VOLUME IV ISSUE I I November 2008

Medical Director John Bertoni, MD, PhD

Coordinator

Lisa A. Brovold

Nebraska Chapter Mary Egger, President Mary Jane Petersen,

Secretary Bev Baker, Treasurer

——————————— Parkinson’s Progress report is published quarterly as an information guide only. The newsletter does not serve as legal or medi-cal advice.

Inside this issue: APDA 44 Years Later

1

44 Years Later cont. 2

Message regarding the Medical Director

3

Contemplations from a Car Weary Coordinator

3

Three Facilitators Honored for

6

Gifts 8

FYI 9

Save the Date 10

Education 2008 5

Events 2008 4

A Place to Belong 7

APDA INFORMATION

AND REFERRAL

Parkinson’s Progress report

The Nebraska Parkinson’s Information and Referral Center (I&R) was opened in January 2005. Previously, it had been operated in the private sector by a family with an interest in Park-ison’s disease. They retired in 2004 and Dr. Ber-toni became Medical Director of the I&R Center in 2005. With the hiring of a coordinator, the Center has stretched its arms to reach clear across the state of Nebraska. There are support groups in the north, south, east and west as well as central Nebraska. Rural areas can now receive current educational information by participating in the teleconferences. In 2008, over 540 individuals were educated through this method, providing them with the tools they need to live an optimal quality of life. A website has now been devel-oped, www.parkinsonsne.org, where patients, family members and caregivers can access cur-rent information about events and educational programs happening in their state and local area. Resources and media learning tools are avail-able through the Center for individuals wanting more knowledge about Parkinson’s disease. With the introduction of the I&R Center, the Park-inson’s community is now better equipped and educated than ever. If it weren’t for the sponsorship of the national American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), located in Staten Island, New York, the Nebraska I&R Center would not exist, nor would it have accomplished all the achievements listed above. It is, therefore, important that every Ne-braskan in the Parkison’s community understand the history and involvement of the APDA and how it supports what is being done in our state. The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) was officially recognized as a not-for-profit organization by the State of New York in 1964. APDA is unique in its dual mission of pro-viding information, education and support directly to Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers, and also as a major contributor to pioneering Parkin-son’s disease (PD) research.

Since its inception, APDA has been a funding partner in every scientific breakthrough in under-standing the cause and progress towards a cure for PD. Included in that research was the pio-neering work of Dr. Roger C. Duvoisin, a chair-man of the APDA Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) that pinpointed the location of a gene re-sponsible for PD at Robert Wood Johnson Medi-cal School, New Jersey, in 1997. APDA’s funding methodology is driven by its SAB, composed by 16 of the country’s leading physicians and scientists, experts in Parkinson’s disease and movement disorder research diag-nosis and treatment. Now chaired by G. Freder-ick Wooten, MD, department of neurology at the University of Virginia Medical Center, the board includes representation from leading research and medical centers across the country including the UCLA Medical School, Emory University School of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, the University of Wisconsin, the UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, Boston Univer-sity School of Medicine, Washington University, Johns Hopkins Medical School, the University of Alabama and the University of Chicago. The board’s composition is designed to represent expertise in all areas of PD research providing a knowledgeable panel to evaluate the more than 100 grant applications submitted for funding each year. APDA support is offered to encourage re-search at all levels. Nine Centers for Advanced Research across the United States (Boston Uni-versity School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the University of Virginia Medical Center, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Chi-cago, the University of Alabama, and the Wash-ington University Medical Center) receive a multi-year $125,000 annual award, and their scientific activity is reviewed and evaluated at the SAB meeting each spring.

Continued on page 2

The American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc. 44 YEARS LATER

2 H I S T O R Y The George C. Cotzias, MD Memo-

rial Fellowship, named after a path-finder in the pharmacological explo-ration of brain functions and in the treatment of PD with levadopa, is a three-year annual award of $80,000 to assist promising young neurolo-gists in establishing careers in re-search, teaching and clinical ser-vices relevant to the cause, preven-tion, diagnosis and treatment of PD and related neurological movement disorders. It is considered APDA’s most prestigious individual award. Established scientists affiliated with research or academic institu-tions and presently not working on PD research are eligible for the Roger C. Duvoisin, MD Research Grant. The grant carries a two-year, $80,000 annual award. Other funding is available as research grants ($50,000 for one year) for young investigators to pur-sue research in PD; post-doctoral research fellowships ($35,000 for one year) available to post-doctoral scientists whose research training holds promise into new insights in patho-physiology, etiology and/or treatment of PD; and medical stu-dents summer fellowships designed to provide a stipend to medical stu-dents to perform supervised labora-tory or clinical research in PD. The fellowship is $4,000. At its meeting in May 2007, the SAB recommended more than $3.5 million in grants, which was unani-mously approved by the executive committee of the national board of directors. Equally important and unique among U.S. PD organizations is the APDA mission to support and edu-cate the country’s 1.5 millions with Parkinson’s disease and their care-givers. Recognizing the devastating effects of the illness upon the pa-tient and the family, a support pro-gram was launched to motivate pa-tients in maximizing their strengths, minimizing impediments and achiev-ing and maintaining their full poten-tial for as long as possible. Through a network of chapters, which raise awareness and funds;

Information and Referral centers, each staffed with a medical director and a coordinator; and more than 1000 support groups, APDA pro-vides a comprehensive support and educational system for patients and caregivers. There are presently 56 chapters and 62 I&R centers lo-cated in major healthcare and aca-demic facilities across the country, making it the largest grassroots PD organization in the United States. In 2007, APDA opened the country’s first full-time national young onset center to serve the unique challenges of young people faced with the progressive, degen-erative disease. The center’s direc-tor is Julie Sacks, a clinical social worker with more than a decade of experience working with individuals of all ages and their families. The center is located in the Chicago, Illinois area and serves the entire c ou n t r y . I t s w e b s i t e i s www.youngparkinsons.org. APDA also maintains a dedi-cated I&R center for U.S. Armed Forces veterans and their families. Located in Reno, Nevada. The cen-ter’s mission is to disseminate infor-mation about services available to veterans with PD in their home com-munities and to serve as a resource for information about government benefits available for Parkinson’s disease patients. Education is a primary function of the organization and is provided through a quarterly newsletter, which is mailed to more than 200,000 people internationally. A series of publications includes multi-page booklets written by experts in specific fields such as symptoms and medications, support, physio-therapy, speech problems, and nu-trition. Many of these educational materials have been translated into other languages and all are avail-able free of charge. Educational supplements dealing with specific subjects related to PD are issued as the need may arise. “Managing Parkinson’s - Straight Talk and Honest Hope,” is a DVD created for the newly diagnosed patient and his/her loved ones.

Leading experts explain what PD is and how it is treated, how to deal with symptoms of the disease, some of the medications’ side effects and how to keep a positive outlook in dealing with it. APDA works collaboratively with other US Parkinson’s organizations with similar objectives including the Parkinson’s Action Network, a na-tional advocacy association based in the nation’s capital, PD Trials, a Web-based service to inform pa-tients of existing clinical trials and to encourage participation and the Mi-chael Fox Foundation to support a PD registry in the state of Nebraska. Encouraging global cooperation, APDA was the co-sponsor, with the Italian Parkinson Disease Associa-tion of the World Parkinson Disease Association (WPDA), organized in November 1998. Today, 26 na-tional affiliates from six continents work cooperatively to disseminate the latest information about the pro-gress of PD research, therapy, and all vital information about the dis-ease within their countries. Dr. Paul Maestrone, APDA director of scien-tific and medical affairs and a WPDA founder, is the president of this association. APDA is proud of its diverse contributions to the Parkinson’s pa-tients of the United States and of foreign countries and the dedication to pursue its mission to “Ease the Burden - Find the Cure” for Parkin-son’s disease. This article was compiled from the official history of APDA and was published in the Spring 2008 issue of the APDA newsletter. It has been reprinted with permission.

National APDA Headquarters

3 Message regarding the Medical Director Nebraska has three Movement Disorder Specialists in the state. Dr. John Bertoni is one of the Movement Disorder specialists. Beginning December 1, 2008, Dr. Bertoni will be transitioning to a new office location. As patients and their families, you may have already experienced the transition, especially when recently calling to schedule an appointment. Please do not be dismayed, you can schedule an appointment with him by contacting (402) 559-8600 after January 1, 2009. The clinic will be located at the Doctors North Tower, 4242 Farnam Street, Suite 650. Dr, Bertoni would like to thank you for your patience

and understanding during this transition time.

John M. Bertoni, MD, PhD

AROUND NEBRASKA IN NINETY DAYS!

CONTEMPLATIONS FROM A CAR-WEARY COORDINATOR

I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to embark on this adventure. Maybe I thought I would imi-tate Charles Kuralt. However, instead of traveling the United States, I would start smaller - Nebraska seemed like a good place to begin. So I began my first part of the journey by visiting the support groups in the southeast part of the state. In Lin-coln, I had the very first of many picnics to come. Del-lene and her group were warm and welcoming. It was a great time of sharing and learning from each other. From there, I traveled to Beatrice and then onto Falls City. Did you know that Falls City is smaller than Bea-trice? I didn’t until I arrived there. I spent two days edu-cating the community as well as the medical profession-als. Finally, I headed back north to Nebraska City—what a beautiful place with Arbor Lodge and apple trees everywhere. My next trip was to head out west. Now to get across the state takes a little over eight hours! I started in North Platte with Carolyn, sharing a picnic of good home cooked food. I learned more about Buffalo Bill Cody while I was there. The next day, we had our first meeting in McCook. Twenty-eight people attended the meeting, which was very exciting! I visited with Flossie and Lorraine in Hastings the following day, sharing up-dated information with their hungry group of people. While we were there, my son decide to create some ex-citement himself. He slammed his head into a pole and cut a slice into it. He had blood everywhere and, of course, all the grandmas and pas wanted to make cer-tain he was okay. He was and he loved the attention. Moving west past Sydney, Nebraska - the home of Ca-

bella’s - we spent a fun-filled day with Jack and Donna’s two groups. Again, eating more food than is normal for human consumption. Finally, turning the car east to-wards home, I felt the satisfaction of knowing we have a strong network of support for the Parkinson’s community throughout central and western Nebraska. My final trip was to the northeast section of the state. I visited the Sykes in Norfolk and found that the hospital is expanding. On my way home, I stopped in Columbus to touch base with Virgil and Elaine. The following week, I traveled along the Niobrara to visit Ray and Nellie Faye in Spencer. It is a beautiful drive. The Spencer group is always so warm and fuzzy and I hated to leave them. However, my drive home was a different story. I found myself dodging high winds, tornados and rain so heavy you couldn’t see in front of you. I was elated to finally arrive at home. Alas, Fremont was my last stop for the summer. We had a wonderful time learning from each other there. Nebraska is full of great people. Even though I am not in a hurry to travel the whole state again, I cher-ished the opportunity to meet so many kind and gener-ous people and to play a small part in making their lives better. It is an awesome privilege to be a part of Ne-braska’s Parkinson’s community. While I may have the chance to educate and assist you, I receive so much more in return. You, individually, bring a special contri-bution to the community and to the cause. Thank you for making this adventure so special. I didn’t make it to some groups. However, I will be planning to do so in the future - just not this year ☺

4 E V E N T S The Annual Walk-a-thon took place on Sun-day, June 1st in Elmwood Park. The day was spectacular with a crowd of over 400 peo-ple attending the event to raise awareness

and support for Parkinson’s disease. Children soared to new heights in the bounce house while parents

enjoyed the live entertainment with the Country Kickers displaying their dance moves. A bevy of beauty queens were the delight of tween and teen girls as they signed autographs and gave out beauty tips. The walk got underway with Carol Wang, news anchor from Action 3 News starting it off. Upon returning from the walk, all par-ticipants were fed hot dogs, chips, fruit and a drink. Wrap- ping up the activities, Carol announced the winners of the raffle prizes. The Walk brought in $25,500 which goes for research. Thank you for making the walk such a success.

Weitz Construction Annual Volleyball Tour-nament netted support in the amount of $34,000 this year. This is the sixth year that Weitz has hosted the event, inviting their

vendors to participate in the tournament. The tournament’s inception began with an employee who had Parkin-son’s and co-workers wanting a way to help support him in raising awareness and contributions to fight the disease. Over the past years, Weitz has contributed over $146,000 to help ease the burden and find a cure for Parkinson’s. Their donations have helped to pro-mote education throughout the state of Nebraska, provide re-sources to the 22 support groups, assist with administrative costs and help the Chapter in their marketing functions. Weitz was honored this year at the Hand in Hand, Linking Lives for Parkinson’s event for their dedication and support for Parkin-son’s disease.

The 2008 Annual Parkinson’s Golf Tourna-ment was a success despite Mother Na-ture’s attempt to blow it away. On Friday, June 27th, high winds of 100 mph blew

t h r o u g h Elkhorn, causing destruction and damage along its path. The next morning, Indian Creek Golf Course in-formed the Golf Committee that they would not be able to host the tournament. Thankfully, a friend with a connection to ArborLinks in Nebraska City was able to get them to accommodate the tourna-ment. With quick response, the majority of the golfers were notified, with 58 players out of 80 registered participating. The event brought in over $4,000 which is not too bad considering the kind of start it had to overcome. The funds raised from the Golf Tournament support education and empowerment programs for Parkinson’s throughout the state.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009

Himark Golf Course Lincoln, Nebraska

10am

Registration 11:15am

Starting Tee Times

$110 per player $440 per team

Sponsorships available

For further

information, contact Lisa Brovold

(402) 449-4535 (866) 626-7347

labrovo@creighton.edu

Walk-A-Thon

2009 GOLF TOURNAMENT

Weitz Volleyball

Golf Tournament

AND

THEY

ARE

OFF!

5 E D U C A T I O N The symposium for Parkinson's Disease was a 'total success.' We had over 70 medical personnel attend the symposium. Comments that I heard were, "Wonderful, Informative, Awesome and Great".

My ABC's of the Parkinson's Disease Symposium held in at North Platte, Nebraska are: Awareness: The symposium made us more aware of the disease process of Parkinson's. It made us aware that Parkinson's disease is manifested in many ways, not just a tremor. We were educated in regards to some of the very early signs of Parkinson's disease that can be recognized before the diagno-sis is made. We cannot exclude the possibility of Parkinson’s because of a person’s age. Better Understanding: We now have a better understanding of how Parkinson's disease affects the person with Parkinson's and their family. The person with PD has to make adjustments in their daily lives, their social activities and their careers. The person with PD and their families need support and un-derstanding. Current Treatments: The symposium updated us with the common medications that are pre-scribed and also introduced us to the new medications that are being used. We reviewed the purpose of drug therapy, the dosages and their effect on Parkinson's disease. The possible side effects were also discussed. We were reminded that not all medications work the same in every person with PD. Many times the drug therapy is a trial period and has to be adjusted or changed to meet the needs of the individual person. We learned the purpose of DBS and how some persons with PD can be treated successfully and be able to function better. Complimentary therapies: We were told about the complimentary therapies that can be used to benefit the Parkinson's person; Physical therapy to help the PD person with balance and coordina-tion. Occupational therapy can help to enhance their fine motor function. Massage, Yoga, and Reiki can help with relaxation of the muscles. Speech therapy can be used to aid swallowing problems. Diagnosis: We were reminded how important it is for a person to be referred to a movement disor-der specialist for a complete evaluation, history and examination for a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Diagnosis can only be made clinically, since Parkinson's disease cannot be determined by doing an X-Ray, MRI or CT. These diagnostic tools can, however, rule out other neurological problems. As a Registered Nurse, I am glad I attended the symposium. It was very informative and educa-tional. The medical profession needs to be aware of and recognize the possible signs, symptoms and effects of Parkinson's disease. An early diagnosis may give the person with PD a longer and more pro-ductive life. It may give the person with PD a better prognosis. Thank you, Lisa and the Nebraska Chapter for bringing the symposium to Central and Western Ne-braska. Carolyn Fear, RN and support group facilitator

NORTH PLATTE

SYMPOSIUM

PARKINSON’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS

Parkinson’s Empowerment Programs (PEP) have developed over the years. The Nebraska Parkinson’s I&R Center currently has six educational teleconferences a year. In 2009, topics will include LSVT – Loud speech therapy, Gadgets and Gizmos - aids to make life easier, Depression and PD, Non-Motor Symp-toms, Faith in the Face of Physical Limitations and, an all-time favorite, the First Person Perspective Panel. Experts in each field will present the program, which will be broadcast from Omaha to a location close to you. Please check the website, www.parkinsonsne.org for more specific details. A new educational program, sponsored by funds raised through the Hand in Hand, Linking Lives for Parkinson’s campaign, is the “Living the Good Life with Parkinson’s” training session. This training session will be designed for the newly or currently diagnosed patient who has had no in-depth teaching regarding Parkinson’s disease and its progression. The session will begin in untapped communi-ties of Nebraska, such as Chadron, Alliance, Valentine and Holdrege. Check the website for the date and location information. An exciting year for educational opportunities lies ahead for 2009!

6 SUPPORT GROUPS

Nebraska is fortunate to have a wealth of leadership and commitment in the indi-viduals who facilitate the Parkinson’s support groups. With 22 support groups throughout the state, it is a re-lief to know that they are being led by people who have a pas-sion to help others and some who have a personal experi-ence with Parkinson’s disease. These facilitators give of their time to organize and manage the group so others can par-ticipate and enjoy the experi-ence, so they can learn more about the disease and begin to get a sense of control. The facilitators are the comforters, encouragers, educators, and motivators for the members in their groups. They are usually the first contact for a newly diagnosed person and their family. They do a lot with little recogni-tion or reward. On Thursday, October 16th, at the Annual Facilitators’ Meeting, Lisa Brovold took the opportunity to recognize three facili-tators for their contributions to the Park-inson’s Support Group Network in Ne-braska. Realizing that all the attendees were deserving of an award, she had the difficult task of chosing only three. Dellene Miller, facilitator for the Lincoln support group, has been involved with the Parkinson’s community for approximately 29 years. Her husband, Karl was diag-nosed with Parkinson’s in 1978. They joined a group in 1979 that met at the Methodist Church. They also became a part of a special young onset group with members from all over the state: North Platte, Kearney, Sutton, York and Bea-trice to name a few. This group would plan outings over a weekend for the en-tire family. They grew to be a very close

knit “family” and still have that special connection. Dellene took over the Lincoln support group in 2002. Unlike many spouses,

even after Karl’s death in 2005, Dellene has continued to facilitate the Lincoln group. For her generous dedication to the Parkinson’s community, Dellene was presented with the Above and Beyond award. We are so grateful for her gen-erosity!

Jack and Donna Johnson have lead the Panhandle support group for over nine years. Jack was diagnosed with Parkin-son’s disease in 1999. He started attend-ing a support group in Cheyenne, Wyo-ming and after a year, decided to start one in his neck of the woods. The group now has people coming from Gering, Kim-ball, Alliance, Chadron, Scottsbluff and, yes, Wyoming! Jack and Donna do not hesitate to go and pick up their members so they can attend the meetings. Once a year, they host a picnic for both support groups and make all the fixings. They can do this because between them they have eight children and many more grandchildren! For their pioneer spirit and leadership, Jack and Donna were honored with the Above and Beyond award. They will be handing off the groups to new leaders but we hope they will stay in touch. Thank you both for everything!

Three Facilitators Honored for Dedication By Lisa Brovold

Dellene Miller, Lincoln SG

Donna and Jack Johnson Pandhandle Support Group

7 A Place to Belong... Beatrice Harold Brown – Facilitator Good Samaritan 1306 S. 9th Street (866) 421-0816 1st Monday at 10am Blair Facilitator Carter House 1028 JoAnn Drive (402) 426-1977 4th Wednesday at 1:30pm Columbus Virgil Chochon – Facilitator Columbus Community Hospital 4600 38th Street (402) 564-1438 2nd Thursday at 1:30pm Fairbury Lana Likens – Facilitator Jefferson Community Health Ctr. 2200 “H” Street (402) 729-3351 1st Monday at 10am Fremont Facilitator Pathfinder House 3010 N. Clarkson (402) 721-7714 3rd Wednesday at 11:30am Gering Jack & Donna Johnson-Facilitators Northfield Villa 2550 21 Street (308) 235-2513 4th Wednesday at 1:30pm Grand Island Rhonda McGuire – Facilitator Tiffany Care Center 3119 W. Faidley Avenue (308) 398-5322 1st Tuesday at 1:30pm Hastings Flossie Saathoff - Facilitator First St. Paul Lutheran 918 W. 4th Street (402) 462-9970 4th Wednesday at 2pm

Kearney Andy & Nevabelle Howe – Facilitators First United Methodist Church 4500 Linden Drive (308) 234-1570 2nd Tuesday at 2pm Lincoln Dellene Miller – Facilitator Madonna Rehab Center 54 and South Streets (402) 486-4810 4th Sunday at 2pm Early Onset Bruce & Kristi Griffith - Co-Facilitators (402) 449-2584 - Kristi Call for day/time McCook Wally & Gloria Gummere – Facilitators Community Hospital 1301 E. “H” Street (308) 276-2651 3rd Monday at 7pm Nebraska City Sandi Rippe – Facilitator Morton House 1500 14th Avenue (402) 873-5551 4th Wednesday at 10:30am Norfolk Phil & Bonnie Sykes – Facilitators Lutheran Hospital Nebraska Rm. 2700 Norfolk Avenue (402) 371-6613 1st Tuesday at 2pm North Platte Carolyn Fear – Facilitator First United Methodist Church 1600 W. “E” Street (308) 534-7404 1st Monday at 7pm Omaha Ron & Maxine Kantor – Facs. Creighton Univ. Med. Center 601 N. 30 Street, Dining Rms A-C (402) 393-9169 3rd Thursday at 11:30am

Caregiver’s Gathering Mary Mick - Facilitator APDA Nebraska Chapter Office 501 N. 87 Street, Suite 207 (402) 449-4535 2nd Wednesday at 10am Early Onset Katie Domayer – Co-Facilitator Colleen Wuebben - Co-Facilitator (402) 551-0602 - Katie (402) 397-0327 - Colleen Call for day/time Evening Lisa Brovold APDA Nebraska Chapter office 501 N. 87 Street, Suite 207 (402) 449-4535 4th Monday at 6:30pm Sioux City, Iowa Marilee Lynn - Facilitator Sioux Land Senior Center 217 Pierce (712) 389-2954 3rd Monday at 1pm Spencer Ray & Nellie Faye Hagberg–Facilitators Our Savior Lutheran Church 101 S. Whipple (402) 589-1576 3rd Tuesday at 2:30pm York Brenda Mumm/Rita Maloley – Facilitators York General Hospital 2222 Lincoln Avenue (402) 362-0426 or 362-0440 3rd Tuesday at 2pm Exercise Only – Omaha Melanie Clark, RPT – Co-Facilitator Linda Fuchs, RPT – Co-Facilitator St. Leo’s Church, 102 and Blondo (402) 391-4052 or 553-8242 Every Tuesday at 11am Fitness Works Jacey Gengenbach, NSCA - CPT 1032 S. 74th Plaza (402) 934-8881 Monday: 12pm - 1pm Tuesday: 6pm - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 10am

8 G I F T S Memorial: Kenneth Arch Andrea Hoig Alan Barney Bob Barney Ann Philson Milton Brighton Brian & Cindy Brigham Christopher Columbus Society Inc. Deloris Ellison Ronald & Lind Gerst Wayne & Joan John Stan & Fran Bonk Darlene Bart Helga Casser-Zohren Warren & Margaret Fredrickson Kim Winther Lois Wright Richard Dannelly Gertrude Dannelly Joan Dietrick Thomas & Maryann Balla Ervin & Joan Deitrick Kenneth & Shirley Dermann Joseph & Catherine Dorenbach Lawrence & Dorothy Glaser Shirley Hartley

Edgardo Katigbak Gale Marsh Teresa Pegler William & Dorothy Reinsch Ida Mae Siefkes Alan & Sharon Smith

Rip & Elaine Van Winkle Norrie Egger Beverly Baker Tim & Amy Harrington

Ron & Carol Kopiasz Bob, Sandy & Bobby

Kreifels Dave & Bev Kudron Ron & Ann Kudron Mike & Elaine McGuire Mike & Mary Jane Maguire Peggy Michaelsen Mike & Jayne Molacek Wayne & Colleen Morris Bob & Judy Zimmer

Luke Heckman Arthur & Ruth Albright Teryl & Norma Bohwski Tony & Patricia Brown

Iris & Jean Doksansky Barbara Fanning

Ruth Farrenkopf Junior & Doris Gregerson Donna Heckman Susan Heckman Lois Kimbrell Coleen Kingsley Nicki McIntyre James & Lynda Moser Beulah Petersen Chris & Marilyn Petersen Emma Shada Clayton & Diane Skurdahl Michael Thomas

Richard Heim Ernest & Mary Arrigo

Duane & Ruth Ann Burd Eunice Hingst Alvin Hingst Peter Hoagland Helen Muskin Robert Guiles Fae Guile Deloris Keating Raymond & Nellie Faye Hagberg Lloyd Klebe Danile Daily

Hilma Klebe Roger & Sandra Mills

John & Nancy Olsson Vicki Sheridan

Opal McNurlin Richard & Mary Annin William & Lois Annin Darwin & Vicki Garton George Muchacek Weston & Gloria Hill Willow Olsen Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebrasla

Catherine Lane Dennis Murphy Buddy & Geraldine Novak Richard & Patricia Nowak

Howard & Mary Ann Shipley Evelyn Peterson Larry & Frieda Calhoon Marvin & Betty Cozad Robert & Carolyn Erickson

Bob Hadfield Ed Hadfield Gloria Lamp Shirley McDonald Cathe McKee Darrel & Ester Michael Mable Oltmann Wand Quier Jack & Mike Roane Marjorie Shelly

James Pipan Irene Pipan Rodney Rathman Leland Bredthauer

Ruby Harders Patricia Moss

Jeff or Michelle Lane Betty Rogers Rex & Wilma Messersmith Kenneth Snyder Richard & Jacquelin Danielson Franklin & Lillian Jeppesen Don Schmitz Shirley Bailey K.A. & M.R. Baker Joseph Stroesser Richard & Diana Cupich P.A. Kauk Ortho Sport Therapy and Rehab Joseph Weiss Janie Augustine

Bob & Jean Bartunek Francis & Linda Cavlovic William & Carol Clark Pamela Fletmeyer John & Debra Garner Cyd Hall Allen & Chris Hansen Barry & Joann King Brad Langenfeld Liz Neal Raymond & Kathleen Pentagulio Dwaine & Mary Pedler Kathryn Rybensky

Eugene Witt Nancy Ethington Honorariums: Lola Anderson Dwight Anderson James Naumann Max & Karen Rudolph Keith Knudsen Leola Knudsen Clare Skattebo Maxine Skattebo Kate Domayer Ralph & Madonna Oglebay Christopher & Michelle Patrick

Lisa Russell

9 G I F T S Donations: Ameritas Cindy Berry Elaine Carter Jennifer Dalbey Robert & Elaine DeFord Darelynn Egger Lila Egger Eustis Community Chest Eric Gehringer Raymond & Nellie Faye Hagberg David & Susan Hebda Lance & Debbie Herald Susan Hruby Richard Jensen Franklin & Lillian Jeppesen Richard & Maureen Kizer D.G. & Marie Kleinschmidt Ron & Carol Kopiasz Tim & Elizabeth Langan Stuart & Carol Leonard Charles & Kristin Lewis Gregory Loyd James Mallory William & Margaret March Sonya Maryott McCormick Charitable Trust John & Kay Monzingo Omaha Community Foundation W.E. & Alice Padgett James & Joanne Pennella Richard & Mary Ranallo John Rohacik Betty Schneider Daniel & Dorothy Sheppard Erik & Mary Jo Torring Union Pacific Wendell & Verna Wertz

T hank you for your gen-erous gifts and dona-tions to the Nebraska

Chapter of the American Park-inson Disease Association. All contributions are used in Ne-braska for supportive services and across the country for Parkinson research. You can make a tax-deductible donation by send-ing a check to:

Nebraska Chapter/APDA 501 N. 87 Street, Suite 207

Omaha, NE 68114

Caregiver’s Gathering A group for caregivers was started a year ago in Omaha. It has grown from three people to up 12 people. The group m e e t s t h e f i r s t Wednesday of the month at 501 N. 87 Street, Suite 207, which is the Nebraska Chapter office on the corner of 87th and Dodge. The meeting begins at 10am. Parking is provided in the rear of the building.

Equipment for Sale

A DynaVox model series DV 4 computer is for sale. The Dy-naVox 4 provides patients who have little or no speech with tools necessary to unleash the power to commu-nicate with family members, friends and their own care team members. The DV 4 computer has a small case. The cost of the computer is $3000. An external printer and phone can also be pur-chased for an additional cost. Please contact the I&R Center office at 866-626-7347 for more details.

New Exercise Class

In Omaha, Jacey Gengen-bach, NSCA, CPT, with Fit-ness Works, has begun ex-ercise classes specifically designed for people with Parkinson’s. The classes cost $10.00 a session. The sessions are as follows:

Monday 12pm - 1pm Tuesday 6pm - 7pm Saturday 9am - 10am The classes are held at Fit-ness Works, 1032 S. 74 Plaza in Omaha. For more details call Jacey at (402) 934-8881. New Group in Broken Bow

A new support group has re-cently met in Broken Bow. Glenda Ward, facilitator, re-ports a great beginning for her group. A total of six people attended the dessert reception and planned to meet next month on December 8th for their first Christmas party. You are welcome to attend if you live in Broken Bow’s area. Call Glenda at (308) 870-3239 for further information.

f.y.if.y.if.y.i

FLU FACTS Think you have the flu. Know the FACTS. Fever Aches Chills Tiredness Sudden symptoms Flu symptoms can be mild or severe — and if they’re mild can be-come severe without much notice. Be aware of your body and monitor your body temperature. When possible, get a flu shot. If you can’t, be sure you know your treatment and prevention options so you can be prepared. You don’t need to experience all of these symptoms to have the flu. If you have one or two, it's recommended that you see your doctor.

10

601 North 30th Street Suite 2902B

Omaha, NE 68131

Phone: 866-626-PDIR (7347)

Fax: 402-449-4278 E-mail:

labrovo@creighton.edu

APDA Information and Referral Center

APRIL

PARKINSON’S AWARENESS MONTH

(Special Events will be posted on the website)

May 31, 2009

Walk-a-thon

Miller’s Landing - Omaha

June 27, 2009

Golf Invitational Tournament

Hand in Hand, Linking Lives for Parkinson’s

April 2010

SAVE THE DATE!

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Dedicated to ease the burden and find the cure

APDA Nebraska Chapter

501 N. 87th Street Suite 207

Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 392-APDA (2732)

Nebraska@apda.omhcoxmail.com

All memorials/donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to the APDA and sent to this address.

www.parkinsonsne.org