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Parkinson's disease Caregiver Commentary

2009: The Year's End and Looking Forward
By Al Labendz

2009 draws to a close and 2010 has dawned. Every year begins with promise and hope. Everyone hopes this year will be the year his or her lot improves. Every year we hope THEY find the cure. We look forward to before years end to the cure. We wait for science and chemists to get funding for research and breakthroughs. We contribute and lobby for funding and to create awareness of our cause. Yes and at New Years We make resolutions.

Now at 57 with 24 years as a PLWP, I realize most resolutions are quickly broken. What can we do this coming year to help in the battle against Parkinson's disease?

Here's something that we can do, when going online, go proactive. The keyboard is the door to the largest resource library in the world. Take a few moments before or after playing our favorite games or visiting our favorite sites. Search or research, is there any pattern or environmental toxin in common with the cases we know? Are Neurotoxins at a job but not another job? Look deeper; is that toxin in a fertilizer on the farm or in the flowerbed? Alone with a casual glance, cases seem to have no common ground. Does one live near railroad tracks or power lines? Could these all be connected? It wasn't that long ago defoliants were used upon the lines and tracks as a cheaper way to control brush and tree growth. What's in the defoliants is there a link? Look around check it out.

There's an old saying about not seeing the forest for the trees. Basically it's a "Hey look Oak trees and some pines!" "Over there some Birches and Maples too and Ash trees!" It's only when one stops looking at one individual thing does one begin to see trees and then the forest appears. If we look for one thing, say employment for exposure, we screech to a stop and dead end. It's when you add hobbies and pastimes with the exposure that comes with them you may begin to see the pattern. We may find a common link.

If we take a few minutes every day in a year's time think how many hours of research will have been done. We may end up with some solid leads the researchers in the labs can study and act upon.

Now would you let your children or grandchildren, siblings or loved ones walk into on rushing traffic? Of course not! What a stupid question right? Ok, here's another. If as it seems there is a Parkinson's gene or mutation and there is a neurotoxin waiting to trigger it out there, is anyone willing to sit idly by as a sibling or child or grandchild or loved one just walks into the train wreck Parkinson's Disease makes of ones life?

A cure? Probably not, that's for those with a lot more initials behind their name than I have to find. However if we can help prevent one, two or more cases from developing, I'll take that! We are all in this together; I believe that together we can all make a difference! I'll end this up with another old adage; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Think about it.

My friends – I hope your holidays were filled with warmth and safety.

About the Author
Al is a Parkinson's patient from Massachusetts. A divorced, father of three and Grandfather of four, he lives with his Service Dog in the Berkshire Mountains in the far western end of the State. Al was a welder before Parkinson's changed his life. He has, during his battle with Parkinson's strived to educate people, legislature, medical field, and general public about Parkinson's Disease and it's effects upon patient, family and loved ones. To that end, Al served as State and Congressional coordinator for Parkinsons Action Network in Massachusetts.

Al was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 1986. He also corresponds on our Forum, using the screen name 'LOHENGR1N'




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