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Phil, Great advice and information rolled into one. Others should take this post as a model of what this List should be. Greg 48/35/35 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Tompkins" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 7:10 AM Subject: Re: I am afraid and feel as though I am losing control. > Dear Doug, > > As you recognize, you are now near or at a big "bridge". You are > under a lot of stress, from your job, from having to cope when > you're not feeling up to par, from having PD itself, and from anxiety > about the future. Stress makes your symptoms worse. Depression > is often PD related. > > Perhaps your meds are not optimum and some improvements can > be made. But you will have to stop working sooner than you want > to, perhaps sooner than you think, and when you go out you want > to do it on your terms as much as possible (your decision and > reason, not theirs). > > You work for a large corporation, SW Bell, and hopefully you have > signed on for their employee short and long term disability > insurance plans. First thing to do is find out about and apply for > short term disability and at the same time find out about long term. > > Don't try to keep working as long as physically possible, because > you may overestimate what you can do. ASAP identify yourself to > your personnel department as a person with a disability, as a > protection measure. It's better they know you have PD than > mistakenly believe you have a drug or drinking problem. If you think > you can work a little longer, you may need to negotiate > "reasonable accommodations" (work schedule or assignment > changes) with your employer under the Americans with Disability > act. See Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center, > http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder/. > > You need also to find out more about PD related medical and > support resources in your area. For medical call > > University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Neurology in > Kansas City (913) 588-6970 or > > University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita > Faculty Physician Exchange, (262-6262). > > For support groups (if these numbers are still current) call > > APDA Southwest Kansas Chapter referral center > 2322 Brent Drive > Dodge City, KS 67801 > Mrs. Johnson, President > 316-225-7438 > > Sedgwick County Early Onset support group > 316-584-6449 > Gene Melton > > Sedgwick County Parkinson Support Group > Joan Huffman > (316) 529-3926 > > Your wife may benefit from talking with other spouses of PWPs. > > Best of luck. > > Phil Tompkins > Amherst Mass. > Age 62/dx 1990 > > > On 15 Dec 2000, at 3:06, Doug Brown wrote: > > > I subscribed to this list looking for answers maybe to see > > if anyone else is dealing with the same issues as I am. I have > > been lurking for a while so if I may I would like to introduce > > myself. My name is Doug Brown, 42 years old "birthday today" > > I live in Wichita Kansas, marred to a wonderful loving lady Debby. > > I have 4 children and 3 grand children. I have been diagnosed > > with PD for 10 years. I am afraid and feel as though I am losing > > control. I may be losing my job because of my illness. I am a > > Computer Technician and have had several of my customers > > complain that they no longer feel confident in my ability to support > > them. One of them called and complained about my apparent DTs. > > My employer has told me to take 3 weeks medical leave to get things > > under control before I come back to work. I have been passing out > > "not good when you drive 1000 miles a week" get confused easily > > and forget important information. I have been freezing lately and have > > fell a few times. I have lost 30 pounds in the last month and seem to > > be in a deep depression. My children and my wife ask me why I am > > upset and when I say I'm not they say that I always look like I am mad > > or upset and that I never smile any more. I have talked with my Doc > > about this and have started taking anti-depressants and made appt to > > see mental heath consoler. Will see a new Neurologist next month but I > > am afraid that I may lose my job before I get things under control. How > > do I talk with my wife about this she is very supportive, but she seems > > to tune out when ever I talk about Parkinson's I feel as though she is > > afraid to face the fact that my PD has progressed to this point. We > > have talked in the past "years ago" and she has said we will cross > > that bridge when we come to it. Well I think we have reached that > > bridge but we are both afraid to set foot on it. Any suggestions, > > advise would be appreciated. > > > > Thanks > > Doug >