This insightful story appeared in the Fall Kansas City PD newsletter.
PART 1 of 3
MY PERSONAL BATTLE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE by Royal S. Buchanan
600 Carolina Village Road Hendersonville, NC 28792
After nearly 80 years of singing and public speaking, mostly just for the
fun
of it, my voice began to fail. There were just subtle changes in the sound
quality noticed only by me. The thing I noticed most was that my voice was
just
inefficient; my breathing not longer supported the air required.
At about the same time (just a coincidence) I had a regular appointment with
my
internist whom I had known for more than twenty years. I was referred to a
neurologist who ordered numerous scans and tests to locate a possible tumor.
None was found. "Well," he said, "We know what it isn't." During the
physical
examination, he thought he detected a slight tremor in my right knee and this
gave him some reason to suspect Parkinson's. Small amounts of Sinemet
verified
that I responded favorably to Parkinson's medication.
It has been eight years since I first complained of dizziness. I'm sure
there
were signs before that, if I could have known to ask the right questions.
For
example, the condition which many Parkinsonians refer to as dizziness, is
actually "postural instability" (unsteadiness). It has little or no
connection
with the dizziness experienced when one rises from a chair too quickly.
About two years ago I developed a phobia of falling. No one can comprehend
the
feeling of terror, not just fear, I had. My body reacted with breathlessness
and
muscular rigidity. The fear of falling makes one more likely to fall! I fell
and broke my right shoulder; recently I broke my right hip; both falls mostly
due to my fear. I am now in a nursing facility where my physical needs are
met.
My activities, however, are quite limited.
I am reaching a limit as to the amount of medication I can take, thus it
will
have to be adjusted more frequently. "Less is best," seems to be the
philosophy
of most doctors.
There is always hope that a treatment will be developed. Hopefully, it will
be
something to postpone the onset or delay the progression of the disease until
a
cure is available. In the meantime, there is much that Parkinsonians can do
to
contribute to the life going on around them. One must remember that
Parkinson's
affects muscle, not mind. The mind, however, is like a muscle. You must
"Use
it or lose it." Exercise your mental muscle along with plenty of physical
exercise. Lots of good friends and a good sense of humor are also helpful.
This is especially true on days when "Less is best" isn't quite enough!
(Editor's note: Nursing homes tend to be totally inflexible when it comes
to
medication. But if you are still at home, believe "less is best" and have
your
doctor's permission--chew part of a 25/100 Sinemet and drink a glass of water
when your medication starts to run out.) Part II - Primary Symptoms defined
---------------------
posted by Barbara Blake-Krebs [log in to unmask]
