Stigma Hurts
Thank you for addressing the painful and awkward subject of stigma in your February/March 2015 issue ("Turn Staring Into Caring,"). As a 55-year-old woman with central pain syndrome [a neurologic condition caused by damage to the central nervous system from stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, epilepsy, brain or spinal cord trauma, or Parkinson's disease] who uses a wheelchair and mobility scooter and receives many rude stares and comments, this topic hit home! One of the most hurtful responses was in a public restroom, where a young mother reassured her crying child that I "wasn't going to hurt her" as I was washing my hands from my wheelchair. I couldn't think of an appropriate response, other than just ignoring them. Sometimes I look people in the eye and simply smile, or remind them that staring is rude. - Patti Gilstrap, White City, OR
Tremors are an annoying symptom of my Parkinson's disease. However, the stares I get from other people are the "symptom" of which I am most conscious. Your stigma article was right on target, laying out a problem regularly experienced by people with neurologic disorders. As a police officer, I am always concerned that my tremors will be misinterpreted as nervousness or that an interaction with crime suspects might worsen if it appears that I am not in control of the situation. That has happened in many cases of officers who have been killed in the line of duty. As suggested in the article, I've found that openly discussing my condition yields the best results and eliminates a lot of the staring. - Steve Shake, Plains, MT
I found the article "Turn Staring Into Caring" deeply offensive. I'm sure you meant well, but in an article written to combat stigma, you actually reinforce it by including this line from S. K. Beagle's "Ode to Tourette's": "I'm not mentally ill; I just can't sit still. I'm an enigma; But I can't take the stigma." Well, neither can I. In addition to chronic cluster headaches, I have bipolar disorder, a mental illness. I guess everyone with other neurologic diseases can take heart that at least they don't have a mental illness. - Robert E. Graves, Kutztown, PA
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you all for your thoughtful comments. Neurology Now does not condone stigmatizing mental illness and apologizes to anyone who took offense at the line in Beagle's poem. Our intent was to provide an authentic experience from someone with Tourette syndrome who has faced stigma.
Time to Medicate
I appreciated your article on keeping track of medications ("Mind Your Meds," February/March 2015) but wanted readers to consider the timing of their medications when they are hospitalized. My wife has Parkinson's disease and takes multiple pills at several times throughout the day, so keeping track of them is extremely important. That timetable was upset on two occasions when she was hospitalized, and we had to ask the staff to follow my wife's schedule. - Ronald Taylor, Farmersburg, IN
Meningioma Matters
As a member of the Meningioma Mommas, I was thrilled to see a story by Liz Holzemer, one of the founders, in your latest edition ("The Power of Words," February/March 2015). I feel passionate about brain tumor awareness. Thank you for all the wonderful work and information your magazine provides in the ever-changing field of neurology. - Christine Moretti, Philadelphia, PA
Corrections
In "5 Ways to Alleviate POTS" (February/March 2015), Paola Sandroni, MD, PhD, is a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, not Rochester, NY.
In "Turn Caring Into Staring" (February/March 2015), the head football coach at the University of Minnesota is Jerry Kill, not Jerry Krill. We regret the errors and any inconvenience they may have caused.