Every day a blessing

So you have been diagnosed with PD. Well, boo hoo. You are alive and have a future and believe this, the fear of a future with PD is worse than the future itself. And there are people worse off than us.

I met with a family yesterday. It was a sad meeting. Two ladies and their mother who were meeting with me to talk about their future, without their father. The mother had arrived home a couple of days earlier to find her husband dead. An aneurysm or massive stroke and sudden death. He was the picture of health when I did some work for him a year ago. I will take PD any day.

I consider myself lucky that all I have is PD. I can live a fairly normal life with the shaking palsy. I could have one of the other forms of parkinsonism.

From the European Pakinson's Disease Association, here is the low-down on parkinsonism. You will understand why I feel lucky:

What is Parkinsonism?

Parkinsonism is the generic name given to a group of conditions that feature the main characteristics of Parkinson’s: tremor, rigidity of muscles, mobility problems and bradykinesia (slowness of movement).

About 85% of people with parkinsonism have the most common form, Parkinson’s disease (also known as PD or idiopathic Parkinson’s disease).

The other 15% of people with parkinsonism have different, much rarer conditions.

Corticobasal degeneration (CD)

CD is a rare type of Parkinsonism that can affect mental processes, personality and behaviour, as well as causing Parkinsonism symptoms. It tends to be asymmetrical and causes an ‘alien limb’ phenomenon, where the person’s arms or legs can seem to move without control, as if with a mind of its own. CD has some similarities with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)

DLB shares features with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. Because of its similarities with the symptoms of dementia (such as memory loss and variations in alertness and attention) it is often confused with Alzheimer’s. But about 75% of people with DLB also develop Parkinsonism symptoms, in particular being susceptible to falls.

Drug-induced Parkinsonism

Some people develop Parkinsonism after they have taken certain medications and people with Parkinson’s may also find their symptoms worsen when they are treated with these medications. This is known as drug-induced Parkinsonism.

The medications involved are generally those that block the action of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that is depleted in the brains of people with Parkinson's. These include antipsychotic/neuroleptic medication used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric problems, prochlorperazine (Stemetil) used to treat dizziness and nausea, and metoclopromide (Maxolon) used to treat nausea and indigestion.

Essential tremor (ET)

ET is a common neurological condition, often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s. Its cause is unknown, but can run in families, resulting in fast, rhythmic trembling in the hands, head, legs, trunk or voice. Whilst the tremors experienced by people with Parkinson’s are apparent during rest periods, ET is an ‘action’ tremor - it is more pronounced when the affected part of the body is being used, for example in the hands when writing.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA)

MSA is a progressive neurological disorder that causes problems with movement, balance and the automatic functions of the body, such as bladder control, sweating and blood pressure.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)

PSP is also a progressive neurological disorder. It predominantly affects balance, but also impairs mobility, vision, speech and the ability to swallow. A particular feature that many people with PSP experience is difficulty in moving the eyes when trying to look up or down.

Vascular (arteriosclerotic) Parkinsonism

A form of ‘atypical Parkinsonism’ in which Parkinson-type symptoms are produced by one or more small strokes, rather than by a gradual loss of nerve cells.

Several small strokes in the Corpus Striatum in the brain (the part that receives information about position and movement) can cause Parkinsonism symptoms, such as Rigidity and slowness, walking with short, shuffling steps and speech problems. This is known as vascular (arteriosclerotic) Parkinsonism and can be difficult to distinguish from Parkinson’s. However, Stroke symptoms tend to appear suddenly and do not progress, whereas those of Parkinson’s are gradual in appearance and worsen over time.

Every day a blessing

There are worse things than parkinson's so stop worrying. You can do nothing about the future except plan to live life to its fullest.