Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s can be a great shock for many, but you must remain positive and gain all the information that can help you manage and live with the condition and enable you to still do all the things you enjoy.

The most reliable source of information is the Parkinson’s disease society and you can find their details on the links page. They can provide an array of booklets and other resources that can help you understand more.

You can also access the Southampton City Parkinson’s disease nurse specialist (PDNS) who can discuss your concerns with you and also provide information for you and your family.

Vicky Queen also provides a 7 week course of education to relatively newly diagnosed people. This is called the Parkinson’s Disease Self Management Education Programme and it aims to help people understand more about the condition and how to manage it. The topics covered include medication management by a community pharmacists, physiotherapy, Equipment that may help and Financial and benefits advice. Contact Vicky Queen whose details can be found in the Contact Us section, if you would like to book a place on this programme.

The next Parkinson's Disease Self Management Programme will run from: Sept 2009, for 7 weeks, to book a place please contact Vicky Queen vicky.queen@nhs.net or 02380 296214..