Parkinson's Disease - Things to Consider
Being faced with the diagnosis of Parkinson's or any other
disease is a frightening, but don't allow that initially felt
fear, confusion, or even denial to cloud your judgment.
Doctor's are great at diagnosing diseases, but they 100's of
patients and together with all of the paperwork and insurance
headache, they tend to not personally get involved with each
patient.
Meaning that you need to be the "captain of your own ship". You
need to consider a number of things, such as:
Finding the "right" doctor, or doctors, for you. Develop a team
of doctors, therapist, etc., that you trust and enjoy speaking
with.
Join a support group near you and be on the look out for forums
on the Internet where you can "chat" with others similarly
affected so as to learn about solutions to problems and new
treatments that you and your doctor may not be aware of.
All of the questions and thoughts to consider here are for you
to ask yourself, your doctor(s), and other Parkinson's patients
who you get to know via support groups and/or Internet forums.
* Why did I get this disease?
Might have been a genetic predisposition for them to develop it
or environmental factors that played a role, such as where they
lived or elements of their workplace.
Or were lifestyle choices such as diet, personal habits and/or
exercise to blame?
* What treatments are available?
If the symptoms are mild some doctors may prescribe nothing more
than change in diet or suggest including more exercise into the
patient's day-to-day routine.
For symptoms to are more severe the doctor may prescribe
medication. Levadopa (Sinemet