Hmmm, this hell does not seem so bad - yet

Welcome to our nightmare

So you have just been introduced to our dark companion and you wonder, what's next? I will assume you have not read my earlier entries. That's OK. I rarely re-read them and consequently, I don't know if I am repeating myself. If I am, I hope veteran readers will forgive me.

What's next?

First of all, don't panic. It is an upsetting diagnosis for most, but surprisingly you will be able to live with being a victim for a goodly time. I was diagnosed in 2011, having had the symptoms for a year or two prior to diagnosis. I am progressing but, touch wood, at a relatively slow rate. It has gotten a little worse the past few months, but I still lead a normal life. One reader has remained at an even slower rate, 16 or 17 years to reach where I am now. So try to relax, accept your situation and enjoy life. PD will not kill you and anyway, I am certain a cure or a stabilizing drug to stop the disease, will become a fact in my lifetime.

Take drugs or don't take drugs

The debate rages on. On the one side PWP put off taking drugs on the basis that if you start l-dopa too early (Carbidopa-levadopa or simply "l-dopa") you may get too much dopamine in your body. Too much dopamine may cause dyskinesia (abnormal, involuntary body movements) in the future which would interfere with life in later years. (see MJF on Letterman, 2015/4/15 - youtube) These PWP are willing to endure their symptoms to ensure a better future. The other side promotes taking the drugs immediately to stop the symptoms (they don't stop the progression, that continues unhindered), in the belief that you should enjoy life when you are younger and to hell with the future. I took the drugs immediately. Make a decision and try to live with it. (If you start with sinemet, and want to change sides and discontinue, you have to wean your body, so do not stop suddenly.)

Drugs, drugs, and more drugs

In a way, we PWP, are lucky. There are a plethora of drugs that can be used to control symptoms. For example, I take a dopamine agonist (look it up), l-dopa and amantadine 4x a day and they have put a halt to my tremor. It's not all good, I still suffer from:

• occasional festinate gait
• difficulty with word finding (dysarthria)
• dry mouth
• back pain
• exhaustion
• constipation

I can live with these. They are not with me constantly and at least one, constipation, is helpful. It offsets the "aztec two-step" that I suffered from prior to diagnosis.

I am growing weary. I shall continue in later entries. For now, keep in mind you are part of an exclusive community. There are only 5 million of us in the entire world!

The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I am going to press on." - Barak Obama