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The Shaky Times
-- Online Edition --
October 2017
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Carol Fisher on the Importance of Community when dealing with Parkinson's
Abraham Raja welcomes new library volunteers and announces the Handout of the Month program
Janice Ransley reviews Victoria O'Kane's book, "A Journey to Joy"
Member Profiles features Rynette Raja, caregiver and PNMD Volunteer
Learn How to Shop Amazon Smile and Support PNMD
Volunteers still needed to help with PNMD events
The next meeting, announcements and how to reach us
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The Importance of Having a Parkinson’s Community
By Carol Fisher
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"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death." ~Robert Fulghum
A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be a scary, devastating experience. Your life, your plans, and your body will change in ways that may send you through the five stages of grief. As defined by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, those stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
During the first three stages, one often feels repulsed or terrified at the prospect of being around others with PD, and seeing what the progression looks like. We may nurture the hope that Parkinson’s will somehow make an exception in our case, and spare us that journey. But soon it becomes clear—from how we feel and how others respond to us—that we do, in fact, have this progressive, insidious illness. That’s when the last two stages of grief—depression and acceptance—often set in.
Wherever you happen to be in the grieving process, it is important to find a community of people that under- stand how you are feeling. Whether you find it through a support group, an exercise class, an art group, or elsewhere, such a community will enrich your life and provide you with information, hope, communication and laughter! Here’s why this is important:
Your partner, friends and family can be very supportive, but they cannot really understand how you feel in your body, mind and spirit.
Your loved ones appreciate having a “break” and are grateful that you have people around you who “get you” in a way that they can’t.
Knowing that others feel things that are troubling to you helps to validate what you are feeling.
Others may have tips or information for dealing with the things that are troubling to you.
Without a PD community and the strategies and encouragement that they provide, you become more and more isolated and often depressed and unmotivated.
Being able to talk about and laugh at your foibles feels good.
Positive emotions boost the immune system.
Carol Fisher is a registered Yoga Instructor and a certified Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery Instructor. She has been teaching movement to people with PD for the past eight years, and has worked extensively with John Argue. She can be reached by phone at 925-566-4181 or via email at namastecarol@gmail.com. Visit her website at www.innerkeyyoga.com.
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This month Abraham announces the Handout of the Month where he will pick a handout from his vast collection of materials on Parkinson's, caregiving, medications, fitness and related topics, and feature it at the library table. These will be available at our monthly meetings so check in with Abraham for the featured handout as well as peruse the large number of book titles available to the membership.
Volunteering makes things happen for PNMD and Abraham welcomes three new "willing hearts" to help him with the library. They are Janice Ransley, Linda Madden and Beverly Diefenbacher. He's looking forward to the assistance and the camaraderie.
Abraham Raja, the PNMD librarian is always on the lookout for new books, periodicals, medical journals and company pamphlets that provide information and insights into Parkinson's Disease, medical research on the disease and other related topics.
The library is open for business at the monthly meeting. Peruse the free booklets, brochures and other items of interest. Check out a book. Have you read a book on Parkinson’s that others may like? Give Abraham the name and it will be added to the library. Donate books of interest. Sharing helps everyone.
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A Journey to Joy
by Victoria O'Kane
Reviewed by Janice Ransley
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How often do you have a feeling of joy? Once a day? Once a week? Never? Joy has been defined as a feeling of great happiness and/or pleasure; delight; bliss. It also has been described as the feeling one has when love meets happiness. In this book Ms. O'Kane endeavors to describe her experience with this emotion as she details the changes she brought to her troubled life in order to achieve moments of joy.
The book begins with a detailed description of her life from early childhood until her realization as an adult and mother that the only way her life of low self-esteem, failure, pain, and anger would improve demanded that she had to heal herself. She had to take full responsibility for her choices and her life. In the remainder of the book she shares the steps she took to do this and the results. It is a story of courage, with many personal details. As part of her life- changing steps, she has become more in- volved with the community in Castro Valley, CA, where she resides.
This book would have benefited from better editing, but the reader feels as if the author is telling you her story, one-to-one. You cannot escape the genuineness of the feelings she has as she describes them. She had the assistance of a psychologist in her journey, and recommends that anyone who is considering self-examination consider obtaining professional help. She also reminds the reader that the journey to joy is never finished - it is a process which becomes part of your life.
If you would like to review a book from our library, please contact Howard Zalkin via email at
hzalk510@gmail.com
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When you come to PNMD meetings, you can thank Rynette Raja for the coffee, tea, and food that appears before the general session. While Rynette is behind the scenes in the kitchen, she affects almost every member of the audience by volunteering her time and skills to make sure food and beverages are ready and available for every meeting. But volunteering is only part of Rynette’s story. She’s also the caregiver for a person with Parkinson’s, her husband, Abraham Raja, the PNMD librarian.
Rynette was born in Vallejo but growing up in an Air Force family, she’s lived many places both in the US and internationally. Settling back in California, she’s spent 25 years in the insurance industry working in accounting and as a staff member at State Farm.
Abraham and Rynette met in 1998 and after about a year of dating, were married in 1999. They were both married with children before and have a wonderful blended family.
Rynette’s journey with Parkinson’s started when she and Abraham were on vacation. While playing cards, Rynette notice a little trembling in Abraham’s thumb. A few days later she noticed it again. They decided it would be worth seeing a doctor. The early diagnosis was essential tremor but some months later, the symptoms expanded to include left arm tremor, freezing and changes in handwriting. Indeed, Abraham had Parkinson’s.
Initially saddened by the diagnosis, the two knew they would power on because they had a strong relationship. Rynette says when we said, “I do”, it was for the long haul no matter what happened and they would be there for each other always. The two of them got to work and learned all they could about Parkinson’s and how they could help and support each other. They felt the diagnosis was part of a larger plan and together they would take it one day at a time, doing the best that they could. They discussed everything so both knew what the other was feeling and experiencing. Going through the disease has made their relationship stronger. Even today, Rynette says Abraham is her prince!
Rynette initially came to PNMD to support Abraham. The caregiver group helped Rynette learn more about Parkinson’s and what she could do to help Abraham. It also gave her insights on how to overcome some of the issues they were going through with the disease. Abraham had volunteered to assist in the PNMD library and heard that they needed help in the kitchen. Knowing that Rynette loved to cook and bake, he thought it would be a perfect fit. So at his urging, Rynette volunteered and the rest is history.
So the next time you come to a PNMD meeting be sure to thank Abraham at the library for getting Rynette involved. But more important, go into the kitchen and thank Rynette for that delicious cup of hot coffee and goodies to snack on. Without her, they wouldn’t be there.
If you would like to tell your story, let me know. I think some of the most interesting articles we can read are people's stories and especially how they overcame or dealt with adversity like Parkinson's. Those stories can be inspiring, humorous or sometime just informational about what someone did to affect their situation. So contact me if you would like to tell your story. I can be reached at
kevin@oakvillelane.com
. Please put Member Profile in the subject line so I'll recognize what it is right away.
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Shop on AmazonSmile and Earn Free Money for PNMD
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Do you shop online at Amazon? Would you like to easily earn free money to help support PNMD? Good news – you can do both at the same time! Here’s how:
AmazonSmile (
smile.amazon.com
) is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization you select. You pay the same price for your items as you would on amazon.com, and the donation is automatically sent directly to your selected charity. (Eligible products are marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.)
PNMD, as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is eligible to receive donations from AmazonSmile. To get started generating donations
for PNMD:
- Go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device and log in using your existing Amazon account (or create an account if you don’t already have one).
- Before you start shopping, select Parkinson Network of Mt Diablo to receive the donations generated by your purchases. (The website will remember your selected charity on future visits, so you don’t have to do this step again unless you want to select a different charity.)
- Then just make your purchases and the donations generated will automatically be sent directly to PNMD.
- Remember to shop on the smile.amazon.com site in the future, as donations are not generated on the regular amazon.com site.
With the holiday shopping season upon us, now is a great time to start using
smile.amazon.com
! Tell your family and friends too! Thanks in advance for your AmazonSmile donations!
If you have any questions, contact PNMD’s treasurer, Amy Van Voorhis, at pnmdtreas@astound.net.
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Volunteers needed and appreciated
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Many of you may not realize that PNMD is largely a volunteer organization. People help with the audio visual equipment, food service, library, meeting organization, bookkeeping, publishing and more. We currently have a big need for one to two people to help Rynette in the kitchen on the days we have our meetings. She's responsible for the coffee, food prep, presentation and clean up afterward. We all enjoy the benefits of her service. If you can spare some time during the meeting, especially before the general session and right after, please let co-president Howard Zalkin know at
hzalk510@gmail.com. He can also fill you in on other needs that the PNMD has with regard to audio-visual and other assistance that would benefit the organization. Thanks.
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Announcements, Meetings and How to Reach Us
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Donations
Helen M. Henry in memory of Barbara Kingshill
Is There Treasure In Your Driveway?
You can stop paying insurance and registration—and get a tax deduction.
Donate your car, truck or boat to PNMD. Just call: 877-999-8322
Important:
Be sure to tell the operator that you wish to donate your car to Parkinson Network of Mount Diablo. Or just use this link for our dedicated online donation form: http://www.v-dac.com/org/?id=943297100.
If you have any questions, call the vehicle donation program at 877-999 8322.
Or contact Howard Zalkin at hzalk510@gmail.com.
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The October Meeting Featured Speaker
For our October 21 meeting, Dr. Steve Blake will discussn
The Latest Research on Neuroprotection, Diet and Dopamine in Parkinson’s Disease
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Steve Blake, ScD worked as faculty nutritional biochemist at
Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience
for years. He is a research scientist who just finished a clinical study at
Hawaii Alzheimer’s Disease Center
. He is research director at the
Neuroscience Nutrition Foundation
. He has presented grand rounds at John A. Burns School of Medicine at U.H., Castle Medical Center in Kailua, Hawaii, and at Boston University Medical Center. He is author of: Vitamins and Minerals Demystified, McGraw-Hill (2008), Mastering Migraines (2016), Parkinson’s Disease: Dietary Regulation of Dopamine (2016), Stop Strokes before they Start (2015), No More Heart Attacks (2014), The Diet Doctor software (Yearly Editions)
Arthritis Relief (2013), A Nutritional Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease (2012), Understanding Fats and Oils: A Scientific Guide To Their Health Effects (2014), Co-Author Mosby’s Drug Guide for Nurses, 4th edition, Healing Medicine (2005), Alternative Remedies, Mosby.
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General Meeting Information:
Board Meeting:
First Monday of each month, 10:15A.M. Hillside Covenant Church, 2060 Magnolia Way, Walnut Creek.
General Support Group Meeting:
The Parkinson Network of Mt. Diablo Support Group meets on the third Saturday of every month, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2100 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. All are welcome and there is no charge. No RSVP’s needed.
Here is the agenda:
9:00 to 10:15 a.m. – Three concurrent Support Group meetings:
Men with Parkinson’s Disease Only: For men newly diagnosed or who’ve had PD for years: time to share, laugh, and learn from each other. Meeting location is the Fireside Room at Grace Church. Contact person is Gregg Riehl (jgriehl@gmail.com) at (925) 254-8349.
Women with Parkinson’s Disease Only: For women newly diagnosed or who’ve had PD for years: time to share, laugh, and learn from each other. Meeting location is the Library at Grace Church. Contact per- son is Sandy Clark (sandchu@aol.com) (925) 944-0769.
Caregivers Only: Caregivers discuss issues relating to their roles. Meeting location is the Sanctuary at Grace Church. Contact person is Norman Kibbe (nkibbe@aol.com) (925) 935-9322 .
10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.-Assemble in Oak Room. The PNMD Library, with books, flyers, videos, etc. is open at this time. Sunrise Bistro will provide refreshments that will be underwritten by Acadia Pharmaceuticals 10:30a.m. to 10:45a.m. Welcome new members announcements
10:45 a.m. to 11:45a.m. (In Oak Room) Guest speaker: Dr. Marylyn Stebbins. See her info above.
11:45 a.m. –noon-Q&A, Wrap up: General questions may be directed to Howard Zalkin at (925) 939-4210 ; Lance Gershen, Program Chair (925) 932-1028; or Sandy Mitchell, Asst. Program Chair (925) 687-3976. Web site: https://pnmd.net
Contact Us
General Information Phone No.: (925) 939-4210
Chairs: HowardZalkin(925)939-4210
Lance Gershen (925) 932-1028
Past President: Ronalee Spear (925) 284-2189
Vice Chair: Ken Kuhn (925) 588-9837
Secretary: Betsy Fowler (925) 314-1875
Treasurer: Amy Van Voorhis (925) 932-5036
Membership: Ken Kuhn (925) 588-9837
Communication: Ronnie Wanetick (925) 933-6357
Program Chair: Lance Gershen (925) 932-1028,or email Lancegershen@gmail.com
Asst. Program Chair: Sandy Mitchell (925) 687-3976
Parkinsonian Services: Greg Riehl (925) 254-8349
Librarian: Abraham Raja (925)681-0315
Community Outreach: Michael Grupp (925) 451-3389
Administrative Coordinator: Krystin Radke (925) 336- 9554
Tremble Clefs: Michael Grupp (925) 451-3389
Board Mtg.: Open to all members.
Caregiver Services: Norman Kibbe (925) 935-9322
DBS: Art Fowler:(925) 314-1875
Donations and Memorials: Please mail to P.O. Box 3127, Walnut Creek, CA 94598.
Newsletter Editor: Randolph Segura (925) 872-1927 Please email submissions by the 15th to:
randolphsegura@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is published to increase awareness of problems related to Parkinson’s Disease. Neither PNMD nor its members make any warranty or assume any responsibility as to the accu- racy, completeness or usefulness of any information presented. The editor’s opinions are strictly his own.
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