I have been waiting for six weeks to hear from Dr. Lang. If I do not hear within a week or so, I may hve to contact Dr. Jog at Western in London. Thanks for the suggestion. Raj [log in to unmask] ************* ----- Original Message ----- From: "Emily and Julian Brinac" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 9:35 AM Subject: Re: Introducing myself > Hi "Brightline" > I hope you will find more answers with dr Lang. If you do not like the > clinic, you may want to go to Western University hospital clinic in > London. Their movement specialist is dr. Jog. > Emily > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Brightline" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 7:44 PM > Subject: Introducing myself > > > > Dear Friends: > > I am not new, but I have not been very actively involved so far, > except > > sending a couple of comments once in a while. I am 68, running on 69. > I am > > an officially retired, but very much active, profesor and my area of > > research was and is cancer. I have been having what everybody thought > was > > ET (action tremor) since my teen age days. But, come to think of it, > I had > > a slight facial mask from my twenties or thirties. I recollect in > 1972-73, > > some of my close friends use to tell me: "You have a nice smile and a > good > > heart. Why don't you use them to your advantage, instead of putting > up a > > sorrow face all the time?" I am not sure if I had an early onset PD > with > > very little true PD symptoms (no resting tremor, posturl instability, > > drooling etc.) As a hind sight, I am sure it might be true. > > In 1998 (at my 65th year), when I was lecturing in my class, I > noticed a > > slight, occasional slurring of my speech. I did not even dream of PD > in > > thse days. Then, I started noticing my right arm did not swing as > good as > > my left. My action tremor in my right hand became very highly visible > and I > > began to notice by 2000 my right leg was doing the same in synch with > my > > right leg, when I did smething with my right hand fingers. Buttoning > my > > shirts takes a lot more time. By the end of 2001, I could not > reproduce my > > signature; however my handwriting did not become tinies andtiniesas > it > > should be for PD; simplyh I cannot right one word without my hand > running > > crazy all over the place. I was lucky I knew typing. Even that > becomes > > very difficult now days, since a couple of my fingers would not want > to bend > > when I type some letters! > > By the year 2000, I was convinced some thing strange was going on > There > > fore I saw a neurologist. She told me I ws having ET and not PD. > Then I > > went and saw the only local Movement Disorder Specialist who thought > tht I > > was developing PD on top of my ET. I went through the initial phase > of > > denial and sought a second opinion from another MDS at Bethesda > Univesity > > Hospital. She assured me that I did not have PD and prescribed > Propranalol. > > When my lo al MDS heard this, he refused to see me! Propranalol had > only > > transient effect on my tremor; soon I started developing high blood > pressure > > (this is a beta blocker and is not supposed to do this!), increase in > weight > > and blood sugar, and lethargy and low pulse rate. I stopped taking > > Propranalol; I lost my gained weight, blood sugar became normal, > normal > > pulse rate, and my action tremor was getting worse. I have developed > mild > > postural instability and occasinal drooling, along with sightly > progressed > > speech slurring. > > I saw another neurologist who prescribed sinemet CR, which I have > not > > yet started taking. In the meanwhile, the news about mirapex and > requip > > delaying the progression of PD. I am wondering if I should see > another MDS. > > I am waiting to get an appointment with Dr. Tony Lang in Toronto. > > More about me later. > > Raj > > [log in to unmask] > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn