Tonya Walker on the cover of More Than Motion!

While in Portland,OR for the 4th World Parkinson Congress 2016 (#WPC2016), I visited several vendors and their booths. Here are some of the interesting products and people that I had the opportunity to encounter:

I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the creator and owner of the blog, The Shoe Maven (www.theshoemaven.com), Tonya Walker, at the More Than Motion booth. Tonya has been living with Parkinson’s disease since the age of 32. Not only is she a mother of a young son, a law professor, a wife, someone with Parkinson’s but also a clothing designer of her own cause-based fashion label (TSM Originals). I appreciate her strength, determination, and drive to make the community more aware. Her positive attitude and passion to make a difference shone through our discussion.

I spoke with Ms. Walker about her blog and her passion for sharing her journey, improving awareness about young-onset Parkinson’s disease, and her love for fashion. With over 120 pairs of shoes, I can say that Tonya blows away my measly 5 or 6 pairs. Tonya found benefit from DBS or Deep Brain Stimulation first by having the surgery on her left side in 2013 and then her right side in 2015. You can watch Tonya’s video at https://www.facebook.com/parkinsonsmorethanmotion/videos.

As I have shared with my readers for over 8 years, Parkinson’s disease requires a proactive pursuit to search for a combination/recipe of complementary therapies, medications, or medical procedures that work exclusively for you. No two Parkinson’s patients are exactly alike, and what may work for me, may not work for you.

Here are some useful tools that I found at the vendor exhibits that might be helpful to know about:

Global Kinnetics Corporation
Global Kinnetics Corporation just released The Personal KinetiGraph, a movement recording device to assist doctors in treating and managing their patients with movement disorders. The PKG Data Logger is a wrist-worn device that was recently FDA cleared for the recording of movement, associated with Bradykinesia, Dyskinesia and Fluctuations. The unit is a nice looking watch capable of providing important mobility information to your doctors. As of 2 weeks ago, the device was not yet approved in Virginia, but some states are currently using it right now. You may want contact them for information in your state at www.globalkineticscorporation.com.

LiftWare
I dropped by the LiftWare booth to try out their stabilizing handle and attachments for people having hand tremor and difficulty with a fork or spoon. The product worked well, appeared to be durable, and was comfortable to hold. If holding a fork or spoon is a challenge for you, due to tremor, I think LiftWare is worth investigating as an option. For more information go to www.liftware.com

LifeWalker
I dropped their booth to take their upright walker for a test drive. My first spin in the walker took getting used to, but I did see the benefit of this device. Unlike many walkers, the LifeWalker keeps the user upright and at eye level, allowing for face to face contact. I found the units well-built at first glance and well designed. To learn more go to www.lifewalkermobility.com.

These are not product endorsements. I encourage you to do the research for yourself and make your own decision. I hope that this was helpful!

Here are some more of my photos from WPC 2016:

A great crowd!

Keith, Mike, Lisa, Linda, Angela, and me in Portland!

Author, lecturer, John Baumann, my GoPro, and I!

Exploring the WPC2016 book nook and finding my book!

Ran into my friends– fellow author, Jackie Hunt Christensen and her husband, Paul!

Ran into my friend, blogger,humorist, and author Bev Ribaudo (YumaBev – http://parkinsonshumor.blogspot.com/)

Sharing a seat with my friends and authors Michael and Gretchen Church and behind us fellow authors James and Helen Buell Whitworth!

Great to see my friend, Adolfo Diaz!