Looking Back - What Were Your Early Warning Signs of Parkinson's?

For me it’s walking. Some days I’m okay other days I can barely walk! Very frustrating! But no tremors or hallucinations, thank God!
I use both a cane and a walker. Very humbling for me.

Walking is a problem for me as well. I can still do so unaided, but I am really slow.

You described my spouse. He had all of these. He started getting hurt at work. Minor stuff. He decided to retire. He had tremors and small handwriting. That was earlier in the 2000's. He started having more symptoms like falling, trouble sleeping , fatigue, orthostatic hypotension. He has alot of diagnosises now. He is frustrated more. I don't blame him. Believe me if I could take this disease for myself, I would. Since 2022 he has had so many things happen to him. I believe for most of the time he has been a trooper and after going to numerous physicians and hospitalizations he perseveres. I am so thankful that I have this site to share and I know that other's care and understand. Thank you to all of you.

Loss of smell for bananas. Excess saliva. Early signs. Tremors.

Clumsiness, bumping into things and sluggish bowels and overactive bladder.

My spouse was loss of smell, tremors and vertigo. He actually retired as he was having small accidents at work. Which unless they were visible , I had no idea. He truly thought it would be safer. Looking back I think it was a great idea. We both were retired and we starting traveling and of course whatever we could do. It was great. 💕

Hello @azsingularity,

Many symptoms of PD are considered "non-motor" symptoms, which are indicative of a PD diagnosis in the future. I would encourage you to become familiar with these. Here is a link to an article from The Davis Phinney Foundation about non-motor symptoms: https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/resources/non-motor-symptoms/.

On the Davis Phinney website, there is a lot of good information for patients and caregivers about PD in general. You might find the webinars interesting. In these webinars you will see patients, physicians, and researchers discuss PD

My husband started with vertigo, tremors and a drifting gait. Now it is vertigo, tremors, drifting gait, right arm hangs and occasional slurring of speech. He also was having night terrors, but that has resolved since starting Ropinirole and Tramadol.

All of the above except the medications you mentioned. He has changed so much that sometimes I look at him and wonder where is the guy who always remembered everything. He was animated today because he went for evaluation for PT and the big one Speech Therapy. He was able to have another kind face in both of the therapists! I think he felt like someone besides me was really listening and getting him the best of care that he needs. Again he said things that he forgets to share with me. He said at the end "I did great" and I was certainly feeling the same thing.

It sounds like he has the most important part---you! You are key to his care. Your encouragement and caregiving will truly benefit him. My husband is struggling now due to a lower back issue that has pretty much disabled him in bed. After being passed around by doctors, I went back to the spinal surgeon and pleaded with him to help me find the issue in his lower back and fix it. I explained to him how it was laying my husband up in bed for nearly 1.5 months now and he is unable to exercise to help his PD. I explained how the steroid shots from pain management don't work and only shoot his diabetes into the 400/500 range, placing him at risk for keto and other issues. They previously found a lipoma on the spine, but no one, except 1 doctor who was not in charge, wanted to eliminate it. I was not taking NO for an answer, and the spinal surgeon has agreed to help now. I spent 24 years as a Criminal Investigator and then went into nursing to help people, and I never said no. When they said things were impossible, I showed them things were possible. My husband's journey is my journey too, and I will fight the fight with him!