My Father

I have also watched the deterioration effect of Parkinson's in my own family. My grandfather suffered from it, and I caught the tail end of it when he was having hallucinations of WWII and walking down the street in his underwear. I was too young to ever really have a conversation with him. DEFINITELY CHERISH IT. I wish I had spent time with him. I nursed him on his last day and I felt like I looked into his soul as his body went away. Apparently, when he was first diagnosed, his first question was, "will my daughters get it?" the doctor said no... sure enough, my mother has it. she is so early in it that she is not too bad, but she always mentions to me that she will not be able to walk or be able to function the same way. I wish she would think more positively...Bush is going away soon enough, so maybe, just maybe, stem cells can do something. Who knows? Nature takes its course. Please accept my condolences, and hang in there as much as you can. Like I said, nature takes its course...

my mom was diagnosed with parkinson's in 1997 so she had to retire from teaching a year after. now she stays at home all the time, she goes out only on sundays to hear mass, have her hair cut and her nails polished. i wish the tremors would go away. the only time i see her peaceful is when she's asleep. and i cry... i think most men would have a harder time dealing with parkinsons or any disease for that matter... men are used to being useful; and being not-so-useful might make them feel far worse. and we have to be brave...not only for ourselves...but for them. and i agree with you, CHERISH. make every moment special. that's the best we can do.

I am so sorry for you and your family. My mother was diagnosed with parkinson's disease less that two years after retiring from 25 years of teaching. i felt so horrible for her, like God had dealt her a really bad hand. to top this all off, our family is very familiar with this disease, as we watched my grandmother, (my mom's mom) slowly slip away. my mother has had this disease for about 5 years now and doing quite well. her biggest concern is that with the tremors she can't do alot of things she used to. she also gets tired quite abit. i wish there wasn't an issue with stem cell research, as i know someday they will find a cure for this disease, but unfortunately not quick enough. stem cell research can help save lives, but then you have those anti abortion people protesting. my view on that, the fetus was terminated, so why not use it to help others live?

My mother is 52 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's about 10yrs ago, although she had symptoms of it a few years before that, I believe. It is definitely a disturbing sight. She had the tremors, and the rigid or "frozen" look, the inability sometimes to move. The medication she was taking began to create dyskinesia most notably in her right leg. She did not want to walk anywhere or go out in public. One year ago she underwent a surgical procedure by which she had two pacemaker-like devices implanted in her chest, attached to electrodes that lead up to the brain, to simulate the messages that were once successfully sent there. She still takes some medication in tandem. The improvement has been absolutely dramatic to say the least: the tremors are usually nonexistent, or quite subtle. She has a little trouble with coordination sometimes, and does not have the strength she once did, but the improvement is immense, and her mood is vastly improved as well. To see her smile and laugh again is wonderful.

I am sorry to hear of yoour father's disease. As an MS patient, I can relate to this. I am sure your father is grateful for your support and concern, just as I am grateful for my wife and daughter's help over the years. Cherishing and love are the most valuable gifts you can offer. Hopefully, research, especially stem-cell research will find a cure for these diseases. But love is the best cure. Good luck and best wishes to you!