Silent Stroke Can Cause Parkinson's Disease

A "small stroke", also known as a "silent stroke" can cause Parkinson's disease - this explains why some people who are outwardly health may develop the disease...Read more on this article at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com.

This article was very enlightening for me because before I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, I had a "small stroke."

I've been  out of the loop for a while because my health has been topsy-turvy! I say that in fun, laughing to keep from crying!! The last couple of months have been very trying for me and my family.

As we approach the new year, I look forward to better health and writing informing my readers on as much information on PD and also what I have been dealing with on this journey!

~Lovingly Always A Diva

NPF Announcement!!

Depression is Biggest Hurdle for Parkinson's Patients

The National Parkinson Foundation today released early findings from the largest clinical study of Parkinson's disease ever conducted, showing that depression is the most important factor influencing the health status of Parkinson's patients.

Read more in USA Today.

Lovingly, Always A Diva

Welcome!!

Welcome to My friends from Bangladesh and Peru!
Continue following Me on this journey!!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

I hope You're enjoying Your holiday season and staying in good spirits!!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Praying!!!!

                                  ~Praying for the Families and Community of Newton, CT

Hello!!

Hello!!

I'm Back!!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Our 1st Family!!

Congratulations President Barack Obama & 1st Lady Michelle Obama & Family!!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Welcome to My new friend in Denmark!
Continue to follow Me on the journey.
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Good Morning!!

Good Morning!! Be Happy!!

Good Morning!!

My Friends and Readers here in the United States
and in all these beautiful countries, please leave Your
comments and questions for Me! If you want to know
information, feedback, questions or you just want to say
Hi! Leave Me a comment below.
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Thoughts For Thursday - Journey

• “Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering.” 

― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday

• “Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey.

         At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

• “At every given moment we are absolutely perfect for what is required for our journey.” 

― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Welcome to My new Friend in Serbia!
Continue to follow Me on this journey.
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Good Morning!!

Science News

Check out this article @ http://www.pdf.org
New Mouse Model Mimics Neuron Loss in Parkinson’s Disease
- Oct 16 2012

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, October 27
PDF Champions: 5K for Parkinson's
(Fairfield, OH)

Talking Tuesday!!

 Hello Readers,
  Yesterday I mentioned that I see a therapist. Seeing a therapist helps to keep a handle on my mind so it doesn't become too overwhelming. I sit down every two weeks and sometimes every week and I tell her what is going on in my life and how am I doing with PD. It is very helpful and I am learning a lot from the therapy sessions. I found this article that tells you about therapy when you have PD. If you're not already in therapy, tell your doctor so that you can get help. Be Brave!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

How is depression treated in people who have Parkinson's disease?
  Depression is diagnosed and treated by a health care provider. Treating depression can help you manage your Parkinson's disease treatment and improve your overall health. Recovery from depression takes time but treatments are effective.
  At present, the most common treatments for depression include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, that helps people change negative thinking styles and behaviors that may contribute to their depression
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medication that includes citalopram (Celexa), sertraline (Zoloft), and fluoxetine (Prozac)
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), a type of antidepressant medication similar to SSRI that includes venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).
  While currently available depression treatments, particularly SSRIs, are generally well tolerated and safe for people with Parkinson's disease, talk with your health care provider about side effects, possible drug interactions, and other treatment options. For the latest information on medications, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Not everyone responds to treatment the same way. Medications can take several weeks to work, may need to be combined with ongoing talk therapy, or may need to be changed or adjusted to minimize side effects and achieve the best results.
  A variety of medications can provide dramatic relief from the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However, no current medication can stop the progression of the disease, and in many cases, medications lose their benefit over time. In such cases, the doctor may recommend deep brain stimulation, a surgery that places a battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator—similar to a heart pacemaker—to deliver electrical stimulation to areas in the brain that control movement. Some doctors recommend physical therapy or muscle-strengthening exercises to improve movement and balance and make it easier to continue doing daily tasks, such as getting dressed and bathing. Although usually associated with treating severe or treatment-resistant depression, electroconvulsive therapy may improve Parkinson's disease symptoms in some people.5
  More information about depression treatments can be found on the NIMH website. If you think you are depressed or know someone who is, don't lose hope. Seek help for depression.
Article and more information can be found @http://www.nimh.nih.gov

Mechanism That Leads to Non-Familial Parkinson's Disease Identified~

  Researchers in the Taub Institute at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified a mechanism that appears to underlie the common sporadic (non-familial) form of Parkinson's disease, the progressive movement disorder. The discovery highlights potential new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's and could lead to a blood test for the disease...
  Read the rest of this article at http://www.bioquicknews.com/node/907

Lovingly, Always A Diva

Welcome!

Welcome to My new friend in Thailand!
Continue to follow Me on My journey!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

It is STILL beautiful...

Monday Meditations!!

  When I woke up this morning, I felt like it was going to be a blue Monday!! It was cold and gloomy and I just didn't feel like getting up. Fall is my favorite time of year but the cool weather makes the aches worse. This weekend my back hurt like crazy but I got myself together and went to see a movie. That is what I did today also. I got up and took my medications and put on clothes and did the chores that I needed to tackle and it turned out to be a beautiful Monday!

  Now you're thinking who cares about what you're doing or how you're feeling? The reason I shared today's happenings was to encourage you to "persevere" in spite of PD! When I get up and get moving, it is therapy for me. At times, depression and pain overcomes me so bad that I cannot function. I will stay in my room all day long. Today I felt productive and I can tell my therapist when I see her that even though my body was aching to the point of pain, I didn't succumb. I "persevered!" So be encouraged and don't give in to the aches and pain. Be brave!

Lovingly, Always A Diva

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop" ~Confucius

Hello Monday!!

It's Finally Friday~

  It's finally Friday and the week comes to a close. Readers and caregivers, please remember to order your medications before your prescription needs re-filling. This is very important to your well being! I missed a doctor's appointment this week and I needed a new prescription and was unable to re-schedule and have been suffering from withdrawals. This is not good for me or any patient. I usually record all doctor's appointments in my cellular phone as soon as I get the appointment card and I also keep all my medications written down on a medical card and logged into my cellular phone along too with how many and what time I am to take them. This little mishap caused me a week of unnecessary pain and discomfort. So if you or your caregiver takes care of the detail of doctor's appointments and prescription refills, please stay on top of it!

  Stay tuned to Monday's Meditations~Lovingly, Always A Diva

Questions about PD?

Information about the causes and symptoms of Parkinson's, medications to treat the disease and more.

• Find a Parkinson's specialist

• Order free publications          

• Participate in online seminars

Go to this website: http://www.pdf.org/

~I ordered free publications and wristbands for myself, family & friends. A package of 10 is only $5.00
Lovingly Always A Diva

PD Foundation!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, October 27
PDF Champions: 5K for Parkinson's
(Fairfield, OH)

Have a Safe Weekend!

"HAPPINESS is a JOURNEY not a DESTINATION"

Good Day!

Antidepressants Aid Depressed Parkinson's Patients:

Two Classes of Medicine Help Depression in People With Parkinson's Without Worsening Other Symptoms, Experts Say
~Read article from Web MD News dated 04/11/2012

Monday Meditations~

Hello,
  It's been awhile since I wrote a meditation for Monday. I usually have in my head what I want to write the night before. I meditate and visualize. That might sound strange to you but for me it's not. My mind is the one thing I'm holding onto or the one area that I am determined that Parkinson's won't get! When I have to take those medications that have side effects on the brain and mind, it makes me fight harder to stay in touch with reality. Reality meaning I know the difference between what is real and what is not.
  PD almost took my mind and my way of thinking away because of "depression." I had such a hard time of losing my life before PD, that it caused me to sink into a life of despair. Then when I was prescribed  medicines to control the depression, they interacted with the PD medications and that sent me spinning me further from reality. You see my mind was all that was left that PD had not invaded and I wanted it to stay that way. Thank God I have good doctors with knowledge of PD that I am able to live a life with some sense of normalcy.
  Now when I close my eyes and dream or meditate, I see myself not having PD. PD and its symptoms no longer take over my mind as it has my body. I am free from pain and shaking. (smile) I  interact with people and enjoy life once again to the fullest. I am not taking medications everyday three or four times a day. I am whole again! That is the hope that myself and many of us living with PD have to hang onto because if we don't...we are back on the journey to nowhere but down.
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Good Morning!

Sunday Funny!

I have been trying to design this blog all day without any success. Better luck tomorrow. I'm done!
Good night! Always A Diva :(

Good Sunday!

Thank You!

Thank you readers! Since starting my journey, I have been visited by readers from 23 countries including the US. I will continue to share information, words of encouragement and my journey daily as a voice in the PD community! Continue reading and viewing and remember to "Be Brave!"
~Lovingly Always A Diva

TGIF!

Thoughtful Thursday!!

Today's Thoughts: Don't give up no matter how tough life gets! Write these quotes down in a journal or    on post it notes to help you on "Your" journey!

~Lovingly Always A Diva 

• When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”

- Author Unknown

• When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

• Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. 

- Josh Billings

Everyday!!

:0

Endure!

We all are one!!

Everyday!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new friend in Portugal! Continue with me on this journey! 
~Lovingly, Always A Diva

Ever have one of these days? I do!

Good Morning!

PDF Awareness~

PDF Research Advocate Sister Mary Daniel at the New Orleans Saints football game today to help raise awareness of Parkinson's. Thank you Saints!

~Taken from FB page Parkinson Disease Foundation

Bucket List!

Hello Readers, 
I went to a website (www.bucketlist.net) to write a bucket list. It started as fun but gradually gave me something to think about. 10 things I want to do before I die? I keep things in my head but when I began to write it down on paper, it was a project of sorts to make me remember how precious life is. I enjoyed it...I only reached seven but I'm pretty sure I can come up with 10:) Try it!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

Good Morning!

National Parkinson's Foundation Photo!

Online forums:

Did you know about "Ask the Doc" online forums? You can ask questions about Parkinson's and get answers from: movement disorder specialists, a pharmacist, a nutritionist and a speech clinician -- including National Medical Director, Dr. Michael Okun!

http://forum.parkinson.org/
forum.parkinson.org

Save the Date!

Save the date! The Fall 2012 Young Onset Parkinson Conference will take place November 16-17 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more about the Young Onset Parkinson Conference today at www.parkinson.org/yopc

Good Morning!

Have a Good Day!

Good Morning!

PD will not Disable ME!!

Good Friday Morning!

Attitude!

While "Attitude" is not everything, it sure can help!

First, a person must come to terms with the fact that you now have Parkinson's Disease, and it's not going to go away. You, like me, are stuck with it. There may be a cure sometime down the road, but nobody knows when that will be. In the meantime we have to make the best of it.

ACCEPT IT!
The sooner you do this, the better off you will be. Nobody said it was going to be easy!

CHOOSE!
After your diagnosis has been confirmed, and a second opinion obtained, you have a choice. You can choose to accept, and make the best of it, or you can choose to "fight" it.

IT'S YOUR CHOICE!
The Mind, the Body, and the Spirit are one! To hurt one, is to hurt them all. If you choose not to accept the fact that you have Parkinson's, and after a reasonable period, dwell in anger and self pity you are going to burden your Mind and Spirit as well as your body.
Which is only going to make life harder for you.

Anger is a natural human emotion, and if not allowed to become a habit, does no great harm. However if allowed to become constant, like any other negative emotion, it becomes destructive to your Trinity. Most, if not all, negative emotions create stress and tension.

Stress and tension are the last things a person with Parkinson's needs. Stress upsets your body, which upsets your stomach, which decreases the quality of your life. As your stomach goes ....... so goes your day.

Taken from: http://www.livingalonewithparkinsons.com

New Friends!

Welcome to my new friends from Iceland and the Ukraine!! Thank you for following me on this journey!!
Lovingly, Always A Diva

It Works!!

Hello Readers,
Since I will be on my own soon, I'm looking for information to help me through my day. I won't be totally alone my yorkie, Marley, will be with me but he just follows me everywhere I go. :) So I found this website; Living Alone With Parkinson's "Works4Me" and it offers good information for being on your own. http://www.livingalonewithparkinsons.com
~Lovingly Always A Diva

Laugh! It gets You through the day :)

Be Safe & Enjoy!

Hope is Everything!

Hello Friends,
   Sorry I haven't been posting but I have been under the weather. Sometimes my medications, as many of you know, have side effects that can make you sick. With the weather getting cooler in the evenings, it pains my back more. I'm on the right medications right now but you have your up and down days.
   There is good news though, I will be moving on my own soon with my two teenage children. This is good because  my older daughter has been my caregiver for about five years and because I can get around better, she is moving on to a new place to live. I have been truly grateful for all her help and wish her blessings as she makes this transition. She will be still checking on me and keeping me to stay in shape. :) My love to her!!!
   So I'll be posting next week more information on PD and anything I find that can help us and loved ones who have PD to live a strong, happy and long life!!!
Loving, Always A Diva

Good Morning~

Continue to Be Strong!!

Good Morning~

Good Morning! Choose Life!