Hi.
I turned 49 years old two days ago. In November of 2009, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. My mother had Parkinson’s for 24 years before she died, and a couple of months before receiving my official diagnosis, I was pretty much certain I had it.
My mother was not diagnosed with Parkinson’s right away, and she had been put on drug treatments prior to her Parkinson’s diagnosis. She responded well to the initial Parkinson’s medications, and hence received her diagnosis. She fought a long and valiant fight, but in the end, it seemed like the drugs took their toll and played as much a part in her passing as did the disease itself.
I am fortunate to have learned from her experiences and her courage, and I am fortunate that her Parkinson’s specialist is located in my city — he is my Parkinson’s specialist now.
I am doing my best to fight this drug free. Admittedly, my movements are slow, my balance is not good, I have regular nagging pain, and I tire much more easily than before. However, I have decided to listen to these messages my body is sending me and work toward a long-term solution from a holistic perspective. I am interested in sharing my experiences to help others and I am interested in hearing others’ experiences to help me and anybody else who reads this blog.
All I can do is share what I am doing…what works and what does not. Everybody who suffers from Parkinson’s suffers in a different way. Obviously, if something I am doing looks like it would be worth you giving it a try, let your doctor know what you are thinking about doing. I am not a doctor, and I am not advocating you do anything that you and your doctor have not discussed. My doctor is fantastic and has given me the green light to explore the approaches I will be describing in later posts.
I would not be able to fight this fight if it were not for the love of my wonderful wife and children, as well as my extended family and friends. I have many blessings in this life, and I feel that Parkinson’s is just a roadblock…not an immoveable object.
I look forward to a meaningful dialogue.
All my best,
Howard
