Parkinsons disease. is it as bad as i think???

[GreatAuntieWurly]

It turns out that my dad doesnt have lung disease, he actually has parkinsons. I'm in bits and feel sick.

Is it as bad as i think it is or with treatment can he still have a good quality life?? He is bad at the moment, very forgetful, can walk very well - he shuffles everywhere, is sooo tired all the time.

Any advice would be great.

I don't know much about it but a family friend who was a sufferer looked at the diet route and by excluding lots of stuff his symptoms really improved. He thought it was all nonsense until one evening they went out for a meal, ate lots of "forbiddens", next day he could hardly move.

My FIL had Parkinsons.

What would you like to know?

Things may well improve if he hasn't started taking any treatment yet. But it is degenerative so over time it does progressively get worse.

He can have a good quality life, but it is degenerative. You'll probably find that (once they get the medication right) he will be relatively "normal" for a fair chunk of the day. They'll probably need to adjust his medication several times a year, though, and that's likely to lead to a wobbly few weeks each time. He (and you) should get in touch with your local Parkinson's Disease Society -- there will probably be a programme of events and local groups he can join.

There are also various new treatments and surgical procedures, but whether they are appropriate for him will depend on his age and how he's being affected.

TBH i think i'm more scared that they now have a good idea what is wrong with him. I have looked up the symptoms and they are everything that he has. I'm just so confused with it all.

he has to go and see a neurologist (sp??) in 3 weeks time to see how bad things are.

One important thing will be getting into a routine -- always eating at the same time of day, getting a regular bedtime, etc. Disruptions to routine can have knock-on effects for a couple of days.

My dad has had it for nearly 15 years. It's a horrid, horrid disease that robs you of the person you knew

Is there anything specific you'd like to know? Sorry not to be too positive - it's a hard road, especially for the main carer.

My nan had parkinsons, she had a pretty good quality of life. She lived on her own for 20 years after my grandad died, she had to be careful not to push herself too hard and of course had bad days but managed really well. It's really important to get the right combination of meds and at the right doses but hopefully the doctors will help get on top of as much of it as they can soon. It's like most things, some people are more affected than others. Be careful what you read on the internet, you tend to get worse case scenario on the medical sites, it will not necessarily all apply to your dad (I have much experience of scaring myself stupid!).