Have You Joined Our Parkinson’s News Today Forums Yet?
The Parkinson’s News Today Forums were created to allow those of us with this disease to lean on and learn from each other, and most importantly, laugh together. The forums also aim to help caregivers, family members, and friends to understand the daily challenges of those living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Have you ever tried to explain to someone without PD how difficult it is for you to fold sheets or put on a seat belt? Only another PD patient can empathize with this disease of “little losses.” We hope that these forums can facilitate and encourage these conversations.
Our goal is to be the “one-stop-shop” forum for information and experiences related to PD.
Why should you check us out?
Our forums differ from other platforms in the following ways:
We have moderators
I moderate the forums alongside my Bionews Services colleague Ally Macgregor. We remove advertisements, links, and promotional posts, and we ensure that discussions remain respectful and relevant.
Regular contributions
As moderators, we keep the forums active with discussions on topics related to new research and shared experiences. We respond promptly to questions and concerns from members, and we hope to lessen feelings of social isolation.
We monitor the audience
We will quickly delete spam and promotional content. We don’t tolerate bullying or belittling behavior, and comments that violate our policy will be removed.
Additional features
You can add media to your posts, including videos, images, links, and podcasts. A private messaging option also is available for members.
Keyword search
You can search for a topic using specific keywords related to your area of interest.
Someone to lean on
Knowing we are not alone with our disease is empowering. Being part of an online community can help us to heal and to cope with PD’s challenges. The forums allow you to share your personal experiences and frustrations with challenging situations.
To learn from
We will keep you up to date with posts about cutting-edge treatments for PD. Participants can share their symptoms and experiences and the treatments they have found to be most effective. However, please remember that PD symptoms, medications, and side effects vary from patient to patient. While an alternative treatment, medication, or supplement may benefit one patient, another person may not have the same response.
To laugh with
Laughter is the best medicine. Having a sense of humor about the absurdity of some PD symptoms can help with the healing process. If we can share our stories with others, it may lessen the embarrassment caused by our symptoms.
When and where
Our PD forums launched in 2018 and cover a broad set of topics, including:
- A Forum for Parkinson’s Disease Caregivers: Connect with other PD caregivers.
- Diagnosis Information and General Questions: Read information about PD symptoms and the diagnostic process.
- Living with Parkinson’s Disease: Support and share with fellow PD patients who understand the challenges of living with the disease.
- Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms: Connect with others and access resources to help understand and cope with your symptoms.
- Parkinson’s Disease Alternative Treatments: Share information and experiences with alternative PD treatments.
- Parkinson’s Research News: Stay current with the latest PD research and treatment advances.
- Parkinson’s Disease Medications: Share information and experiences related to PD medications.
- Parkinson’s Disease and Exercise: Learn what exercises are beneficial for managing PD symptoms.
- Parkinson’s Disease Awareness and Advocacy: Spread awareness and educate others about the disease.
Convince me
Following are three examples of topics currently being discussed in our forums. Click on the links to join the conversations.
Count me in!
Getting started is easy:
1. To create a profile, go to “Register,” located at the bottom right of the “Log In” section.
2. Once you’ve entered your details, you can head to the main forums page. Discussions are moderated and inappropriate comments will be deleted.
3. Start exploring the forums now.
***
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
About the Author
Dr. Barry Seiller
Can this be posted?
Swimming has been an integral part of my PD program. Having the luxury of a home pool this has been one of my goto exercises. However I have been finding that it's getting more challenging as time progresses. I would like to share some findings that you may find beneficial so you can continue this exercise. I find the use of small swim fins make the use of your legs more efficient. I use a vertical snorkel so I reduce the amount of head and neck movement and easier to elevate my torso for swim efficiency. Breaking up laps into smaller intervals allows for avoiding shortness of breathe.
Lastly use the shallow end of your pool to walk or run in or use a floatation device such as a noodle to take advantage of the deeper end. Hope this helps you to continue to take advantage of water therapy.
sure! thanks for sharing!
Mark Burnett
Can you add a topic to the forum about Parkinson's patients from Camp Lejeune. I don't know if you're aware, but Parkinson's is 70% higher according to the government for people that where at Camp Lejeune than any of the bases they compared it to. It was the statistics come directly from the government agency that was responsible for identifying diseases caused by the contaminated water between 1953 and 1987. Unfortunately, I was born in the camp in 1958 and stayed there for three years.
Many of the records of people on the base have been destroyed or for some reason not showing up at the National Archives which I have directly talk to. Many people may not be aware because of all the Google hype that no one has gone to court and won anything. I'm staying on top of it because I have a vested interest for both me and my mom that was on the base and suffered from the chemical contaminated water also. I had to do a lot of research myself and now trying to help others. 550,000 people from the camp whether they were civilians or military personnel or children like me had filed with the government to go to court or get compensation. To this date they've answered no one back. It's Agent Orange all over again but this time with Parkinson's as one of it's a major conditions.
Also, instead of using the less than accurate DAT scan, I used Sys-one biopsy test that is 95% accurate and it's much easier to do and paid for by Medicare which most people don't know. This gives me an advantage when court does come around for Camp Lejeune, that I have an accurate test that not easily disputed.