Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Ramon A. Gil, M.D., Medical Director, Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center of SWFL
Dear Friends:
The Chinese called 2020: “Year of the Rat”. In their culture, this animal represents “fertility, reproduction and wealth”. For mankind 2020 will be a year “which will live in infamy”. Others have called it: “The Year of the Zoom”. Well, I do not know about you all, but this is now 2021 and we need to work together to bring our lives back to normal.
The Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center of SWFL, in partnership with the Charlotte County Medical Society, is proud and excited to bring you LIVE our 2021 PARKINSON’S DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH SYMPOSIUM. This event will take place on Friday, April 30, 2021 from 12 noon to 5:30 pm at the “Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center”, in Punta Gorda, FL.
As in previous years (but not 2020) our program will bring to the audience the latest information about this disease and ways in which we can all optimize the quality of life of those affected, along with their caregivers.
We will hear from Ms. Anissa Mitchell, Vice President, Programs, at the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Alliance (PMD Alliance), an independent national organization dedicated to serve the more than 40 million Americans affected by these disorders. She will address the audience sharing her thoughts about how we can work together to overcome the challenges imposed by PD and related disorders, utilizing the benefits of an organization like PMD Alliance.
Tyan Aleshire and Rachel Klasmeyer, certified clinical research coordinators from our site (Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center of SWFL), will provide a brief review of the process of clinical research and the benefits and importance of participating in clinical trials, as well as clarifying a lot of misconceptions that many of you have.
This will probably be the first time that you attend a presentation reviewing dental care in patients with Parkinson’s Disease. There is more than what you may think connecting your brain with your digestive system. Your mouth is the entry to the rather complex “gut-brain axis”. Sara Maltese, D.M.D. will provide you with most useful information in terms of how to improve your dental health and prevent complications that may lead to periodontal disease and tooth loss.
Dr. Mabel Lopez is a neuropsychologist trained at University of Florida in Gainesville. This is one the most prestigious surgical centers for PD and other movement disorders, and as such, during her training and all along her career, Dr. Lopez has been very involved in the evaluation and treatment of patients like you. She will share information about mood and cognitive disorders often affecting patients with PD. Her approach is rather interesting, as it focusses for the most part, in non-pharmacologic interventions and lifestyle changes that will result in a much better and brighter future.
The title of my presentation in this symposium speaks by itself: “10 tips to better manage your Parkinson’s Disease”. I look forward to providing you with practical tips to help you improve the outcome of your treatment and, working along with your physicians to find ways to improve even more your quality of life. The answers to questions such as: “Do I really have PD?”, “Which medications should I avoid and why?”, “What should I do when I find myself hospitalized?” are critical for you and your family members and could certainly help you to prevent problems.
Our guest speaker is Dr. Ramon Rodriguez. He was trained at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, where (after finishing his fellowship in Movement Disorders) was named Associate Professor and occupied this position for 7 years. Subsequently he moved to Orlando where he became Professor of Medicine at the
University of Central Florida and now in private practice, as the medical director of “Neurology One”. We asked Dr. Rodriguez to bring us not only a brief review of the latest medical treatment for PD, but even more exciting: a review of the busy “pipeline” for new drugs with different approaches to treat PD being currently investigated.
Thanks to our sponsors, this program is FREE. “Social Distancing” and other CDC guidelines will be followed; therefore, seating is limited.
We encourage you to register early.
Please contact us at office@parkinsonsfl.com or call 941-743-4987.
