Kansas City, Kan- Key points from today’s guests:

Pam Sullivan, living with Parkinson’s disease

• Pam is one of one million Americans who live with Parkinson’s disease. She had symptoms that affected important daily tasks like washing her hair and cooking.
• Her previous doctor prescribed her drugs that had disruptive side effects. After a year of using those drugs, she decided to get a second opinion at The University of Kansas Health System.
• She became part of a clinical trial for a new pump that more effectively delivered drugs that addressed the symptoms.
• It delivers drugs on a schedule that provides her with more consistent and direct dosing.
• She felt the difference immediately and called it “magic.”
• Pam is out there living life now because she is confident that her symptoms will not be disruptive.

Dr. Rajesh Pahwa, movement disorder specialist and division director, The University of Kansas Health System

• In Parkinson's disease, there's a chemical in the brain – dopamine -- that is reduced. So, when we give medications like Levodopa, it goes in the brain and becomes dopamine and provides good control of your symptoms throughout the day.
• A previously approved pump had to have a tube surgically implanted, but with this pump, the dose can be attached to the skin.
• We are a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. So, it's very common that we have patients coming in for a second opinion.
• You may be surprised that at least 50 percent of the Parkinson's patients have never seen a neurologist, and less than 10 percent see a movement disorder specialist.
• We want to have every patient at least see a neurologist for their Parkinson's and if possible, at least see a movement disorder specialist at least once to make sure they're on the right path.
• The challenge that continues to remain is that we need to slow the disease and we need to stop and cure the disease. We are now at the stage that we are testing medications to slow Parkinson's disease.

Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. One patient tried to understand the GI pain that nearly killed her. A second opinion gave her the answers she needed to keep her IBD in check.

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