Sharon

Diagnosed at 57

Six years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Sort of. The first neurologist I saw put me through the usual tests: tap your toes, your heels, open and close your hands, touch his finger when he moved it, etc. He then declared that I had a Parkinson’s-like tremor. Huh? A Parkinson’s like tremor? What does that mean? He immediately put me on Requip with plans to gradually increase the dose over the next few months and sent me home.
I stayed with him for about six months but still wasn’t getting any answers and was feeling worse from the Requip. My internist then sent me to the Movement Disorders Clinic at UCLA. There I found the right doctor who confirmed that yes, I did have Parkinson’s, and sent me home with a lot of reading materials, websites to check out and a different medication. And even better, she is into yoga as therapy for Parkinson’s. I had been practicing yoga for about two years and I found it was good for reducing my tremors on the days that I went to class and I felt better all around on those days.

For the last six years I have found that knowledge and optimism are what gets me through each day. I have become a compulsive researcher on the internet. As a result, I have been getting calls and emails from friends about a relative or friend or coworker who was recently diagnosed and could that person call me. I recently started a blog to share my thoughts and experiences with others, and encouraging them to submit their stories too.