Happy PD New Year

Most people celebrate their New Year in January, mine is May 1st. At least since the first year I attended the Parkinson unity Walk in New York City. I come home and regroup and try to imagine what it is I must do in the coming year to out do what I have done in the previous year. My whole life centers around Parkinson's at the minute. Not because of the pain or discomfort but because of my obsession to find a cure. I will never personally find a cure but I dream of bringing one person from point A and one person from point B and a cure is found...Not for just PD but all Neurological Disorders. I watched St. Louis draw in 71,800 people for the Koman Race for the Cure and netted over 3 million and I say why not us. They started with 200 and look what 10 years have done. The Unity Walk pulled over 15,000 people and netted over 1 million and this was our 16th walk but LOOK OUT NEXT YEAR. My little team collected $600 the first year and and came so close to $14,000.00 this year. Every penny of that went to research. Never in my farthest dreams would I have imagined Kimberly Clark would be asking me to blog in behalf of their new program "Not On My Watch", helping to stop the spread of infectious disease in hospitals. I have lost very close friend this year as I know you have too who went in for elective surgery and never made it out because they contracted a deadly infection while in the hospital. Check this out it might save you or a loved ones life. Something is being stressed to me from an unknown source right at this moment. No one is useless. till the very last moment we can still communicate with our eyes. Just because you have been diagnosed with a chronic disease, don't give up. Find a quiet spot and give some thought to what one thing you might do to help the community, whether it be the cancer, Parkinson or whatever community...and do it regardless what those around you say. The first thing you will hear is you cannot do that because you are too sick.....the less you do the sicker you will get and the more your mind will slide...Tell your mind it's twenty and see if it will go along with it..love ya Pokie

"Not on My Watch"

I know I promised to back off for awhile as I am finishing the quilt project for PDF BUT alas Kimberly Clark sent me some very interesting information yesterday I would like to pass on to you. Did you know that an estimated 100.000 deaths have occurred in the U.S. from healthcare-associated infections. This was reported in a Center for disease Control (CDC) report published March April 2007. The risk of acquiring these infections in developing countries is 2-20 times higher than developed countries. "Until recently , a lack of HAI reporting requirements for health care facilities has contributed to less-than-optimal emphasis being placed on eliminating the sources of health care associated infections. However, growing public anxiety regarding the issue and resulting legislation on state and local levels demanding accountability is serving to accelerate initiatives to combat HAI's. To learn more please visit www.haiwatch.com." Now, let's go to my words. In an earlier time and place a hospital was a safe place you went to be healed BUT in the past year I have lost countless friends who entered the hospital for elective surgery and I never saw them again. Gallbladder surgery..she died. Lap band...she died. There is a total panic among middle age women in my area about being alone and facing health care crisis. I am attaching a video I hope you take the time to watch and more important, the next time a health care professional touches you ask them to scrub OR hand them a sanitary wipe. Don't be shy. It's your life and well being. love Pokie