Hi Janet-- I appreciate your thoughtful concern. I'm thinking about the
points you raised. Peter had had infrequent falls for a year or more
before they began to increase. He is able to walk pretty well at times
(early AM) when he is ON, and by evening will usually be stooped and
unsteady. There have been some adjustments in meds, trying to maximise
both mobility and cognitive clarity within the bounds of possibility.
Extra Seroquel made him trembly and weak, so I dropped it. Extra Comtan
added to hallucinations, so I cut back to one a day, etc. As for the
dementia, I undestand that it is BOTH a med reaction AND the progression of
the PD, as he is one of the "lucky" 1/3 of PWPs who gets this "bonus".
(which you, my dear, obviously don't ! <G> )
His neuro is an MDS in the neuro. clinic at U. of Cincinnati, and quite
willing to work with us in trying adjustments. I don't think Peter is
"obstinate"--rather, he simply forgets the walker, which he says he knows
he should use. The other new symptom he has developed increasingly is an
inability to control his bouncing up and down and getting off balance at
times, which caused a fall this AM as he was getting (with my help) from
chair to walker. He was not clear enough to follow directions, and didn't
let go of the chair arm, which started to roll backwards. Being thrown off
balance , even with me trying to hold him, he couldn't stop the
uncontrolled movements, and we both ended up on the floor, unhurt. He did
manage to get up , with help, this time.
I wonder in view of this info you have further thoughts about it?
>hi all
>
>the circumstances around peter flintermann's falls still concern me,
>from the "this-parky-could-be-me" frame of reference
>
>despite some comments to the contrary
>in re dissimilar patient situations,
>i have expressed doubt that peter's falls are muscular in origin
>simply because of peter's history, as camilla has shared it
>
>balance problems are an important secondary symptom of pd
>ergo they are neurological in origin not muscular
>
>as i understand it
>peter has not suffered from falls much at all prior to last december,
>just five months ago
>
>he was diagnosed with pd 12 years ago
>i was diagnosed with pd 13 years ago
>
>i know we are all different etc etc ...
>
>but when a symptom changes or develops comparatively quickly
>it strikes me that something other than pd's normal slow progression
>is at work.
>
>apparently, his neuro wants to 'insist' that peter use the walker;
>maybe from peter's (apparently obstinate) point of view,
>the walker couldn't possibly help him, since the falls happen without warning;
>maybe he fears suddenly falling and getting entangled (or worse)
>in the walker itself due to the aforementioned suddenness
>but can't express his fears clearly
>
>just as we may tend to attribute every ache and pain we have to "the pd"
>i wonder if there might be a tendency to dismiss every "obstinacy"
>to "the dementia" or to "cognition problems"
>
>there, but for grace, go i
>
>janet
>
>janet paterson, an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit perky, parky
>PD: 54/41/37 CD: 54/44/43 TEL: 613 256 8340 EMAIL: [log in to unmask]
>"a new voice" home page: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ .
>"new voice news" latest posts: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nvnNET/ .
>
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Camilla Flintermann <[log in to unmask]>
on the web at http://www.geocities.com/camillahf/index.html
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