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I have begun to suspect that I may have Parkinson's Disease.  This seems
very bizarre, as my husband has Parkinson's.  He is 60, was diagnosed 2 years
ago.  I am 44 and have always been quite healthy.  About a year ago I began
to notice that I fatigued very easily.  THis has gradually become more
severe.  I wake up in the morning refreshed but within 3 hours experience
extreme fatigue, disorientation, and difficulty concentrating.  I have to
nap for 20-30 minutes before I can go on.  Then I am ok for 3-4 more hours,
then the fatigue hits again.  I thought this was aging or burnout at work.
In January I began to notice some other symptoms-- my left foot sometimes
drags when I turn to the right, and my left arm seems to find itself
bent at the elbow even when my right arm is resting at my side.  I also
notice twitching or little spasms especially in my hands when I am resting;
maybe this was always the case and now I am noticing it because I am
focusing on it.  I have mentioned these symptoms to several people and
they have suggested that I may just be overidentifying with Bob and
developing these symptoms out of sympathy or self-suggestion.
 
Does anyone out there have experience with spouses developing "sympathetic"
symptoms of PD?  how common is it for both spouses in a marriage to
develop PD?
 
I have an appointment to see a doctor soon.  Is there anyway to identify
PD in the very early stages?
 
Thanks for any thoughts on this,
Lynn