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I've been receiving E-mail messages for about a week now and very much appreciate the variety of experiences and information. I'll briefly tell my story. I was initially diagnosed with PD in 1987 at the age of 47. The primary symptom was a tremor. Treatment with sinemet 25/100 was fairly effective until about 1991, when it seemed no amount or kind of drug could stop it. I had a thalamotomy at Mayo Clinic (actually St. Mary's hospital in Rochester) and that stopped the tremor. (The neurosurgeon, Dr. Pat Kelly, who is now at NYU, said it was the most violent tremor he had ever seen, but then he probably tells all the guys that!) All was well until a couple of years ago, when the tremor (plus rigidity) began on the left side. I'm now on sinemet CR 50/200, permax, prozac, and (to get a "jump-start" on the day), sinemet 25/100 early in the morning. On balance, I feel pretty good about my life and about the future for those of us who have PD. I guess I prefer to look at the glass as half full. I don't believe that's denial. It's simply a more enjoyable way to live. Besides, I think thoughts are things and how and what one thinks affects his/her life. I remain very active, working as the executive director of the State Bar of Montana (a job requiring the patience of Job, which is good training for PD), try to get a lot of physical exercise (climb a nearby mountain and fish a lot), and have the support of a wonderful wife, three grown (and wonderful) children, and a caring and competent neurologist. I had no intention of writing a book, so will close, except for one question: has anyone had any experience with bee sting therapy? As Dave Berry would say, this is not a joke; there is truly an alternative "medical" treatment involving bee stings. While I'm a great believer in exploring all options, I'd rather not be a pioneer in this case.