When Judy Stancombe’s husband Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012, they were tossed into a world they didn’t know, with lots of questions.
“It was very scary,” she said.
They decided to attend a fundraiser for the Pictou County chapter of Parkinson’s Nova Scotia to see what it was all about.
“We went to the SuperWalk just to see, and then when we went to the group,” she said.
Sometimes attending a group setting can be intimidating, so they found the SuperWalk a good informal way to get introduced. They talked with people there and have been attending ever since.
The support group for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers is held the second Tuesday of each month in the community room of the New Glasgow Superstore from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. They have regular guest speakers and occasionally there’s entertainment, organized by Josephine Jollymore who has chaired the group since 2003. There are about 40 members
“It’s really valuable the information you get,” Stancombe said. “There’s all kinds of things you can get or you can go to. There’s resources. Then you have a chance to socialize with other people that have it.”
Parkinson’s is a unique disease, in that it affects everybody differently, she said. For some people symptoms get worse quickly. Others progress much slower.
“Nobody with Parkinson’s is exactly the same,” Stancombe said. “It affects everybody differently.”
Her husband, for instance, didn’t have the tremors typically associated with the disease, so it took longer for him to be diagnosed. He also lost his speech quickly, but still gets around fairly well walking. He has always enjoyed gardening and despite her concerns, he remains active with that.
Joe LeBlond, another member of the group, has found Parkinson’s affected his handwriting and his speech to a certain degree. Sometimes he’ll have trouble carrying on a conversation.
“I lose my train of thought,” he explains.
Still he considers himself fortunate.
“My doctor told me you’re lucky, you’re getting older. It doesn’t affect old people as much as young people,” he said.
And he knows, whatever he’s facing, he has friends to help him and his wife Barb through it.
Barb said she enjoys the group because it helps to know she’s not alone.
Every meeting is well organized, she said, with guest speakers and a chance to make friends.
One of the positive things about the support group, Stancombe said, is that it includes members who have varied experience who can offer advice and help. This can be beneficial, not only for the people with Parkinson’s, but for their caregivers.
As the group prepares for this year’s SuperWalk on Sept. 8, the Stancombes and LeBlonds hope people will support the cause and if they have Parkinson’s or know someone who does, that they’ll consider joining the support group.
WANT TO GO?
SuperWalk – Pictou County
When: Sept. 8. Registration at 1 p.m. with a warm up at 1:30 p.m. and official start at 2 p.m.
Where: Northumberland Regional High School in Alma
What for: Money goes to support critical programs, support services, advocacy efforts and research.
About the event: This is the 11th SuperWalk hosted in Pictou County. Last year the event raised about $18,000.
For more: Contact Josephine Jollymore at 902-752-6791 to find out how you can get involved or make a donation
FAST FACTS
• Parkinson’s Disease was first described by English physician Dr. James Parkinson in his work entitled An Essay on the Shaking Palsy in 1817.
• Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease. Movement is normally controlled by dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. When cells that normally produce dopamine die, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear.
• Common symptoms: tremor, slowness and stiffness, impaired balance and rigidity of the muscles
• There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s although some medications help control symptoms in some people.
