PMD Alliance (Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance)

Today is World Movement Disorders Day. You can make a difference by sharing these facts to boost awareness and ensure no one living with the disease feels alone. #MoveDisorder

World Movement Disorders Day is coming up on Friday, November 29. Help build momentum and boost awareness about these complex and increasingly prevalent disorders by sharing your response to the question: What do you wish everyone knew about movement disorders? #MoveDisorders

Join us for cocktails! We're hosting an exclusive reception for fellows, residents, and APPs during Parkinson Study Group's Annual Meeting. Network with peers, share experiences, and learn about how we can support your professional advancement with offerings like PMD Alliance's CAMP-FiRE (a year-long mentorship program sponsored by CND Life Sciences) and AMDAPP's APP Certification in Movement & Related Disorders (CMRD). December 5 at 6:30pm. Space is limited to 30 attendees, so register now to secure your spot! https://loom.ly/CMtPMU4

PMD Alliance Ambassador Lori DePorter once avoided the topic of palliative care, assuming it was all about end-of-life care. In honor of Hospice & Palliative Care Month, she shares her change in perspective, explaining her prior misconceptions and new discoveries surrounding the role of palliative care in her Parkinson's journey. https://lnkd.in/gAPQwD5x

Awkward questions may come up when you're living with a movement disorder. But if your patients are too embarrassed or afraid to share? In this Continuing Education recording from ATMRD, "Lips Sealed: What Your Patients Aren't Telling You," delve into the challenges patients with Parkinson's disease and related disorders face in disclosing certain symptoms and health concerns to their healthcare providers. The panel discussion highlights issues such as embarrassment, denial, and fear of potential consequences as barriers to open communication between patients and their care team. https://loom.ly/CQOAGq4

We celebrate and honor the purpose and promise of our community. A community peopled and powered by YOU. As Stephanie shares, it’s the Parkinson’s community that continues to nourish her, that continues to offer her their hands, their care, their advice, and their understanding as she navigates this disease on her own. Whatever community means to you, and no matter what your community looks like, we hope that all of you always feel welcomed and listened to by all of us at PMD Alliance. Today, give a gift to support to our communities everywhere: https://lnkd.in/gvCSUiZ4

Before Laurie was diagnosed in 2024, she had a hunch it was Parkinson’s. While doctors kept shuffling her from one provider to another, repeatedly misdiagnosing her with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, she knew they were wrong. “Four years ago,” she said, “my friend noticed my right arm wasn’t swinging when I walked. Eventually, I noticed not being able to do small things with my right hand.” She added, facetiously, “The Google machine told me it was Parkinson’s.” So even before she was hit with an official diagnosis on March 29 of this year, she started searching for answers and stories of people like her. This opened her world: “I found the best people,” she said. “They helped to make what could be scary not so scary. It’s nice to know you’re not alone.” Throughout this journey, her family has been her unrelenting support system. “My family is amazing,” she said, tallying off some of her closest supporters: siblings, parents, nephews, and her kids. At the end of October, she, her family, and her friends formed a team of 19 and participated in the Michael J. Fox Walk. They raised over $17,000. But it’s her husband whom she calls her “rock,” and her “best friend for life.” “I laugh every day with him,” she said. “He’s one of the funniest people I know.” In fact, what she loves most is that her diagnosis hasn’t changed a thing: “He doesn’t treat me any different.” Laurie continues to be grateful. She told me, “As my dad says, ‘My feet hit the floor this morning, so I’m good!’”

In the words of our community, this is what it means to be a care partner. #NationalFamilyCaregivingMonth #NFCMonth

When we asked Stephanie what she misses most about Rick, her husband of 34 years who passed away with Parkinson’s disease last December, she took a deep, sighing breath. “I miss his laugh,” she said. “He had such a great sense of humor.” But even more than that, she misses the simple things, those everyday moments quietly filled with tenderness: “Going for a walk in the prairie or for a bike ride. Picking out a bottle of wine together for dinner.” In honor of National Family Caregiver's Month, Stephanie shares her story of being a care partner to Rick, losing him to Parkinson's, and soon after learning she has Parkinson's, too: https://lnkd.in/gGeizn7Z

Deep dive into neuropathy and Parkinson's disease in this expert-led virtual CME course. You'll leave better able to: -Describe the prevalence of pain and neuropathy in PD and its relationship to levodopa treatment. -Appraise pain- and neuropathy-related patient history and exams. -Choose relevant work-ups to assess pain. -Formulate the appropriate treatment options. Enroll today: https://loom.ly/V90Zcyo