----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 4:13 PM
Subject: Re: Forgetfulness


> > My boyfriend is in a high stress job which requires a tremendous amount
of
> detailed concentration. As long as I have known him - about a year (he has
> been diagnosed with Parkinson's for about 8 years) he has been forgetful
and
> I have no way of knowing how much was just him and how much can be
> attributed to Parkinson's.
> >
> > At the moment he is under extreme pressure as he is winding down his
job -
> thankfully! I have begged him for the last few weeks to go and see his PD
> doc but he insists on waiting until he finishes the final project he is
> working on which will be next week (but that seems a lifetime away). There
> has been a definite deterioration in his condition recently but I was
> horrified today to find that he has no recollection of a fairly indepth
> conversation we had yesterday. He said if he thought hard enough it might
> come back to him.
> >
> > Does anyone have experience of this and if so do you think it is stress
> related or purely PD related and
>
>        Elaine,
>
>              I think it is inappropriate and unfair for me to speculate
about
> the psychological and cognitive state of your boyfriend and the dynamics
of
> your relationship with your boyfriend.  But most PWP experience
> "deterioration," greater difficulties and aggravation of symptoms when
under
> stress.  Here your boyfriend has stress from his job, which, although this
> stress is apparently a considerable amount of stress, it will end in a
week.
> He also has stress imposed by you,  described as you as pressure to see a
> doctor about his deterioration and pressure to recall a specific, lengthy
> conversation with you.
>
>        I was evaluated by a neuropsychologist because I was experiencing
> cognitive problems after I was diagnosed with PD.  I was concerned about
the
> change in my memory,. but the psychologist said that my memory seemed to
be
> functioning at a rather high level (although he had no prior testing and
> evaluation to establish a baseline for functioning of my memory prior to
the
> diagnosis for PD).  He said a problem, which was characteristic of  PWPs,
was
> with "attention and concentration."  The problems with attention and
> concentration could block information from getting into the memory.  Also,
if
> pressured or under stress, when expected to recall information from
memory, I
> might not be able to intentionally recall information from my memory.
>
>        When I was first diagnosed with PD, I was given the standard
> information that PD was a movement disorder with specific physical
symptoms.
> I was later given, or found, information that PD does effect cognitive
> functioning--everything for that matter!  My employment disability was
based
> upon the neuropsychologist's evaluation and my problems with cognitive
> functioning.   I have a medical textbook which is devoted entirely to the
> cognitive effects of PD.  Apparently many, many PWP have, particularly in
the
> later stages of the disease, problems with cognitive functioning and/or
> dementia.  And these problems, as well as physical symptoms, are clearly
> aggravated by stress.
>
>        You think your boyfriend needs to see his PD doctor about his
recent
> "deterioration."  You are probably correct.  I would just suggest, since
his
> major stress from his job will end in one week and he seems unwilling
anyway
> to see his doctor until the job is finished, that you consider reducing
the
> stress you put on him about your relationship and about seeing the doctor
> until after his job stress ends.  This suggestion is not meant to be
> flippant, or insensitive to your needs or your stress and discomfort in
the
> past several weeks, and it does not foreclose the possiblity of emergency,
or
> more immediate, intervention if you deem it necessary.  His response to
you
> that he might be able to recall your conversation later after he thinks
about
> it, when he is no longer under stress, and stress  from you to recall that
> specific information, indicates to me that it is possible he may have the
> combination of cognitive problems and stress which I and many other PWPs
> have.  You are the only person who can know if his comments are due to his
> personality or "Mr. P.D. talking."
>
>        Hopefully, once your boyfriend's stress is removed, or becomes more
> manageable, his condition will also improve.  And, then, the burdens and
> stresses on you, and the relationship, should also be improve.  Just some
> armchair psychologizing from a PWP.       Katie
>
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