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Hi Rick, Welcome to the list. You will find a wealth of information here, as well as many helpful and caring people. >neurologist, who after a couple visits made the diagnosis - PD. As I'm sure >all of you experienced, I was devastated. I had personally seen the ravages of >PD on my maternal grandmother. Devastated is something I'm sure we all felt when diagnosed. I burst into tears in the neurologist's office, and again at the resource centre to which I was referred. I was given some information and books to read, but couldn't for quite a long time. Just knowing it was a chronic illness was enough without reading anything about it. >Since that time things have been a real rollercoaster. Some good days - some >bad. A lot of us refer to this as the roller coaster ride from Hell. >The most bothersome thing that seems to have come with PD is what the >docs have termed: "emotional lability" (sp?). For some of us, myself included, the emotional part of Parkinson's is harder for us to deal with than the physical symptoms. You are fortunate if you have doctors who recognize this aspect of Parkinson's, because a lot of doctors don't. I went through a very bad time because of a neurologist who looked only at my physical symptoms. >I now seem to well up at even a sappy commercial! Even writing this is >difficult. This makes face to face discussions about highly emotional issues >(including PD) a big risk of embarrassment. >Most of the time I can avoid the "triggers" when I recognize >them in time. Once in a while though I have a "tear attack" that I cannot >control. In time this will pass and you will learn to adjust and adapt, and finally be open and frank with people about your condition. >Attending PD group meetings is out of the question. Why is this out of the question? Is there a Young Onset Group in your area? The first three meetings that I attended were tearful sessions, but everyone else understood because they had been there, too, at one time. I am now a co-leader of a Young Onset Support Group, and without the support of these people, learning to deal with this hateful condition would have been much more difficult. I highly recommend that you inquire as to whether there is a Young Onset Group in your area. > - not the career path for someone with a thin skin. I'm doing the best that I >can. I've had to state during testimony that I have PD so please do not >misinterpret my shaking and twitches for a lack of conviction regarding my >opinions. Stress certainly is our worst enemy, and someone on this list once stated, "PD ain't for sissies." The fact that you are doing your best, and also being able to state your condition, suggests to me that you are stronger than you think you are. >So much for brevity! It was helpful just to write this down - sending it >shouldn't hurt too much either. Thanks for letting me unload a bit. This is the place to unload, and if writing helps...write as often and as much as you like. I can't and won't tell you that it will be easy, but it is important that you take control of your condition, and learn as much as you can about it. Try to take it one day at a time, and try to think about the positive things in your life. Easy to say, I know, but I can tell you from personal experience, it's the only way to deal with this monster within us. All the best, Judith