My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's about 6 years ago, but we figure she has had it for about 10 years. My great grandmother lived with Parkinson's as well for over two decades. It skipped a generation with my grandmother and got Mom, so I am hoping that I will be skipped in the long run, we shall see.
Parkinson's isn't just about body shaking, here are a few of the symptoms:
My mother was like the Energizer Bunny, now it takes her so much longer to walk anywhere. Her short term memory is shot. She can't write, so I do all the writing in the household. She doesn't smile like she used to because of the facial stiffness. She has started having delusions; she blows them off as dreams, but that just isn't true. It is progressing at a slow rate, so she is on pace to have it as long as Great Grannie did. It's a devastating disease.
Right now she lives at home with me. Eventually she will be in a care facility. Before that, we might be able to keep her here longer with a nurse helping.
When I talk about the disease here, it's going to be observations on what I see with my mother, research I have done, and how the disease affects my family and friends, as well as myself. If this is something you don't want to hear about, avoid this thread. This is therapeutic for me to talk about it here. I will vent in here as well, so if you don't like foul language, I would avoid this thread as well.
It's a part of my life, so it needs to be discussed. You ready?