Dear Bob:
Thank you for clarifying the meaning of your statement. I wonder if I
am being too finicky, or if it really does matter how we speak to each other
in a forum where we all have some urgent connection to this disease. I've
known about my diagnosis for 2 yrs. I am learning worlds about it every
day. Frequently, however, I gravitate back to a system that helped me get
through the beginning storms of despair: what I can control vs what I can't
control. These two boxes unfortuneately keep changing their contents. But
for the most part I can often lean on them to give me strength and (some
small) security.
I can (in some remote way) deal with the effects of "complications"
being the cause of death. (In a similar way, no one dies from AIDS, but from
infections which the body cannot repel.) - and now I am wondering again.
How similar in the final years is PD to AIDS, excluding the obvious, looking
just at the increased vulnerability of the PD ravaged being.
Bob, I've had some shocking things said to me by doctors...."PD is
nothing." and "You're too young to have it." and "I just want you to
forget you have it and get on with your life." I'm truly sorry if I sound
critical. I don't mean to at all. I think I'm becoming a "difficult"
patient. There are things I really want to know. I'm trying to take as
much responsibility for my healing and the quality of my life as I can.
Sorry if I put you on the spot.
And to Carol, thank you for the insurance reassurance. And to Bent
Willow, your points are extremely interesting. I'll take them up with my
doctor.
Barb Rager
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert A. Fink, M.D. <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, June 11, 1998 3:14 PM
Subject: Re: "he died of his PD....."?
Barbara Rager wrote:
> But you are a medical person. What do you mean that he died from
this?
> I'm sure that we are all aware of complications associated with it which
> could eventually be terminal in their own right: pneumonia, choking,
> falling. etc. But did you in fact mean to say that Parkinson's is
itself
> a terminal illness? I think this is an important distinction. I would
very
> much like to have clarification from you or anyone else with information
on
> this matter.
Barbara,
You are indeed correct. My father-in-law actually died of pneumonia
but the complications of his PD played a major role. He was, as I
previously wrote to the List, 92 years old and had some "other
things" wrong with him also; but the PD, by immobilizing him, did the
deed indirectly through the pneumonia.
David had responded well to Sinemet and later the addition of
Eldepryl; but he eventually escaped the effects. He was not
interested in surgery and we respected his wishes (and I actually
agreed that he was not a good candidate for pallidotomy). He was
mentally sharp right up until the end.
Best,
Bob
***********************************
ROBERT A. FINK, M. D., F.A.C.S.
Neurological Surgery
2500 Milvia Street Suite 222
Berkeley, CA 94704-2636 USA
Phone: (510) 849-2555 FAX: (510) 849-2557
WWW: <http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/>
mailto:[log in to unmask]
"Ex Tristitia Virtus"
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