Finding support amongst peers

Essential tremor patient shares his experience attending the Savannah PMD support group, held monthly at Candler Hospital

Savannah resident Bill Atkinson has been living with essential tremors for 40 years – since he was 40 years old. He’s been on numerous medications, and even had the Deep Brain Stimulation procedure done twice.

Still, Bill acknowledges both his hands are pretty shaky. Even walking down the hall can be challenging sometimes. But yet, he says: “It’s not really a big deal because I’m used to it.”

It’s Bill’s positive attitude and his acknowledgement that it’s OK to ask for support that helps him manage his condition from day to day.

Among his biggest supporters is his wife, Rose-Mary, who happened to be a physical therapist at Candler Hospital. Cutting meat, for example, is really cumbersome, so it’s helpful to Bill to be able to ask Rose-Mary to cut his steak.

Or yardwork – not that Bill misses it – is difficult and time consuming, so Rose-Mary takes care of that. Luckily, she enjoys it, Bill says, so it’s not burdensome for her.

Bill also finds support amongst his peers who also have essential tremor or other movement disorders. Bill and Rose-Mary joined an essential tremors support group years ago, where they were both members and later leaders.

Now, he is a regular at the monthly Savannah PMD support group, for Parkinson’s and other movement disorders patients. It is held in the Marsh Auditorium at Candler Hospital. (NOTE: Please see the upcoming schedule below.) The outreach coordinator and social worker for the St. Joseph’s/Candler Movement Disorder Program coordinate the support group.

“It’s very interesting because you hear from other people who have the same condition and are maybe going through the same things you are,” Bill says. “Also, I can explain to other folks in the group what I’ve been through, especially with Deep Brain Stimulation. It is not something you need to be terrified of.”

“Bill has such a great perspective because he’s been both a leader and member,” says Katy Harne, outreach coordinator for the SJ/C Movement Disorders Program. “Bill is a wealth of knowledge, and we are thankful he is willing to share his experience with his peers. It is so important for people to be able to come to a group like this and hear a real account of events. Nothing compares to being able to talk to someone who’s been there.

The Savannah PMD group averages around 20 participants each month. Occasionally, a guest speaker will attend, but the majority of meetings include conversation amongst the group. They may talk about a medication working or not working, Harne says. Or maybe someone is experiencing falls or digestion issues and can relate to others in the group who have experienced something similar.

But it’s not always just talk about their diseases, says Harne. There’s also conversation about vacations, spouses and of course, grandchildren. Additionally, Harne will let the group know about community events they might be interested in attending. She and social worker Barbara Moss-Hogan also will take back any questions someone may bring up, research it and talk about it at the next meeting or send out an email.

“Individuals with movement disorders are a very small community, but it’s a very powerful community,” Harne says. “People with these diagnoses work hard so they can continue to live independently and have great quality of life.”

The Savannah PMD support group is free and open to anyone in the community. Bill encourages anyone with a movement disorder or a caregiver to give it a try.

“Just ask a person or several people who are already in the support group what it’s like, what is being said,” Bill says. “I do think the folks who are members, at least in this particular movement disorders group, are very accommodating. It’s a very positive group.”

For more information, you can reach out to Katy Harne at 912-819-2224 or harneka@sjchs.org.

Upcoming dates:

The Savannah PMD support group will meet:

Tuesday, Oct. 22
Monday, Nov. 25
Monday, Dec. 9

*The Savannah PMD support group returns to its traditional schedule of meeting the third Monday of each month in January 2025.