“When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016, I remember holding my wife Marcie and apologizing over and over. I’d been a doctor in the Canadian military for twenty years, and then in public health services here in Newfoundland for another eleven years after that. Even though I hadn’t personally encountered anyone with Parkinson’s in the military, I did have a physician’s understanding of the disease. I knew that this condition was completely out of my control. Nothing I’d done had caused it. But I also knew it was going to put my family through hell, and I was so sorry.
My symptoms were pretty mild for the first couple of years. I lost some coordination in my left hand. I couldn’t move as quickly. My left foot would drag when I walked. But this is a chronically progressive disease, so the mobility issues and the tremors continued to get worse, and my treatment plan had to grow more aggressive.
I was just trying to find a treatment plan that would work for me, that would help reduce my motor symptoms. Would let me keep feeling as much like myself as possible. More than anything, I was petrified that my young grandson would see my symptoms, see my freezing up, and come to think of me as something strange and scary. Avoiding that was always a big goal for me with treatment.
As the disease progressed, I ended up on a combination of therapies and, for a while, I was feeling really good. But then I started to develop a psychosis. I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. I thought my family was trying to poison me. I tried to run away from home. I became a scary person.
In the end, I did put my family through hell. But it was my family who got me through it and out the other side. With their help, I was able to recover from the psychosis, rebuild my confidence, and find a different treatment plan that’s been working for me. For the first time since my diagnosis, it feels like the future is open to us. Marcie and I can enjoy our retirement the way we’d intended to, filled with travel and family, managing this disease but no longer being afraid of it.
I do still experience symptoms, of course. There’s no cure for Parkinson’s. But, when I freeze up, my four-year-old grandson will climb on me and say, ‘oh, poor DeeDee is frozen.’ And then he’ll just wait for me to feel better so I can play with him again.”
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The information presented here is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to be a diagnostic tool. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your health.
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