Peripatetic Pete, Looking for a Volunteer

Greetings Parkinspeople and those who love them, I'm looking for a volunteer to host our next two support group meetings as I will be away visiting family far, far from Alaska. If you can attend the meetings, greet newcomers and help foster a discussion about Parkinson's Disease, this is the volunteer opportunity you have been waiting for. Well wait no longer! Take that first step into the Parkinson's limelight! To quote that well-known philospher Dr. Ferris Bueller "Life moves pretty fast you don't host a Parkinson's support group meeting, you could miss it." So who wants this once-in-a-lifetime chance? Please contact me if it's you. Bueller?... Bueller?....

​In other news the  PD and speech group led by our intrepid  Ann Ver Hoef  will meet soon. here is Anne's message about that: ​

I hope this finds you all well.  The summer is flying by, as usual.  Never enough time to get outdoors….but I am heading out for a backpack trip in the Wind River Range in WY and be gone Aug 2-12. 

We have our next PD Communication Group on Monday, 8/13/2018 from 3:30-5:00.

We will meet in the Ivy Room, downstairs on the First Floor at AK Regional Hospital.  This is in the downstairs of the regular hospital building.  If you park in the “back” of the building, and come in the tall atrium entrance, you head to the left down the hallway and there are the Ivy rooms.

Be prepared to share some of your summer experiences! WOOOHOOOO!

And this just in... Alan Alda says he was diagnosed with PD three and a half years ago, and that he is doing fine.

Pete out (way out!)

Monday Meeting with Speech Pathologist Anne Ver Hoef UPDATE

Hello friends, Anne Ver Hoef who is coordinating the new speech  practice meetings for people​with PD asked me to pass along that the next meeting, Monday Dec. 18 at 3:30 will be held in classroom 1, NOT the Ivy room.  Classroom one is downstairs in the bldg closest to Airport heights Dr. in the AK Regional complex.​ This should be a helpful activity that aims at preserving and conserving our ability to communicate, which is key to quality of life. Anne is the bee's knees, so this meeting is highly recommended.

I Said, Late-Breaking Meeting, Speech Therapy for PD

Hi folks, I just received a note from Rock-Star speech pathologist Anne Ver Hoef who has this to say "I’m organizing a PD speech group: meeting Monday, Nov 13 at 4:00 pm at Denny’s on DeBarr Rd, back room. I️ have invited several people but got behind in timeliness. Sorry for late invite. I️ don’t know if this will be a 1-time thing or if there is interest in group that practices skills and strategies and meets somewhat regularly." As many of you know Anne is a terrific therapist and a stellar person to boot. This is bound to be a fruitful use of your time.  I hope it isn't too late for you to adjust your schedules to attend this clambake.

Think LOUD,

Peter

August Parkinson's Disease-Related Events for Southcentral Alaska

Once again it's time to gaze slowly into the crystal ball, and go out on a limb with predictions about what the semi-sultry month of August has in store for those of with an interest in PD...  I see... YES! a Telehealth conference!... Details follow: You are invited to attend the Parkinson’s Education TeleHealth Presentation - A PDTeleConnection Monday, August 11th, 2014 at 1:00PM Providence Hospital Room 2401.

Presentation Titled: The Hidden Message of Anger and Depression Speaker: Elizabeth Daniels, M.A., LMHC Elizabeth is a Mental Health Educator. She has been in private practice as a licensed mental health counselor for 15 years and concurrently taught psychology at the college level for 7 years. She specializes in couples counseling, anger management, depression and anxiety disorders. Topic: The Hidden Message of Anger and Depression. Have you ever felt trapped in the feeling of anger or depression and believed there was no way out? During this talk you will learn the big-picture map of how our emotions work and the directions you need to find your way out of suffering and into a happier life. You will learn: The purpose of anger and depression, How anger and depression are connected and the force that drives them both,  A step-by-step plan to minimize and even eliminate the experience of anger and depression How to decrease anger in others. To find the Alaska meeting, proceed with all deliberate speed to  Providence Hospital oncology wing on Piper St. Go to the second floor, walk down the lonnnnnnnng hall that stretches South from the cafe and look for room 2401 pretty much at the end of the hall on your right.

Following at a dignified pace behind the TeleHealth event, we come to the August support group meeting, Saturday the 16th, and for once I got off my lazy... Boy Recliner, and actually got us a speaker! A speaker who will speak about speaking! After fighting over the phone all morning with an insurance company and a hotel reservations web site , you can bet I will be listening carefully as the one-and-only Anne Ver Hoef, speech pathologist and LSVT-trained practitioner gives us an earful on talking understandably and swallowing without choking. The usual time, 3:30, downtown and upstairs at the gracious and commodious Pioneer Home. When I put it like that what can you do but plan to be there?

And now, taking a giant step into the future, I see that at the October 18th meeting we will have Dr. Ryder Gwinn, neurosurgeon at Swedish.  He works with the team at Swedish Neuroscience Institute (including Peggy Shortt, Susie Ro, Jennifer Witt and Peter Nora). He will be able to take your questions about the latest on Deep Brain Stimulation, and the neurosurgery program at Swedish in Seattle.

As he crystal ball fades to black, I look forward to seeing all of you LIVE AND IN PERSON at these landmark events.

Your PD Maitre'd

Peter