Parkinson's

Recently, like very recently, less than four weeks as I type this, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I've been having concerning symptoms for the past few weeks – well, years, I know now. My symptoms started a couple of years ago, with fatigue and trouble sleeping – which I didn't know then are fairly common early symptoms of Parkinson's. About a year ago I started having anxiety, which is also a common symptom of Parkinson's. And a few months ago. I started having balance problems. (About 40% of people who have Parkinson's also have anxiety; about 80% of people with Parkinson's have trouble sleeping and fatigue; they are sometimes related, and sometimes not. Everybody who has Parkinson's Disease, and many people who don't, struggle with balance.)

Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological disease in which the dopamine producing cells in the body's substantia nigra die, reducing the amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical which, among other things, is related to motivation and to motor control (that is, control of our bodies), and also to automatic processes (things we otherwise do without thinking about them).

So, how has Parkinson's affected me so far? Thanks for asking! I don't have any pronounced tremors, if that's what you mean, although my neurologist did initially say I have Essential Tremor. First of all, I don't drive; I rely on my wife and my parents to get me anywhere I need to go.

My vision is often affected. Sometimes I get double vision, not like on Gilligan's Island, when Gilligan gets hit on the head with a coconut and sees two of the Skipper; I just can't always tell how many things there are – are there two cups of coffee on my desk right now, or just the one I brought in here with me? It's like my eyes don't work together, and each one sends me an image. (I often close my left eye; keeping one eye closed usually clears things up).

Other things are is affected too, like my speech. I often speak with a flat aspect, and slur my words or say the wrong word; sometimes I'm hard to understand; I'm in speech therapy for that. I move slowly (I sometimes tell people I walk funny and I talk funny). And I sometimes lose temperature control.

The biggest affect of all: There are grab bars all over my bathroom

Also, in the last seven months I've had four MRIs, two X-rays, a nerve test, physical therapy, been given the SCATBI (Scales of Cognitive Ability for Traumatic Brain Injury), and have seen a host of people with M.D. after their names.

My speech language pathologist (who administered the SCATBI) tells me there's no cognitive impairment as a result of Parkinson's.

I guess I have to find another reason I write like this.

Any suggestions?