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please delete if this is if no interesst!! > > 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 > PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada > a new voice http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/ > [log in to unmask]