PD 101 For the Newly DiagNoseD

This three-part educational series occurs during the Spring (March-May) and Fall (August-October). Each session of the series will help newly diagnosed People with Parkinson’s and their Care Partners navigate their journey with Parkinson’s while introducing them to resources available in Colorado. This informative series will be most beneficial for those that have been diagnosed for 1-5 years.

session one:

Wednesday, March 22 | 4-6pm session two: session thRee:

The first session focuses on a general overview of Parkinson’s. This overview includes understanding commonly used terminology, stages, signs, symptoms, and possible causes of Parkinson’s.

Wednesday, April 19 | 4-6pm The second session focuses on the medications and treatments for Parkinson’s. A movement disorder neurologist will go over how different types of medications interact with the brain and work within the body.

Wednesday, May 17 | 4-6pm

The third session a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and SpeechLanguage Pathologist will be discussing the importance of these therapies for People with Parkinson’s.

(All sessions will take place at 1325 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 204-B, Denver, CO 80222)

For more information or to register, contact Annie at AGoyanes@ParkinsonRockies.org or call (303) 830-1839

Mike Whitt started to notice that things seemed off. When he patted his baby daughter on her back, he realized he couldn’t do so with any sense of rhythm.

A few months later, the young rocket scientist couldn’t type with his right hand.

Mike began a medical journey that led to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and, ultimately, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a surgery to implant electrodes at targeted locations in the brain via a battery-powered connection wire.

“They turned it on, and I could feel my body just relax. It was the weirdest thing,” Mike said.

Before surgery, he barely had the energy to go to work. After, he could go on bike rides and kick a soccer ball around with his two older kids.

DBS isn’t a Parkinson’s cure, Mike knows, “but it allows me to do the things that I want to do with my life.” Cure or not, DBS couldn’t have come sooner for the space engineer, who put it in familiar terms.

“It’s not rocket science,” Mike said, “but it is brain surgery.”

Scan here to read Mike’s full story.