Memory Tool
I enjoyed your holiday gift guide (“Thoughtful Holiday Gifts for People with Neurologic Conditions,” December 2021/January 2022). One item that wasn't mentioned in your list is an app called Keep. For someone like me whose short-term memory is impaired because of four brain injuries, it reminds me to wash the dishes, do the laundry, mow the lawn, take out the trash, and more. —Paul McMonagle, Lynchburg, VA
I have two suggestions for the holiday gift guide: a bathing suit with side zippers and a lift for getting things in and out of the car. I could use a gadget like that for my 17-pound walker. —Marylou Dority, Vienna, VA
Neuropathy Link
The sidebar on managing neuropathy in the George Lopez story (“Comedian George Lopez Sheds Light on Neuropathy and Kidney Disease") was very informative. But one cause was not mentioned: alcohol. It took me a while to realize I had symptoms only when I drank a glass of wine or had a cocktail. Two of my doctors said they have heard this before. I have not had any symptoms since I stopped drinking alcohol completely more than two years ago. —Nancy Vavrinec, Tillson, NY
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Alcohol-related neuropathy is typically associated with excessive drinking, not one glass of wine or cocktail, but eliminating all alcohol can't hurt.
Vital Vitamins
The article about vitamin and mineral deficiencies (Ask Your Neurologist, December 2021/January 2022) brought me right back to my fifth-grade instructor and the education I received from her. I discussed the piece with my wife so we could verify that we are meeting the recommended daily doses for the vitamins mentioned in the story. —Joe Barrett, Asheville, NC
Letters About Letters
I was encouraged to see a letter and your positive response about possibly doing an article on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and often misdiagnosed disease (Letters, December 2021/January 2022). For now, I suggest readers visit CurePSP for its resources and information regarding research, education, and support for patients and their families. My wife died from PSP, and the help from CurePSP was invaluable to us both. —Allen Nixon, Farmington, CT
I wanted to inform the person who wrote a letter requesting coverage of PSP about a very moving television show that depicted this disease. Called Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, it was canceled after only two seasons. The main character's father, played by Peter Gallagher, had PSP. The role is based on the executive producer's father, who died from the illness. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in PSP. —Kenneth Green, Houston
In the last issue a letter writer criticized the magazine for using celebrities to discuss neurologic disorders unless they or their loved ones had such a condition. One doesn't have to have a disease or a relative with it to publicly battle against it. That is especially true in the case of Mandy Moore, who has so brilliantly played someone with a brain disorder in This Is Us. That show has raised awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Moore supports Us Against Alzheimers, which has helped raise $10 billion in public funding for Alzheimer's research over the past decade. —Richard Alpher, Sarasota County, FL
Gait Trick
The exercise article in Healthy Living (“How to Improve Gait in Parkinson's Disease,” December 2021/January 2022) reminded me of my late husband, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 40. He had significant freezing issues, but while he had trouble walking, he often could run instead. He also had no problems going up and down stairs, even if he got stuck once he reached the landing. But his best trick was to walk backward. I remember so many times the strange looks we'd get when he left a restaurant, movie theater, or store walking backward. Parkinson's disease challenged him in many ways, but he tried his best with each challenge. —Cathleen Van Wassen, Suffolk, VA
Coverage Ideas
Please address radiation-induced lumbar plexopathy in a future article. I had radiation therapy for colon cancer more than 40 years ago, and I now have a progressive lumbar radiculopathy that affects my lower body. —Sandy Davis, Silver City, NM
In August 2021, half my face was suddenly paralyzed. I was misdiagnosed with Bell's palsy at first but was later correctly diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus), a rare complication of shingles. Most doctors I've encountered either have never seen a case of it or have no idea how to treat it. Without proper treatment, many people are left with permanent facial paralysis. Even the recovery can be extremely slow. Please shed some light on this condition. —Sheryl Vance, Bluff City, TN
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: We appreciate any suggestions for future articles and will keep these in mind as we plan the rest of the year and beyond.
