Your body takes you toward the light, stopping occasionally when a promising figment of another kind of light flickers and brightens your mood, but your optimism slowly dies. You have been in the tunnel some time when you realize the light at the end of the tunnel is a locomotive and it is coming your way. What will you do?
Ask a veteran. They too saw the locomotive's lights and they will confirm:
- PD is a progressive neurological condition of the brain. The brain is being attacked. Cells are
dying. It looks like the brain is losing, and will lose, the war.
- In the meantime, you will have to deal with some or all of the physical and non-physical side
effects brought on by the attacker's relentlessness: tremors, stiffness, muscle spasms. yada, yada, yada.
- The attack on each victim can be decidedly different. There is no way to predict the future, so relax and don't worry about the stage you have reached. For now, it is not the end of your world.
- Remember the PWP launched a counter-attack in the 50's, collimating in the discovery of L-Dopa and dopamine agonists in the 90's and later DBS. Each, in its own way, dealt with the symptoms of the enemy's attack. The victims had won some battles but the war continued.
The question is, when will it be over?
The veteran's response is, "When we have won." Then the war will be over. The good news is, we are starting to believe that the light is a victory, not a locomotive. So quiet the urge to dwell on your problem. Positive thoughts are necessary. Well.... that, exercise and nutrition can contribute to your weapons in your battle.
Doesn't hurt that scientists at places like the MJF Foundation are looking for the atom bomb that will destroy PD forever.
“There comes a point where you no longer care if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel or not."- Ranata Suzuki
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