A month ago or so, I met a fellow on Facebook named Lee Grimm, a.k.a. "The Walking Blacksmith." Together with his service dog Rocky, Lee is walking from Oregon to Main to raise awareness for early-onset Parkinson's disease.

In Lee's own words: "Well, let's see here now. I was a professional blacksmith, welder and on site engineer for most of my professional career. Then, I found out about this little green monster called Parkinson's disease. I think many of the signs of the disease were ignored by me as just getting older and denial that I'm not totally indestructible. Due to the fact that many of my body functions that I took for granted are no longer there, I am no longer able to do that line of work. Bad coordination, no memory and poor balance are just a few of the things Parkinson's gives you to deal with. I have found that massive amounts of exercise will put our bodies into a 'healing mode' as I like to call it....I have found this out during the first part of this walk. I am now going to document the rest of the walk so people can see for themselves the benefits of exercise on Parkinson's. Let's see how the next 8,000 miles go, eh?"

You can follow Lee's journey on Facebook by friending him, or send him a word of encouragement at walkingblacksmith@yahoo.com.

A few weeks ago, we asked you to send us your ideas for 2010. Thank you to all who responded! The winner of drawing for the $60 e-pill medication timer is....Mr. Mercer of Vine Grove, KY. Congratulations!

Here's a sampling of the ideas you sent us:

• Start a support group for people with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy)
• Share more testimonials about the wonderful opportunities PSCKY provides, particularly the exercise programs.
• Get more people with PD to become aware of PSCKY and get them motivated to get involved. When I was first diagnosed, I thought I would deal with this myself. For some reason later I went to a meeting and found that there are a lot more people just like me that can help each other. I feel fortunate that I went to that meeting and became involved.
• Place emphasis on slowing the progression of the disease (i.e. Coenzyme Q10, exercise, etc.). I'd especially like emphasis placed on Coenzyme Q10 coverage from insurance companies for those with PD, as clinical trials support this supplement. It would behoove the insurance companies to cover this supplement for PD patients, as slower progression equals lower health care costs.
• I think the "Ask the Doctor" column will be really useful. Since it is usually a few months between visits to our doctors, there are always questions that come up that could be easily answered by an idea like this. You may also want to include what other PD families' answers and experiences have been, since everyone is different. Even though they may not be "official doctor" answers, they may be useful to people like us who wonder what is "normal" and what is something serious that we should address to our doctors when we do get to see them.
  

Liberty is a new product for men's bladder control which we learned about last week from Aaron Willis with Premier Caring Hands. Designed to eliminate the need for adult diapers, briefs and pads, this simple product provides safe, effective and comfortable bladder control for men. You can call Aaron at at 502-384-1840 to learn more. We also have brochures on the product at our office; we'd be happy to send you one...just send an email to support@pscky.org. Liberty is reimbursable under Medicare, most state Medicaids and private insurance. It is also available through the VA and TriCare.

PSCKY is now on Facebook! Please "become a fan." Thanks to everyone who's joined up so far! We now have over 130 "fans"...and we welcome your pictures, posts and conversations on our Facebook site.

Search and Help PSCKY: Install 'GoodSearch' on your work and home computers. This simple toolbar offers a small donation to PSCKY for each search you do and purchases made from many of the major online stores. It also offers you coupons at many of the major online stores (such as Office Depot) if you access the store through the toolbar. It takes only a moment to install, and it is safe to use. In the 'Who Do You GoodSearch For?' section, enter 'Parkinson Support Center' and you'll be moments away from helping!

Norton Audubon Hospital is offering a free eight-week series of classes for caregivers of adults age 65 or older. The programs are Thursdays from 4-5pm. For more info, call 502-636-7014.

• February 25th, Making Sense of Legal Documents: POA's, Wills & Advanced Directives

Come hear Dr. Neil Schulman (the original "Doc Hollywood") give a humor-full and informative presentation--"Laughing All the Way: The Truths About Aging"--on Thursday, February 25th at 1pm at Jewish Family & Career Services (2821 Klempner Way (corner of Dutchmans & Cannon Lns)). Free! For more info, call 502-452-6341.

Attend the 2010 Louisville Emergency Preparedness Fair on February 27th from 12-4pm at the Old Male High School. Don't be a victim when Mother Nature makes another visit to our area. Electrical outages, food shortages, family and pet emergencies, storm-related damage....these can hit at any time. Learn what you can do to prepare and protect yourself!

The Alzheimer's Association invites you to a special evening with David Troxel presenting "The Best Friend's Philosophy of Dementia Care," Tuesday, March 2nd at 6pm at the Park Inn Louisville East (1903 Embassy Square Blvd). Please register by Monday, February 22 at 1-800-272-3900 or toonya.cox@alz.org.

Celebrate Women's History Month with An Evening with Tori Murden McClure, the first woman to row alone across an ocean, Tuesday, March 2nd from 7-8pm at the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany. Free event, but reservations are required. Call 812-944-7336.