@A MyParkinsonsTeam Member - hi and welcome to the MPT gang. One thing you will notice is how eclectic the research we do can be...PD treats each of us differently, which is part of the frustration with this (expletive deleted) condition.

On the other hand, there is plenty to share, which increases our knowledge pool. I was diagnosed in 2010...My own research before then brought several things to light:

- I had started showing PD symptoms for at least five years prior to the diagnosis
- I was 95% certain what the diagnosis was going to be.
- I had a LOT to learn
- The combo of physical symptoms, mental symptoms, and crossover (i.e., which was the cause and which was the result) was formidable and often contradictory
- The definitive information available about PD was equally contradictory.

And so on...I could go on and on about the "nature of the beast" - my story contains a fair sample of what I am, what symptoms I have and what I do to deal with PD day to day, including what works for me and what doesn't.

There are a couple of things which are critical to dealing with PD:

1) Physical exercise - do it, do it and keep doing it.

2) The person with the PD has to take at least the first steps in dealing with this condition - there are plenty of people among the MPT gang who will provide insight, support, information, an occasional well directed joggle of the elbow and share chuckles. But the 'parkie' is the one who has to start the process.

3) Do it NOW, whatever "it" is.

4) Share chuckles - they are there and without them, one doesn't really live...they just exist.

That is a fast, roughly constructed intro to how I deal with PD - like the condition itself, it is a bit different for each of us.

Thus the reasoning behind what I say - items 1) 2) 3) and 4)above are the only two things I have discovered that seem to have any consistency. For what it's worth, that is "Dealing with PD 101" a la @A MyParkinsonsTeam Member - there are plenty of other views and suggestions from the MPT gang that deal with their own situations.

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A MyParki...

A MyParki...

My husband was diagnosed in 2004 at the age of 50. He also was told he had PD 3 to 5 years earlier. So he is considered Young onset PD. The same as Michael J Fox. So I understand Young onset and the PD you can get at a later age are different, OR are treated differently. Young onset PD can be hereditary, we can’t find ANY family members with it. Also welders (from the Manganese they inhale) and rural farmers ( sprays) have a higher incident in getting PD. Buck and I strongly believe his was caused from an Uncle squirting him with poison from the fruit orchards. Buck was 8 or 9 and driving the tractor for his Uncle, if he was hit with a limb, ( intentionally or not) he would spray Buck. He remembers that it would burn him and if there were a ditch close by he would jump in and wash it off! But the damage was done! There are many different symptoms with PD. Tremors, big movement, internal tremors, freezing ( not the cold type) shaking, just to name a few. Bucks started with a tremor in his big left toe, then moved on to his left leg shaking. This affected his left side for some years. Now it is in both legs, but the left is weaker. His hands are just beginning to shake a tiny bit, mostly when stressed. Buck has the BIG movement, he is falling now, He is bent over when he walks ( to compensate for falling), his head is stuck to the left, and has movement. He doesn’t blink as much as a normal person so he has trouble with dry eyes, a common occurrence with PD. He can’t talk as loud as he use to, has speech problems, his hand writing is also being affected, can fall asleep ANY where ANY time, he is forgetting things, the beginnings of dementia, did I mention they can get dementia? It is associated with PD? Bummer, they fight soooo many battles, it would be nice to not have one more added to them. But he perseveres, gets up every day, does something to keep moving. Never gives up and tries harder then anyone I know to not slow down or stop! This disease is not for sissy’s! He says to me, “This is not going to get me, I am fighting hard to stay alive and moving, I have to much to live for!” Bravo Buck! And Bravo to all who battle PD and their Caregivers!! you are the most courageous people I know! So I hope your research will bring new discoveries to help or even better eliminate Parkinson’s from this earth!!

I am a caregiver also .That would give you a different point of view. Times the caregiver can give you more imformation. My wife conditions where these other patients can't sleep my wife sleeps on an off 16 - 20 hours a day. She falls backward a lot but when she looses her balance but she will sleep anywhere even standing up. If i can help you let me know. Roanna could help you with a lot of imput also.

@A MyParkinsonsTeam Member, I can help you as well. If you are interested, put @A MyParkinsonsTeam Member in your reply and I will get an e-mail letting me know that you responded. I will then forward you my contact information and we can talk about my life with Parkinson's.

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A MyParki...

A MyParki...

I can help,what do u need