Parkinson’s disease: A journey of hope

Because those with Parkinson’s Disease may have different symptoms, physicians often have great difficulty in positive diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Cheryl Waters of Columbia University Medical Center relates in More Than Motion, a Parkinson’s informational magazine, that (as of now) “there’s no standard laboratory test to determine if someone has PD…. But a skilled neurologist can diagnose it through an examination, especially if two of the four major symptoms bradykinesia/slowness of movement, postural instability, rigidity, and tremor are present.”

“I was diagnosed…when I was in Florida… They [doc¬tors] said if the meds don’t work, you don’t have Parkinson’s,” Jack McAllister, Sun City resident, said.

Indeed, Dr. Waters continues, “The doctor may prescribe a PD medication to determine if the patient responds. But it’s fair to seek a second opinion from a Parkinson’s specialist after a first diagnosis.”

Since Parkinson’s Dis¬ease is diagnosed primarily as a voluntary muscle and movement disorder, what then are other motor symptoms that may be indicative of the malady? These symptoms are freezing or the inability to begin movement; micrographia or small, cramped hand¬writing; weakened volume of voice and lack of vocal inflection; lack of facial expression; and trouble with balance.

Reverend Harvey Feustel, another Sun City resident, was diagnosed easily due to exhibiting the last three traits.
“I received a 2003 diagnosis. I lost power in my speaking voice earlier,” he said. “When I saw my first doctor with my flat face and my left arm not swinging when I entered the office, he told me immediately that I had Parkinson’s.”

As far as the non-motor symptoms, Jackie Remington of Woodstock ex¬claimed, “This is the weird-est disease I have ever seen!”
Though she was a former pediatric nurse, Remington had no idea what was wrong with herself.

“I can still remember the day; the tendons in my foot were showing rigidity or neuropathy. I thought it was an extension of plantar fasciitis,” she said.

“I was having trouble turning in bed. I couldn’t tell my husband how to help me,” Remington add-ed.

Jo-Ann Golec, a spokes¬person, volunteer, and board member for the Mid¬west Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association, informs those afflicted with this problem that slippery sheets and satin PJs help. In fact, like Remington, Golec also had no tremors to help her diagnosis but knew that she felt terrible for years before Parkinson’s was given as a name for her problem.

Golec continues to have difficulties in many non-motor symptoms of the disease.

“Some of them may be tough to identify…like sleep disturbance and fatigue. Others like constipation and depression may seem at first to have other causes. But the list can be long…. It includes excessive saliva, weight gain or loss, vision and dental problems, skin problems such as the possible increase in melanoma incidents, and cognitive impairment,” Golec said.

A loss of the sense of smell along with urinary tract infections is also add¬ed to the list by Golec, as she proclaims, “There is no end to items related to P.D.”

Next edition: Part 3 of 4, Managing the illness

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