Moving Forward

Blog post by Dr. Karen Blindauer

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We started our blog more than years ago and now are taking a break. We feel honored to have appeared so often on the front page of the Froedtert website. We’ve been able to share information on the illnesses that we treat, but, more importantly, we’ve shared stories about the people who have these illnesses. We’ve talked about patients who dance, sing, create poetry and prose. We’ve shared ways that people are “living well” despite chronic conditions. We have been inspired.

The Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin remains strong, comprehensive, interdisciplinary and continuously growing. We have three fellowship-trained movement disorder neurologists with over 40 years of experience among us. We have nationally renowned experts right here in Milwaukee. Our program offers the most up-to-date care in Parkinson’s disease (PD) including the state-of-the-art Deep Brain Stimulation surgery for PD and other movement disorders. Our nurses and therapists specialize in the treatment of PD and all have had the latest training.

Our Outreach Coordinator connects with all possible sources of information and referral for our patients regarding any psycho/social needs. She facilitates six local support groups and the Living Well with Chronic Conditions Program that we have spoken of so often.

The annual Wisconsin State Huntington Disease Conference meets on Saturday, April 21, at the Country Springs Conference Center in Pewaukee. Our annual Symposium for People with Parkinson’s and Their Families will take place on Saturday, September 15, also at the Country Springs Conference Center. Our annual Moving Forward: Ride/Walk for Parkinson’s event will again be held beside the Glacial Drumlin Trail in Dousman on Sunday, October 7.

We continue to teach medical students, residents and fellows, so the next generation of experts can carry on our legacy. We remain involved in research in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, from the basic sciences to the latest clinical trials. We continue to participate in community lectures to educate our patients about their conditions and treatment options. We remain committed to providing the most comprehensive, state of the art, compassionate, and expert care for our movement disorders patients. We’re just going to take a break from blogging.

Vicki Conte, the Community Outreach Coordinator in the Neurosciences Center is going to begin a blog that will cover topics throughout the neurosciences from ALS, dementia, epilepsy, spine care and stroke. You’ll learn about the roles that our neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-psychologists, and physical medicine and rehab staff play. And importantly you’ll hear about the struggles and victories of patients who are cared for here. Tune in to "The Nerve Center" on a regular basis at www.froedtert.com/nervecenter.

The Moving Forward: Ride/Walk for Parkinson’s was a huge success! The weather was gorgeous — 70s and sunny with peak fall colors. The turnout was great — almost 200 riders and over 200 walkers. The opportunity to exercise and socialize was abundant. The band was terrific, and the children’s activities area and raffle were both big hits.

The Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Program took in almost $60,000 to be used toward patient education and support, community exercise and dance classes for people with Parkinson’s, specialized training of our Parkinson’s team and various translational research projects in the lab run by Chris Butson, PhD, here in the Neurosciences Department

Volunteer John Chaplock took lots of pictures at the event and has posted them on Picasa.

Post written by Dr. Blindauer

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Oct. 9 is going to be a beautiful day — mid-70s and sunny with the trees in full color.

We again expect 500 riders and walkers in Dousman for the 3rd Annual Moving Forward Ride/Walk to support the Parkinson’s Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin. Besides being a successful fund-raiser for many aspects of our program — patient education and support, community PD exercise programs, specialized training in the latest PD treatments for our team members and supplemental support for the translational research lab of Chris Butson, PhD, located right in our Neurosciences clinics — the event provides very tangible examples of the benefits of exercising and socializing in the management of Parkinson’s.

Check out the event brochure, which has maps, instructions, parking information and the calendar. Speaking of the calendar, the event will include children's activities, live music, an amazing raffle and even more amazing meal. People can register, donate or just stop by to “witness” the event and put a few dollars towards their favorite raffle item.

All official registrants are entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the Delafield Brewhaus and all volunteers are entered into a drawing for another $100 gift certificate to the same. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Some of the raffle items are as follows:

Silent auction for two footballs signed by three members of the Super Bowl Packers team
3 hats signed by numerous members of the Super Bowl Packers team
4 packs of Brewers, Zoo and Betty Brinn Museum tickets in children’s activity area
Childrens Trek bike
Green cleaning supply basket
Date night basket — Bartolotta gift card/movie passes
Door County Shore Line restaurant dinner for two
Skinny Girl basket with fixings
Fine chocolate basket
Door County Cooking School basket
Free medium pizza for a year at Pizza Hut (2 winners)
Brain teaser bag
EZ Windows $100 gift certificate (4 winners)
Gills Rock stoneware lighthouse
Frykman carved walking sticks (3 winners)
Bentley art print from Door County
Froedterdt & The Medical College of Wisconsin logo basket
Fred Astaire dance certificate
Cat basket
Dog basket
Fall table linens with two bottles of wine

Post written by Dr. Brad Hiner

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Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Dystonia and even Essential Tremor can take a devastating toll on the quality of an individual’s life. As a physician, I can assess, diagnose, prescribe and make other recommendations such as developing an exercise program. Once, twice, three or even four times a year, I may see a patient in clinic. I listen, assess, change the medication regimen and make other recommendations, but my intervention is a small piece in the care of a person with a chronic illness. In fact, the standard of care for chronic conditions is “self-management.”

Over a year ago, Froedtert began offering the 6 week course, Living Well with Chronic Conditions, developed at Stanford University some 15 years ago. It is now offered all over the world. Many of my patients have participated in the course, and I have seen a difference in their attitude and in their relationships with me. Here are a few of the differences:

• My patients come to their appointments more prepared, more engaged and more desirous of being a partner in their care.
  
  
• They understand that to make the best use of our time together, letting me know “what is different for better or worse since your last appointment,“ is the best way for me to begin my assessment.
  
  
• They understand that they can show me a list of 15 concerns, which I will study to see if a dangerous symptom jumps out at me; but, realistically, we can only address their top two or three concerns.
  
  
• If I begin to “close” the visit and they haven’t understood something, they are empowered to ask me to go over it again.
  
  
• My patients understand that while I am on the alert for depression and anxiety issues, many of the psycho/social problems they might have are better served by our Program Coordinator who is available to them without time constraints or cost.
  
  
• They have come to understand that education and support are ongoing through our team, and they can attend a new patient orientation, support groups, community education talks, symposia, community exercise programs, therapy sessions and more.
  
  
• Our nurses are well-equipped to answer medication questions and to triage patient concerns.
  
  
• I am not the only contact that is available to help, and sometimes, I’m not the best contact for certain types of help.

My patients are embracing the idea of using a variety of “tools” to “break the symptom cycle.” That’s "Living Well" talk, but it’s very effective. When a person has pain, it can lead to fatigue, which can lead to difficult emotions like frustration, which can lead to isolation, which can lead to depression. You get it. At any point in this cycle, a tool such as distraction, stretching, or deep breathing, can really break the cycle. Having an entire toolbox of these strategies and techniques is what "Living Well" teaches.

Here are a few things my patients have said:

‘“'Living Well with Chronic Conditions' helped me in so many ways. It helped me get out of the house and socialize. I started making commitments to myself. I started exercising…”

“This class opens doors for people with chronic conditions helping them to learn coping skills with their condition, discussing avenues of treatment, exercise, eating and communication with family and doctor, providing a more positive approach that can be taken toward their chronic condition.”

“This class supports the acquisition of self-empowering tools which allows a person to proceed in their healing an coping skills.”


Learn more about the "Living Well With Chronic Conditions" classes available through Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin.

Learn more about these classes offered around the state.

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