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Solon's Parkinson's group supports many
(by Sue Reid - June 21, 2012)
Solon's Parkinson's group supports many
By SUE REID
Since her diagnosis in 1997, Parkinson's Disease has not only become part of Solon resident Dorothy May's daily life, but her husband Jim's as well.
The things his wife can no longer do, such as cooking and cleaning, have become his responsibilities.
"She can't do the things she used to do," Mr. May, 82, said. "I do whatever needs to be done."
Mr. May has his wife's daily routine down to a science, which begins with assisting her when she gets out of bed in the morning.
"Her walking is becoming a problem" and she uses a walker 100 percent of the time, he said.
The Mays are still able to visit their children, Mr. May said, as well as attending a monthly Parkinson's support group at the Solon Senior Center. There, both find great benefit, they agree.
The support aspect is what she sees as the most valuable aspect of the group, which has been in existence for about a decade and is growing in number.
"It's the realization that others are in the same boat," Mrs. May, 81, said, adding the group teaches you to "be positive and do the best to fight it.
"It's an awful disease and there is not much you can do about it," Mr. May said of the degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. "It is tough on both the individual and on the families."
Obvious symptoms of the disease are movement related, including shaking and rigidity.
Mr. May said during the support group, they talk about what they are all going through at the moment and what medications they are taking.
"It's not like they are sharing horror stories," Mr. May said. "You are not there to say 'poor me,' but some people have different problems with the disease."
Beth Kamer, social worker at the senior center who organizes the monthly group, said it provides the opportunity to share information.
"This group also provides education and information relating to current medical updates for exercises that help with symptom management," she said. "For Parkinson's in particular, exercise is very important."
This year, the support group will also create a care book, Ms. Kamer explained, in which important medical information can be kept along with questions they want to ask the doctor and charts to keep track of symptoms and medications.
In the group, which numbers about 15 each month, it's rare to find anyone taking the same medication, Mr. May said.
"I get the most out of it listening to the various methods of care that each person that is there has," Mr. May said. "Each person has a different degree of the problem." He said his wife still has a "good brain.
"She used to be very active before the Parkinson's," he said. The mother of four drove here and there and now her children help with her care as well, he added.
Also as part of the monthly support group, which is held at 10:30 a.m. in the Solon Community Center, a speaker is scheduled and discusses a specific topic. This week the topic was palliative care and how it differs from hospice care.
"Support groups are so important for people," Ms. Kamer said. "They help them realize they are not alone."
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