Calendar of Events

Parkinson's Awareness Discussion in Jasper, IN Thursday, April 21, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST) Let's discuss Parkinson's disease and the role of the movement disorder specialists in the process of navigating Parkinson's disease. Laura will give you a sneak peak of topics that will be discussed in detail at UofL Symposium for Parkinson's disease. Please RSVP 502.254.3388 Location: Vincennes University Jasper Campus 850 College Ave, Jas-per, IN 47456 Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing Building (meeting in the Theatre)

Parkinson's Awareness Celebration in Shelbyville, KY Thursday, April 21, 2016 6-8 p.m. This dinner is an opportunity to reconnect and socialize with others who are diagnosed with Parkinson's as well as their care partner(s). Parkin-son Support Center staff and board members will share the latest hap-penings of the Center. This event is FREE and open to the public, but space is limited. Please contact our office to reserve a seat at the table 502.254.3388. Location: "Catering By Kate" 934 Main Street, Shelbyville, KY 40065

Celebrate Parkinson's Awareness at SIRH Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 1-2:30 Southern Indiana Rehab's April PD Awareness Month Celebration will offer, to the community, free balance screenings by a LSVT certified physical therapists and speech/swallowing screenings by a LSVT certi-fied speech therapist. Please RSVP at 812-941-6153 Location: SIRH 3104 Blackiston Boulevard, New Albany, IN 47150 PCU recreation room (near the outpatient entrance) Duopa Discussion Wednesday, May 11, 2016 12:30-2 pm Join Dupoa Nurse Joanne Nemeth, MSN, RN, CCRP and a patient speaker to discuss Duopa as a treatment option for Parkinson’s disease. Please RSVP 502.254.3388 Lunch will be provided beginning at 12:30 pm with the program starting promptly at 1 pm. Location: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, 1640 Lyndon Farm Ct #100, Louisville, KY 40223 University of Louisville Physicians, Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center Saturday, May 21 Registration begins at 8:30 am

Speakers from our interdisciplinary Movement Disorders Clinic will

provide insights into a variety of topics affecting patients with Parkin-

son’s disease. Our guest speaker Dr. David Charles from Vanderbilt

University will share his experience about DBS surgery for early stage

Parkinson’s disease. Please call to register 502-582-7654

Advocating for

Parkinson’s disease? (cont.)

Another thing I highly recommend

to those who have been newly diag-

nosed as well as seasoned PD pa-

tients, go to a support group. SHOP

around, visit different groups and

find one that best suits YOU. There

are various types of support groups

for men-only, women-only, patient-

only, caregivers-only, patient/

caregivers, music, art, and much

more. You can join as many as your

heart so desires.

Last, and definitely not least, your

voice needs to be heard. Advocacy

should be one of the must-do things

in life. Know your politicians; per-

sonally, if at all possible. Know

what public policies are being intro-

duced into congress. Contact mem-

bers of congress and/or staff mem-

bers for their support of a bill you

see that will benefit the Parkinson's

community. "Your Voice Matters."

For any questions or information,

contact Mary Killian

at shakinforacure@gmail.com

Denim & Diamonds Committee

April 13, 6 PM @ Gordon Biersch

Symposium Committee

April 11, 9 AM @ The Center

Center Committee Meetings

Dealing with Parkinson's Takes Coach Far Beyond the Bracket (cont.)

He changed his diet from fast-food to green smoothies; his wife says he consumes "about a pound of spinach every day."

Along the way, Kennedy met actor Michael J. Fox and they bonded. Support from Fox helped the coach un-derstand that he could produce a winning team, and he did, in fact, recruit a top five recruiting class.

As he learned to live with his Parkinson's, Kennedy found plenty of challenges at A&M leading up to this year's success. The team had missed the NCAA tournament in his first 4 years at the school. "They could have bailed on me," Kennedy explained to reporters about the school. Rival programs didn't hesitate to use Kenne-dy's Parkinson's diagnosis against him in recruiting.

But this year, Kennedy's Aggies at last broke through and ended the regular season by sharing the SEC con-ference title with the Kentucky Wildcats. It was a tie but it was enough to get the team into the big tournament for the first time since winning the SEC tournament in 1986. After that stellar performance, A&M offered (and Kennedy accepted) a new 5-year contract extension.

Summing up the experience, Kennedy told the Times, "I'm a much better coach today for going through this," he said of his illness. "I know how to delegate. I'm more organized. I'm healthier physically, mentally and spiritually.”

"When you go through something like I have and are able to get back on your feet, then you feel a little bit sharper and a little more sensitive to the players when they make mistakes.”

"I can relate if they miss two free throws to lose a game because, hey, there are a lot worse things you can live through."

Information supplied by The New York Times.

An estimated 40 percent of Parkinson’s patients have Parkinson’s

Disease Psychosis, which is characterized by hallucinations and

delusions that can diminish a patients quality of life and be a sig-

nificant caregiver burden. There may be hope on the horizon for

Parkinson’s patients suffering from psychosis. Acadia Pharma-

ceuticals has applied for a New Drug Application (NDA) for

NUPLAZID™ (pimavanserin) The drug has reported positive

Phase III trial results, and will be administered orally once-a-day.

Currently there are no FDA-approved treatment options available

to patients. In September 2015, the FDA granted Acadia Pharma-

ceuticals priority status as NUPLAZID™ was recognized as a

Breakthrough Therapy. Although this does not guarantee approv-

al, the drug is scheduled for completion of FDA review in May

2016. http://www.acadia-pharm.com/

New Treatment Psychosis Associated With Parkinson’s We would

like to thank

Buffalo

Wild Wings,

Middletown

location for

partnering

with PSCKY for Eat Wings, Raise

Funds". The event brought in $205 for

the center. Thank you to all that were

able to participate. Special Thank you to

BW'3 managers, J.R. and Clinton for

their support and assistance throughout

the day. The next "Eat Wings, Raise

Funds" will be on June 15th at the

Middletown location and June 22nd

and the Veteran's Parkway location in

Clarksville, IN.

Title Sponsor

Barbara M. Nichols

Diamond Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

6pm-11pm

Historic Locust Grove

561 Blankenbaker Lane

Louisville, KY 40207

Dinner and signature appetizers prepared and provided by

Louisville’s finest Chefs:

Anoosh Shariat, Dean Corbett, Jason Smith, Ellen

McCarty, Daniel Stage, Matt Weirich, Tommy Hayden,

Ray Rameriez and Patrick Roney.

Attendees can sample a variety of bourbon and whiskeys

while reviewing our silent and live auction items, then en-

joy the live performance of the "Artie Dean Harris Band."

Invitations will be mailed April 15th. To purchase tickets

in advance visit

http://parkinsoncenter.org/tickets-dd-2016/

"I'm excited to help raise awareness of a great local organization that focuses on

the education and well-being of not only patients, but loved ones as well. Having

recently been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's, the Center is a great re-

source of information, community and support for a disease that doesn't always

have an explanation." Jason Smith, GB

On April 13th from 6-9 pm, GB will be offer ing $3 pints of their Maibock beer

with all proceeds of sales will benefit the Center. The Band: Hot Brown Smack-

down will be playing on the outside stage all while we host a silent auction in-

cluding items such as Jim Beam Reserve Bourbons and Barrel Heads, Hotel / Din-

ner Packages, a chance to win a bottomless growler, 4 VIP tickets to Thunder over

Louisville, and more.

http://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/home.cfm?auctionID=7323

Gordon Biersch 400 South 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40202

2016 Kentucky Der-

by Festival Mara-

thon/Mini-

marathon—Setting

the Pace for A Cure

to PD!

We are currently seek-

ing volunteers for our

cheering stations

along, the marathon

route. Please contact

our office if you or

anyone you know ages

16 and older are inter-

ested.

Please continue to help

us reach our goal. We

are more than halfway

there!

https://runsignup.com/

Race/23401/

Charity/2056

CENTER HAPPENINGS April 2016

facebook.com/parkinsoncenter

Twitter.com/parkinsoncenter

https://www.youtube.com/

www.parkinsoncenter.org

Parkinson Support Center 315 Townepark Circle, Suite 100 Louisville, KY 40243-2338 502-254-3388

Advocating for

Parkinson’s disease?

When I was diag-nosed with Parkin-son's disease in Feb-ruary 2010, I would never have imagined I would be a volun-teer for Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana (PSCKY) and defi-nitely not writing an

educational piece for their newsletter, but I am proud to say "I am here."

Within 6 months of my diagnosis, at a luncheon to receive an award for my com-pany, I was sitting next to a board member of PSCKY talking about Parkinson's dis-ease. I didn't know the Center even existed. When I got back to my office, I immediate-ly contacted the Center and within a few days I received an overwhelming stack of important information. I read the book "Parkinson's for Dummies." You can't go wrong with those "rainbow" books, so called because there multiple books that address multiple aspects of PD. I started attending as many exercise and education classes as possible; I also went to a Support Group meeting in Jeffersontown. I highly recommend the book and the Center to eve-ryone I come in contact with in relation to PD.

Within 2 years, I opened and still facilitate

the Fern Creek Support Group.

(continued Page 2)

Dealing with Parkinson's Takes Coach Far Beyond the Bracket

While it's not unusual for a college bas-ketball coach to receive a lot of media coverage this time of the year, one par-ticular coach, Billy Kennedy of Texas A&M, has recently been receiving more attention than usual by reporters from sources such as National Public Radio, The New Y ork Times, and oth-ers. That's because the reporters aren't asking about Kennedy's basketball strategies so much as they are probing

into his ability to coach his team into the NCAA tournament while battling Parkinson disease at the same time.

Five years ago, when Kennedy was coaching at Murray State, he noticed a pain in his neck. Doctors said it was probably just bone spurs. The pain was a bother, but not enough to keep him from taking his dream job that year when Texas A&M came looking for a new men's coach. Soon after Kennedy arrived in College Station, the pain spread to his shoulder and he had trou-ble controlling his left arm. Doctors there rejected the earlier diagnosis of bone spurs; they said Kennedy had early-onset Parkinson's.

"I hadn't even signed my contract yet," he told Robert Wein-traub of the Times. He worried that disclosure of the Parkin-son's would impair his ability to recruit young players to Texas A&M, so, he kept the secret for a month of sleepless nights and endless worry. Then the coach told reporters that he "hit the wall." He was told by A&M officials to take a leave of absence to rest. Still, he had told no one about his Parkinson's.

Two weeks later, Kennedy finally disclosed the diagnosis. Be-cause Parkinson's affects everyone differently, and because Kennedy's disease had been caught early, he was able to avoid medications for the first year.

(continued Page 3)