkinson’s Disease Resources
up and felt dizzy, but if it happens on a regular basis you
should see your doctor. American Parkinson Disease Association
apdaparkinson.org or call 1-800-223-2732
Stooping or Hunching Over
Lewy Body Dementia Association
Are you not standing up as straight as you used to? If you or lbda.org or call 404-935-6444
your family or friends notice that you seem to be stooping,
leaning or slouching when you stand, it could be a sign of Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Parkinson's disease. michaeljfox.org or call 1-800-708-7644
What is normal? If you have pain from an injury or if you
are sick, it might cause you to stand crookedly. Also, a National Parkinson Foundation
problem with your bones can make you hunch over. parkinson.org or call 1-800-327-4545

“I cannot do everything, but I can do Parkinson's Disease Foundation
something. And I will not let what I cannot pdf.org or call 1-800-457-6676
do interfere with what I can do.”

—Edward Everett Hale

4

Advances in Technology Aiding People with Parkinson’s Disease

Google Invests In ‘Tremor Spoon’
That Will Allow Parkinson’s Patients To Eat
Without Spilling

Tuesday November 25, 2014

Just in time for the holidays, Google is throwing its money, brain power
and technology at the humble spoon.

Of course these spoons (don’t call them spoogles) are a
bit more than your basic utensil: using hundreds of
algorithms, they allow people with essential tremors and
Parkinson’s Disease to eat without spilling.

The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes
instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the
Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an
average of 76 percent.

Google got into the no-shake utensil business in
September, acquiring a small, National of Institutes of Health
-funded start up called Lift Labs for an undisclosed sum.

Other adaptive devices have been developed to help people with tremors; rocker
knives, weighted utensils, pen grips.

Starter kit priced at $295.00 . Sold by Liftware. For more information visit their web
site at https://www.liftlabsdesign.com/

From Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation

Smart shoes with lasers make strides in mobility

Wednesday December 17, 2014 In addition, pressure sensors inserted into the soles
Aviva Rutkin of the shoes trigger vibrations when a foot hits the
ground. This active feedback is designed to compensate
NewScientist - The right shoes can do more than for loss of sensation in the feet, another common
complement your outfit. A new mobility aid named Path symptom of Parkinson's. The soles and the toe projectors
helps people who have trouble walking – simply by being can easily be fitted to an ordinary pair of shoes.
fitted to their shoes.
Earlier this year, Pape tested Path on one person
Lise Pape, an engineer at InnovationRCA at the with Parkinson's and two with multiple sclerosis, another
Royal College of Art in London, was inspired to build the disease that impairs movement. The preliminary results
system by her father, who was diagnosed were presented on 10 December at the Footwear Health
with Parkinson's disease more than 10 years ago. Like Tech Conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. "I've
many people with Parkinson's, he falls occasionally and had a lot of encouraging feedback from patients," Pape
experiences freezing of gait, the temporary impression says. She plans to run a clinical trial early next year and
that his feet are glued to the ground. wants to explore how the shoes can help people with
spinal cord injuries.
Visual cues have been shown to improve the pace
and extend the stride of people with Parkinson's. So a "It's a great idea," says Peter Schmidt of the
laser that Path adds to the tip of the shoe projects parallel National Parkinson Foundation in Miami, Florida. He
lines onto the next 50 centimeters of the floor. Each shoe says projected lines are a great aid, but up until now
lays down a guide for the opposite foot, keeping the grid they've only been built into canes and walkers.
steady until the wearer is ready to take the next step.

5

North Tarrant Parkinson Support Group Celebrate the Holidays

Attendance it up as North Tarrant Parkinson
Support Group continues to meet the community’s
need.

At this December 9k 2014 meeting, guests were
entertained by Unfinished Business, a barbershop
quartet, singing their holiday program. “Share
Groups” were conducted where those with PD shared
tips and support and caregivers also met in a group to

do the same.
Meetings for the North Tarrant

Parkinson Support Group are held the
second Tuesday of each month at
Bedford Library,

2424 Forest Ridge Dr., Bedford, TX

Holiday Luncheon at Broadway Baptist Church

Our Holiday Luncheon
on December 15, 2014
offered great food brought
by Brookdale Senior
Living and a good time to
catch up with friends.
Share groups provided
exchanges and an
opportunity to ask
questions and share tips
for living with Parkinson’s
disease.

2MEMBER 6
MEMBER
Snapshots from recent PSGTC meetings
Sometimes "left behind" spouses have
handicap aids that many of our members Marna Yerigan (right)
could use—from Depends to walkers to told our group how to
trapezes. Some of the more expensive keep our financial
items, may have a small price, but many of records safe and Donna
us just want to know they are going to Eldridge (left) with the Fort Worth Police Department spoke on
good use. We may have something you identity theft at the November 17, 2014 meeting.
need and you don't even know it yet!! If
there is something you need, please let us
know and we will post it for you in our
next newsletter.

Free BLOOD PRESSURE MACHINE
available. Contact Linda Tunnell.

FREE ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR
In great shape but needs new battery.
Contact Debbie Benner’s father at
[email protected]

Take away some of the worry PSGTC New Members and Visitors
about a hospital visit with
Jeff, Darlene and Bob Hewett.
Aware In Care FREE kit Robert and Sondra Gabhart

National Parkinson’s Foundation (NPF)
has an “AWARE IN CARE” kit filled with
useful tools and
information to help a
person with
Parkinson’s during the
next hospital visit.

It’s a NPF national
program which aims to help people with
Parkinson’s disease get the best care
possible during a hospital stay. According
to a recent study, three out of four people
with Parkinson’s do not receive their
medications on time when staying in the
hospital.

Aware in Care kits can be
requested online at
awareincare.org

Or contact the NPF Helpline at
1-800-473-4636.

7 January

January 2015 Schedule of Events

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat  Monday, Wednesday and Friday Exercise at
10:30 am, Room 206 of Broadway Baptist
4 5 6 123 Church.

CLOSED  Second and Fourth Friday– Caregivers Meet-
ing at 10:30 am. in the room adjoining Room
7 8 9 10 206.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 January 1– New Year’s Day
23 24 January 2 - (CLOSED)
North January 13 - North Tarrant Meeting
Tarrant January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Group January 26 - General Meeting
Meeting
January 26 - General Meeting
18 19 20 21 22 1:30 pm, at Broadway Baptist Church, 3rd
floor meeting room.

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

PSGTC CAREGIVERS MEETINGS
General
Meeting Meetings are held next to the exercise room on the
2nd and 4th Friday of the month at 10:30 a.m. You
will get great Caregiver support at these meetings.
We welcome your participation in this group.

February 2015 February

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Schedule of Events

123 4 5 6 7  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Exercise at 10:30 am, Room 206 of Broadway
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Baptist Church
20 21
North  Second and Fourth Friday–Caregivers
Tarrant Meeting at 10:30 am in the room adjoining
Group Room 206.
Meeting
February 2 - Groundhog Day
15 16 17 18 19 February 10 - North Tarrant Meeting
February 12 - Lincoln’s Birthday
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 February 14 - Valentine’s Day
February 16 - President’s Day
PSGTC February 18 - Ash Wednesday
General February 22 - Washington’s Birthday
Meeting February 23 - General Meeting

February 23 — General Meeting
1:30 pm, at Broadway Baptist Church, 3rd
floor meeting room.

Start the new year out right.

Join us for exercises Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Don’t lose what you have gained.

8

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP
OF TARRANT COUNTY

P. O. Box 939
HURST, TX 76053

Kroger Supports PSGTC

Kroger Reward’s Update:

Kroger Rewards Program: The
procedure for using your Kroger
card has changed and members
will need to register online.

1-866-995-7643

e-mail- [email protected]

The contents or opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of individual writers and do not constitute an
endorsement or approval by Parkinson’s Support Group of Tarrant County.

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP OF TARRANT COUNTY
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM

Date____________________________

Name of Parkinson Patient_____________________________________________________________________________

Name of Spouse/Family Member/Other___________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone____________________________ Cell Phone___________________________________________________

e-mail____________________________________________________________

Preferred Type  Family (patient and partner) ($20.00 per year) We prefer to  Broadway Baptist
meet at:  Bedford Library
of Membership:  Professional ($30.00 per year)

 Lifetime ($200.00)

Make check payable to PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP OF TARRANT COUNTY (or PSGTC)
Mail to: P. O. Box 939, Hurst, TX 76053

Web Address: www.psgtc.org