Parkinson's summit highlights progress on treatment

Liv Osby, losby@greenvillenews.com 10:29 a.m. EST November 10, 2014

Saturdays Parkinsons Victory Summit includes sessions on deep brain stimulation, medication management, sleep, fall prevention and clinical trials.(Photo: Special to the Citizen-Times)

Linda Morgan's first symptom was a twitching toe. She didn't think much of it until she noticed a constant tremor in her thigh as well.

At first, doctors thought she had sciatica. But it turned out the Asheville woman was experiencing the first signs of Parkinson's disease.

"It just got worse," said Morgan, 59, who was forced to retire from her job as a pharmacist in September.

"And this year, I started having gait and balance problems. I started falling," she said. "And my speech is affected too."

On Nov. 15, Morgan will be recognized as a "local hero" for her contributions to the Parkinson's community at a Victory Summit in Greenville, South Carolina. The Carolina Spine & Neurosurgery Center of Mission Health in Asheville is one of the sponsors.

The free event for people with Parkinson's as well as their families and care partners brings together experts to share the latest on research and treatments along with practical tools for living with the disease.

It was started by the Davis Phinney Foundation, named for the 1984 Olympic bronze medalist in cycling who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinsons at age 40.

Diagnosed in 2005, Morgan wanted to get involved and help. So she's participated in numerous clinical trials over the years.

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Parkinson's summit highlights progress on treatment