
When Dixie Hammond’s physical therapist suggested she join a support group in Madison for those recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she was reluctant.
“I thought it would be a bunch of people sitting around whining and complaining,” said Dixie, a retired school teacher from Harvest. “But I decided to give it a try.”
Dixie was surprised to find she has lots in common with the other support group members. They are all trying to come to grips with their diagnosis and unsure what the future holds.
Most of all, they are desperate to slow the march of a nervous system disorder that gets worse over time and has no known cure.
The support group, which meets Wednesday afternoons at the Madison City Senior Center, is a safe space where Dixie and the dozen or so other members can open up about their feelings and share tips and tricks they’ve learned to make life with Parkinson’s a little easier. Care partners are also welcome to attend.
Facilitated by Brandi Ivey, a certified professional patient navigator at Huntsville Hospital’s Parkinson’s Care Clinic, the 90-minute meetings cover lots of ground:
Should I rip out my bathtub and install a walk-in shower?
What’s the best diet for someone with Parkinson’s?
Where can you find dress shirts with magnetized buttons?
Why do doctors sometimes miss the early warning signs?
“When you’re at the doctor’s office, there’s really not enough time to get all your questions answered,” Brandi says. “We wanted to create a place where people who have recently been diagnosed can feel comfortable asking questions, learn about options, and meet some other nice folks facing the same challenges.”
John and Edna Pushala heard about the support group after moving to Madison County from Winchester, Tennessee, about six months ago to be closer to their daughter.
John, who was diagnosed in 2017, said he feels fortunate to be living in a community with so many programs for Parkinson’s patients – many of them sponsored or underwritten by Huntsville Hospital Health System.
“There were really no resources in Winchester,” said John. “My neurologist was about an hour away in Murfreesboro, and the nearest facility for Parkinson’s patients was in Cool Springs.
“It was too far to drive, so I just joined a gym and had some exercise equipment in my sun room.”
Now, he’s surrounded by a wealth of resources and taking full advantage.
In addition to the Madison support group, which is sponsored by the HH Parkinson’s Care Clinic and American Parkinson Disease Association, John attends a Rock Steady Boxing class that receives grant funding from Huntsville Hospital’s Community Health Initiative.
Non-contact boxing, resistance exercises and aerobic training are believed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
John also works with physical, speech and occupational therapists at the HH Parkinson’s Care Clinic in Madison and joined a SPEAK OUT! therapy class at Parkinson’s Dynamics in Huntsville.
“As far as I’m concerned, moving here has just been great,” John said. “I just wish more people knew that Parkinson’s is a pretty bad disease, and there are more of us living with it than the country knows about.”
The Madison support group lasts eight weeks – just long enough to give the members a “crash course in all things Parkinson’s,” Brandi says.
At the end of eight weeks, John, Dixie and the others will have the option of joining a different support group for people further along in their disease journey (HH Health sponsors three such groups that meet monthly in Madison, Decatur and Arab).
“Support groups are so important for anyone with this disease,” Brandi says. “People are afraid when they first get the diagnosis, and I love seeing them kind of relax and feel re-assured from week to week.”
Dixie said it took the better part of four years for her to accept her Parkinson’s diagnosis. “I was in denial for a long time,” she says.
Lately, she has chosen to live by a mantra she heard in a speech therapy class: Whatever you do, do it with intent.
That means not just sitting through support group meetings, but stepping out of her comfort zone to ask questions and speak candidly about her struggle with Parkinson’s.
Movement is key to slowing the disease’s advance, so Dixie walks about 4 ½ miles a day inside her house – not even pausing while she’s on the phone. She also takes carbidopa-levodopa, a prescription medication that can help reduce tremors and body stiffness.
While those things certainly help, so does being around other people with Parkinson’s who understand better than anyone what Dixie is going through.
“I’m kind of a hermit and would have been happy to stay at home by myself and do my walking, but I’m glad I decided to give the support group a try,” she said. “It’s been very useful.
“Who knows? I might even join another one after this.”
Parkinson’s Disease Resources
Huntsville Hospital Health System offers or supports the following groups and evidence-based programs for people with Parkinson’s disease:
- Support Group for Recently Diagnosed Patients
Meets Wednesdays, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
Madison City Senior Center
1329 Brownsferry Road
Madison, AL 35758 - Ongoing Parkinson’s Support-Madison
Meets 1st Tuesday of every month at noon
Madison Hospital
8375 Highway 72 West
Madison, AL 35758 - Ongoing Parkinson’s Support-Decatur
Meets 2nd Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m.
Decatur Morgan Hospital Rehab Access
2349 Danville Road SW
Decatur, AL 35603 - Ongoing Parkinson’s Support-Arab
Meets 1st Thursday of every month at noon
Arab Senior Center
800 N. Main Street
Arab, AL 35016 - Rock Steady Boxing
Classes offered daily
Raymond W. Jones Community Center
2020 Steve Hettinger Drive
Huntsville, AL 35801
* Parkinson’s Dynamics membership required - Women With Parkinson’s
Huntsville Hospital Medical Mall
1963 Memorial Parkway SW
Huntsville, AL 35801
* Call (256) 541-6717 for details - Madison Move & Groove
Mondays & Fridays, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
or
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Madison Hospital Wellness Center
8391 Highway 72 West
Madison, AL 35758
* Wellness Center or Silver Sneakers membership required - Huntsville STEP
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
HH Jones Valley Wellness Center
1345 Four Mile Post Road SE
Huntsville, AL 35802
* Wellness Center or Silver Sneakers membership required - Dance for PD
2nd Tuesday of every month at noon
Raymond W. Jones Community Center
2020 Steve Hettinger Drive
Huntsville, AL 35801
* Parkinson’s Dynamics membership required - Every Monday, 12:30 p.m.
Episcopal Church of the Nativity
208 Eustis Avenue SE
Huntsville, AL 35801 - SPEAK OUT!
Meets Fridays, 1:30 – 2:15 p.m.
Madison Hospital Wellness Center
8391 Highway 72 West
Madison, AL 35758
Questions? Call 256-541-6717 or email brandi.ivey@hhsys.org.