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I'm new, and have been 'lurking' for a few weeks now,  but have not posted as
I have not had a diagnosis as yet.

My name is Sue Bunce, I am 45 yrs old and since a whiplash injury 8 years ago
have suffered from some unusual symptoms.  These include VERY excessive
weakness, double vision, blurred vision, distorted field of vision, transient
numbness, tingling, aching joints with numbness/burning and fascillitaions
(correct spelling?).  I also have a great problem with memory, organisation,
in short, cannot get to grips with anything mental, and yet a mere 2 years
ago I was a mature student at university studying Bsc in Archaeology and was
their top student (or was that in a past life!! It certainly seems like it).
I also seem to have developed an odd sort of tremour in my arms, legs and
worst of all, my head nods on bad days like the nodding dog on the back shelf
of a car.  The beat of the tremour is pretty slow (approx 2 per second) and
appears to be a postural one, rather than a resting tremour.

The reason for my message, however, is that I very frequently fall and have
to be rushed to hospital (it's become a home from home now).  I would
appreciate anyone replying who could advise me on the freezing aspect of PD,
as I definately slow down, (thoughts too), then stop, cannot move at all or
speak, then fall.  My breathing is slow and shallow, my heartbeat is also
slow, I am concious, but to the paramedics appear totally unconcious.  When
they pinch my ear lobes or base of my nails, it really hurts, but am totally
unable to move.  My hands twitch, however, and my eyelids blink very rapidly
(I believe this is called blepharoclonus) at regular intervals during these
'turns'.

I have, in the past been diagnosed as having post whiplash syndrome,
fibromyalgia, ME, maybe MS (but clear MRI), epilepsy (then was told not as
clear EEG) and then psychologically very challenged (had psychological
assessment - normal, had psychiatric assessment - normal).  My doctor has at
last admitted to me that he no longer thinks I have a psychological problem.
HOORAY.  I think this is because I asked for copies of my consultant reports
and found that two years ago the CAT scan had revealed bilateral
calcification of the basal ganglia (apparently this can cause PD and
dyskonesias).

I would really appreciate any responses at all from the group, as the medical
profession is letting me down somewhat, and I feel the only progress to date
has been due to my own research.  As I have no training in medical matters, I
find this rather worrying.  Please help if you can, sorry this is so long.

Sue