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Janet 'n Rick, et al.... I've seen two movement disorder specialists (Dr. Robert Iacono of Loma Linda University School of Med. and Dr. Gary Heit of Stanford University School of Med.) and 2 "general neuros" over the nearly 23 years I've had PD, plus an assortment of internists for various non-Parkinson's related things. Almost without exception I've been told how "lucky" I am to have youth onset PD as opposed to developing the disease later in life, due to the generally slower decline of YOP. From my own observations, I'd have to agree....errrrr... that is if ANYONE with PD can consider themselves to be "lucky." Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] ---------- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Janet Paterson Sent: Friday, June 19, 1998 9:22 AM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Re: Help and info for pd friend of friend - alarm bells hi all rick and i agreed to share this dialogue with the list janet >Subj: Re: Help and info for pd friend of friend - alarm bells >Date: 98-06-19 11:57:15 EDT >From: Janet313 >To: [log in to unmask] > >In a message dated 98-06-19 11:24:44 EDT, you write: >>Hi Janet, >>Your response brought up a related issue with me. I just visited >>my neurologist yesterday for a medication check and we talked >>about young PWPs--he sees about 4 of them including me. He >>contends that YOPs "decline" faster than older Parkinsons people. >>I am not sure if that's just his experience with his patients >>(excluding me) or whether there's some basis in fact for this view. >>I'll be damned if I'm going to start projecting my imminent demise >>just because of something a doctor says!! Your experieince >>is clearly not following my doc's opinion. >> >>Rick 47, 6 months or so > > >hi rick > >and... absolutely! > >as one who has suffered with gallstones for 8 years >which were misdiagnosed [and treated] >as nerves, stomach ulcers, lack of self esteem, and infectious hepatitis, >in that order > >and also as one whose father's throat cancer >was brushed off as a bad cough for six months > >i have to admit to a certain cynicism >when it comes to the 'doctor as god' medical training >that seems to have been rampant in the past >[and seems to be declining at present] > >your doctor's comments that younger parkies decline more quickly >has not been borne out by what i have read > >i believe that yoppers tend to have the 'rigidity type' of pd >[which is the 'type' more suitable for pallidotomy] >rather than the 'tremour type' >and that they [we] are more prone to clinical depression than oopers [?] > >it's also likely that yoppers are more prone >to have developed pd as trauma-related >[i suffered a head injury and a pesticide exposure in the same year >in 1981 when i was 34, and noticed the beginning symptoms >three years later] >rather than as a part of general aging and deterioration >[if everyone lived long enough, they would all develop pd] > >but if there's any one thing that i have learned about pd >is that it is as individual as the body-bag [!] >that it moves in with > >we all have our own unique bio-chemical 'signatures' >as unique as our fingerprints >and the chemical imbalance that is pd >is equally varied in its manifestation of symptoms >and its response to pharmaceutical chemicals > >i refuse to listen to anyone, expert or no, try to forecast the future >none of us are in the driver's seat and none of us have a map >but i have complete faith in the bus-driver > >which is not to say that i can't make the trip >as positive and as rewarding as i can >for myself and for others > >your cyber-sis > >janet > >ps >whew >you must have hit a nerve! >would you mind if i posted this to the list? >i think our dialogue is important enough to share a new voice: http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/index.htm pwp event calendar: http://newww.com/cgi-bin/do_cal?c:pwpc 51/10 - endocarb/selegiline/fluoxetine - [log in to unmask] janet paterson, eic, ccs