“My” Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s effects everyone differently. The onset of symptoms vary greatly from one person to another. My first sign was a tremor in the left pinky finger. It was in April, 2013 while I was volunteering at a local health clinic. It took approximately three weeks for the next visible sign to appear. My entire left hand started shaking and I could not stop it. I knew it meant something. I had to see a neurologist as soon as possible, After several tests, the doctor told me the diagnosis, although I already knew it.  “You have Parkinson’s.”  I responded, “I know.” 

It took only three months until the next sign appeared, tremors in my right hand. Within the next three months, I had interment tremors in both legs. My body was changing.  I was still living a “normal” life on the outside, but I was soul searching internally. Having been in the medical field for forty years, there were certain facts I knew about Parkinson’s:  the cause is not known, it can be treated, but not cured,  and it manifests differently in each patient.

My Parkinson’s is very different than my friend’s Parkinson’s. B does not have tremors, but his imbalance causes him to fall several times a day. He develops hematomas from the falls and has bruises in various stages of healing all over his body. As a result of his imbalance, he has lost his job and struggles to maintain a “normal” life. He suffers with his Parkinson’s in a way I do not.

Then there is my friend, W, who was diagnosed with his Parkinson’s over twenty years ago. He has been an inspiration to me because of his positive attitude and his ability to use humor to cope with the trials and tribulations of Parkinson’s. W had the surgical procedure, Deep Brain Stimulation, with good results. He knows he is not cured, but W keeps his Parkinson’s in its place as he leads his life.

I met C at the Duke Neurological Center in the ladies room. Interestingly, we found out we actually live near each other even though we traveled 2 hours to see the neuro specialist. C has very different signs and symptoms from her Parkinson’s than I do. She has no tremors, but has difficulty walking. We often laugh that she can drive with no problem, but walking is a challenge. C also had the Deep Brain Stimulation procedure with great success. C owns her Parkinson’s in a way that I admire. She does not let it get in her way of living her life, she just adapts to the demands of the disease. She carries her Parkinson’s well!

So how can the same disease look and feel so differently on each of us? Scientists are constantly researching Parkinson’s to find answers on the cause, the treatments and the cure. There is so much to learn about all movement disorders and I am hopeful that a cure will soon be found. In the meantime, I focus on keeping my Parkinson’s in perspective and carry on with hope and humor.