>>> Posting number 62300, dated 24 Jun 1999 13:50:47 Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 13:50:47 -0400 From: janet paterson <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Hilary Blue's Detailed Description of Disability as caused by Parkinson's Disease symptoms and Parkinson's Disease medications side effects Hilary Blue's Detailed Description of Disability as caused by Parkinson's Disease symptoms and Parkinson's Disease medications side effects 1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE The symptoms of the movement disorder known as Parkinson's Disease are commonly treated with medications; the disease itself is incurable and progressive. The major symptoms: a. Tremor, b. Bradykinesia i.e. Slowness of Movement, c. Rigidity, d. Fatigue, and e. Balance Problems, all manifest in different intensities and combinations in different PD patients. As the disease progresses, the human brain becomes more sensitive to minute variations in medication levels: the medications themselves cause side effects; the response to the medications becomes less constant and more unreliable. The PD symptom response or non-response to medications, along with the side effects caused by the medications, all can manifest totally unpredictably, in matters of minutes. After several years, most Parkinson's Disease victims are seriously affected by "on"/"off" fluctuation response to medications. In the "on" mode, the Parkinson's Disease symptoms are mostly under control; in the "off" mode, the Parkinson's Disease symptoms are not under control at all, i.e. the untreated disease symptoms become obvious, and side effects from the medications manifest. 2.0 MY CURRENT STATUS RE PARKINSON'S DISEASE SYMPTOMS AND MEDICATION SIDE-EFFECTS I have been taking PD medications for 17 years and have become extremely sensitive to them. I have to take medication every 90 minutes in order to try to keep my condition as level [i.e. minimize the "on"/"off" fluctuations] as possible. If I don't take my medication on time, and sometimes even if I do, I go into an "off" state in a matter of minutes: I "stiffen up" (rigidity symptom) and have great difficulty moving about in any way, e.g. walking, rolling over in bed, or simply raising my arms. MAJOR MOTOR CONTROL DIFFICULTIES Throughout the day, I have several periods of dyskinesia - uncontrollable jerky body movements. (Dyskinesia is a side effect of the developed sensitivity to PD medications.) In addition, I have periods of "freezing" (i.e. locked in place due to muscle rigidity) where I cannot move at all for several minutes. My sense of balance is severely impaired, making going up and down stairs difficult, and climbing a stepladder or standing on a step stool impossible. I have had to give up driving and find my lifestyle and options severely restricted as a result. FINE MOTOR CONTROL DIFFICULTIES I have lost a great deal of fine motor control: it is very difficult for me to use a push button telephone; it is difficult or impossible to turn pages, file cards, do up buttons; my typing skills have deteriorated considerably (this document has been typed for me); my handwriting has become smaller and smaller over the years and is now so illegible that even I cannot read it. (Micrographia is a secondary symptom of Parkinson's Disease.) COGNITIVE DIFFICULTIES My powers of concentration have been damaged - especially when I am "off". I have to concentrate hard to think straight. I cannot do two things at once: e.g. walk and talk. I suffer short term memory loss; I forget simple information, especially when under stress, or "off". SPEAKING DIFFICULTIES My speaking voice has become very soft, and at times unclear and slurred. (This is a secondary symptom of Parkinson's Disease.) VISION DIFFICULTIES The muscles of the eye, like all the other muscles of the body, do not functioning normally. I can tell when it is time for me to take medication: my vision slips out of focus; I may see double. In addition, my depth vision has been damaged. FATIGUE I suffer constant tiredness, due to difficulty in sleeping, combined with the constant muscular stress of dyskinesia or rigidity. (Fatigue is a major symptom of Parkinson's Disease.) NARCOLEPSY I tend to fall asleep instantly for minutes at a time, with no warning. (This is a side effect of the Parkinson's Disease medications.) 3.0 SUMMARY OF DISABILITIES AS IMPACTING JOB PERFORMANCE All of the above Parkinson's Disease symptoms and Parkinson's Disease medication side effects have a detrimental effect on my ability to carry out the essential tasks involved in the librarian profession, including management, customer relations, carrying books and shelving, cataloguing and classification, and computer skills. janet paterson 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ 613 256 8340 PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario Canada K0A 1A0