Hello All,
My name is Peter. My mother is a PWP. She's had PD about 10 years
(diagnosed 8 years ago). I found the Parkinsn web sight while looking for
information concerning how PD affects swallowing. The following is a note I
e-mailed to several places today.
To Anyone w/Information,
My mother has had PD for about 10 years. She has always eaten very well
even though I have heard that PD often affects a persons ability to swallow.
But, yesterday my mother would not swallow. She was not having a good day at
all. She had had the flu a couple days before. Any food that was put in her
mouth just sat there. Liquids would dribble out the corner of her mouth. She
did drink through a straw about 20 oz. of liquids but that was all. My
question is, is this how the problem of swallowing for people with PD begins
to manifest itself. My mothers care giver did manage to get her to eat some
yogurt during the night.
I will be thankful for any information anyone can give me on this. I am
sending this note to anyone I think might be able to help.
A concerned son,
Peter
___________________________________________________________________________________
Since I sent out the note I heard from one of my mother's care givers
that she is eating very well today so maybe it was just that she was not
feeling well and knew if she ate she would get sick. My mother has a lot of
dementia so she doesn't communicate real well anymore. I would still like to
hear what peoples experiences have been with the swallowing problem. How
about feeding tubes? How bad does it get? One person I talked to several
years ago attributed her mother's death to her inability to swallow caused
by PD. My mother has a living will which states, "If I am in the final
stages of a terminal illness or if I am unconscious and unaware of my
surroundings with no reasonable hope of a reasonable recovery, I do not wish
to be kept alive by artificially administered food or fluid (IV's or a
feeding tube)" So, who decides what the final stage of a persons life is? My
mother is probably 50% of what she was a year or so ago and 75% or less of
her normal self before PD. But she still has great moments of laughter,
enjoys good food, likes a hot bath and a massage and a warm bed, looking at
photos and pictures in magazines, watching TV, going out to eat, going for a
car ride, etc. etc. Well, I guess this is all just food for thought right
now.
I have one brother and 3 sisters but they all live out of state. Anyway,
I'm new and don't know how much I will be able to contribute to all of you
or gleen from you. Time will tell. God bless you all.
Peter
Peter Mock
1014 Lake Ave. S.
Duluth, MN 55802
Ph. 218-722-6026
cell 218-348-3941
e-mail [log in to unmask]
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