EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE (October 2024)

Every month when I sit down to write this message I think back on the conversations I’ve had with constituents—what themes and questions are coming up, what topics are crying out to be addressed. This month, we’ve fielded an unusual number of new-to-Parkinson’s calls and appointments. And inevitably, at some point in every conversation with a new constituent, the person with Parkinson’s or caregiver asks, “What causes Parkinson’s?”

It’s a difficult question to answer. There’s the mechanical answer: a degeneration of nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. There’s the broad-strokes answer: Parkinson’s is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There’s the most honest and difficult answer: we don’t know. 

This week, you may have seen American footballer Brett Favre in the news. He just revealed a Parkinson’s diagnosis possibly caused in part by the repetitive concussive force inherent to professional football. In this month’s Newsworthy Notes, you’ll read an article adding to the increasingly loud connection between gut health (or lack thereof) and Parkinson’s diagnoses. Next month, you’ll read about the link between air pollution and Parkinson’s, and in previous newsletters you’ve read about certain pesticides and chemicals linked to Parkinson’s.

These stories aren’t contradictions but rather evolutions in our understanding of the complex biome that is the human body as it interacts with the complex biome that is planet Earth. I remain hopeful that the researchers untangling these complexities will eventually unravel the thread all the way to the cure. 

In the meantime, as always, PRO remains your human resource to untangle the complexities of living with Parkinson’s. This month, we have a few more resources at our fingertips to help you out. I’m really excited to share that our first in-person support group last month was a huge hit, so much so that we’ve decided to make it a weekly, rather than a monthly, occurrence. Starting this Thursday, October 3rd, you can join us at the PRO offices for an in-person Round Table every week at 1:00 pm. This group is open to people with Parkinson’s and caregivers.

If you missed the PRO Social Club last month, we created cats, cactuses, tweety birds, hearts, and flowers on ceramic pottery at Old Town Artisan Studio. But you can still flex your artistic muscles this month with a private tour of some curated exhibits at the Palm Springs Art Museum. And be sure to read up on the positive benefits of art therapy for people with Parkinson’s. 

Finally, keep your eyes peeled for a very exciting collaboration which will be announced later this month. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I suggest you mark your calendars for February 8th, when a certain orange fox will be in town. 

Read on for more about the PRO SOCIAL CLUB!; DID YOU KNOW? CARBIDOPA-LEVODOPA; along with HOW EMPLOYERS CAN MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR WORKERS WHO ARE CAREGIVERS; ART THERAPY LINKED TO SLOWED PARKINSON’S PROGRESSION; then comes PARKINSON’S MAY BEGIN IN THE GUT, STUDY SAYS, ADDING TO GROWING EVIDENCE; and MEET THE PRO TEAM.

Until next month, Remember Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on October 2, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on October 11, Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day is October 14, Sukkot begins at sundown on October 16, and Halloween is October 31. The flower is the calendula, marigold or cosmos, and the birthstone is the opal. 

Always remember to CELEBRATE YOU and LEAD WITH LOVE.