Advice on Parkinson's

[Mike Bowler]

Anyone out there with Parkinson's or family with it .Wife been told she as early staggers of it.I'm worried about her,I care for her now as she has a lot of stuff wrong with her already .she has chronic pain disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis,already

Thanks in advance

 

[Janne]

I feel for you!
Only thing you can do is what you are doing, and hope that the neurologist she sees is decent!

She will need to take medication that slows down the progress, L-dopa is the most common one.
No doubt she will be prescribed various meds to see which one is best for her.

As you are already helping her it will not be much different for you.
Be strong and I wish her good luck!

 

[Macaroon]

I have a brother who was diagnosed with it about three years ago. They have just now found the correct balance of meds for him and although there's no pretending the disease is anything other than grim, he's now on an even keel, so to speak, and has a decent life at the moment. He is able to look after himself enough that he preserves his dignity in terms of personal care and hygeine but often needs help with cooking and suchlike.
He found it very difficult to stay with the program for the time it took to stabilise his drug regime but is now comfortable with his meds.

He says that the one thing that has been really helpful to him, head and shoulders above all else, is a regime of twice-weekly Yoga sessions and twice weekly Pilates; those two changed his whole outlook on it all and continue to provide him with both peace and a good level of fitness and suppleness, both very important with Parkinsons as the usual physical habits change drastically and fitness tends to take a back seat.

The one thing that he needs help with on a regular basis is remembering to take the correct meds at the right time (crucial) both because of forgetfullness and lack of motivation.

I really hope that your wife comes along with it as well as possible, It really is a classic case of catch it as early as possible and it can be held at bay and a decent level of comfort provided.

Good luck to you both....................

 

[Mike Bowler]

I have a brother who was diagnosed with it about three years ago. They have just now found the correct balance of meds for him and although there's no pretending the disease is anything other than grim, he's now on an even keel, so to speak, and has a decent life at the moment. He is able to look after himself enough that he preserves his dignity in terms of personal care and hygeine but often needs help with cooking and suchlike.
He found it very difficult to stay with the program for the time it took to stabilise his drug regime but is now comfortable with his meds.

He says that the one thing that has been really helpful to him, head and shoulders above all else, is a regime of twice-weekly Yoga sessions and twice weekly Pilates; those two changed his whole outlook on it all and continue to provide him with both peace and a good level of fitness and suppleness, both very important with Parkinsons as the usual physical habits change drastically and fitness tends to take a back seat.

The one thing that he needs help with on a regular basis is remembering to take the correct meds at the right time (crucial) both because of forgetfullness and lack of motivation.

I really hope that your wife comes along with it as well as possible, It really is a classic case of catch it as early as possible and it can be held at bay and a decent level of comfort provided.

Good luck to you both....................

Thank you so much for your help and advice

 

[oldtimer]

Ivan Vaughan, an ex-colleague, contracted Parkinson's disease in 1977 and wrote a book charting the progress of his illness in the hope that this would help in the understanding of the disease and be of benefit to those directly and indirectly affected by it. The BBC made a documentary film of his story as part of the Horizon slot.

The book is: Ivan, living with Parkinson's Disease. By Ivan Vaughan. Published by Macmillan 1986. ISBN 0-333-42454-9

As Ivan himself points out, medical science moves on rapidly and this book was written a long time ago. However, it is a personal and sensitive account by a professional psychologist and his experiences reach out across time. His intention was to be of help to those similarly affected in the future. I have a treasured copy of the book, which I am willing to lend you if you are unable to get a copy elsewhere: Ivan and his family would want me to do this.

Please drop me a PM. Hope this helps.

 

[Bullrover]

You may want to look into the Ketogenic diet which has had some promising results. Dr Berg has some information worth researching

 

[Janne]

Not sure if I would trust a chiropractor about diet.
Or anything else outside my lower back problems.