Teva CFS Book English

62 has been clinically proven that exercise at a heart rate over 140 for 40 minutes at least, for a cumulative 200 minutes a week, slows the progression of the disease. “Fairly soon after the diagnosis I realized that sport has a beneficial effect. When the symptoms got worse and I had to up the dose of the drugs, I decided to fight it by intensifying my exercise regimen”. To come out of the Parkinson’s closet Like numerous patients, Amir avoided talking about the disease during the first years after the diagnosis. He defines it as “being in the closet”. For three years he conducted a typical high-tech career routine, but at a certain stage the doctors and his colleagues got him to take a good look in the mirror and discussed his functional decline. “For someone looking from the sidelines it’s hard not to see the effects of the disease and trying to conceal it takes a lot of energy. Due to the progression of the disease and also due to the need to conceal, there is also a decline in concentration. Therefore, in 2010 I cut back my work hours at Amdocs to four days a week and I freed up one day to volunteer”. To volunteer in a main role “The disease gave me a new perspective on life and on “what I want to do when I grow up”. If I was going to volunteer then I wanted to do it in a worthy framework, and also in a main role”. This is how Amir arrived at the position of Coordinator of Resource Recruitment at the Israel Parkinson Association six years ago, and after two years he was appointed to the position of Association Chairman. As part of his position, Amir promotes patient rights and deals with interfaces vis-a-vis the Knesset, the Ministry of Health, National Insurance, and the media (for more about the Association - see frame). Support for the Teva way (in Hebrew, the “natural way”) As part of his work at the Association, Amir is often exposed to Teva’s support for the Association and patients: “Teva’s approach has always been positive and supportive. We have frequently been helped by the company’s willingness to host meetings of volunteers, to allocate board rooms and refreshments for Board of Directors meetings, etc. And I take my hat off to that”. Amir stresses that the Association is interested in continued and tight cooperation with the company and in joining forces for joint projects for the benefit of patients. Only 5% of patients are members of the Association The Israel Parkinson Association runs 15 chapters throughout Israel, which offer their members activities and physical and emotional support in coping with the disease. The Association runs a website, which includes information about the disease, forums, a list of specialist neurologists, hospitals and Parkinson’s clinics, information about medication and about the Association’s activities, and more. In addition, the Association publishes a biannual newspaper, operates a hotline, organizes a conference once a year with a group of 30 Israeli researchers as a platform to promote research in the field, as well as two seminars a year at a hotel for patients’ welfare. Surprisingly, there are few members in the Association relative to the number of patients. According to assessments conducted together with the Knesset's Information Center, there are approximately 25,000-30,000 Parkinson’s patients in Israel, but only 1200 of them are members of the Association (around 5%). The reason is that around 50% are in advanced stages of the disease and have difficulty leaving home. Therefore, the Association recently initiated a “remote access” project based on online video chats that will enable two-way communication for the purpose of support, physical exercises, and more, without needing to leave the house. Better lives for our patients *