Living with Parkinson's Disease - Meet others & come say hi

Hello @mshad69,

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) a number of years ago.

If you are comfortable sharing more, what are your main symptoms of PD? Do you have problems with walking, speech, balance, falls, etc."? Have you been prescribed any medications yet?

One of the most important ways to keep yourself from being disabled is exercise. Try to find an exercise program that you enjoy. There are exercise programs specifically for people with PD. Here is a link to a Youtube video with one of them, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNWqyKluZgg&t=107s

Yes I am on medication I also went to physical therapy and I think the exercise program they gave me is very good

Hello @mshad69,

I am glad to hear that you are now on medication and have had physical therapy. Have these treatments helped you?

What type of symptoms do you currently have with Parkinson's? I' thinking of things like foot-dragging, difficulties walking, etc.?

Yes these exercises have been great just mild symptums at this time. Medication is helping tremors. Still Mild but not too bad

@mshad69

I am glad to hear that the meds and the exercise are helping.

Do you have any other concerns you would like to share?

Helping my 85 year old mother live with Parkinson's. It is getting quite challenging, her dementia is getting worse, and stabilizing meds (adjusting dose) are always a challenge.

@misol
Hello Mary and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear that your mom is dealing with both Parkinson's and dementia. That is a tough combination for her and for you. How long ago was your mom diagnosed with Parkinson's?

You might be interested in joining our Caregivers group here on Mayo Clinic Connect. You will find others, like yourself, who are caring for family and friends who are having physical and emotional difficulties associated with aging and disease. Here is the link to that discussion group, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/caregivers-dementia/

With regards to your mom's physical symptoms: is she walking, talking, and swallowing with difficulty? Is dementia causing her to have memory or personality problems?

Hello. My mother was diagnosed about six years ago. She is living in a senior living center, in independent living. She is walking pretty well, the Sinemet has helped that tremendously. Her talking and swallowing are getting more difficult. And yes, her dementia is really affecting her memory. We have the nurses at her facility put together her medications daily and bring them up to her every morning. She takes Sinemet 3 times a day, and they label the pill box accordingly. that has helped tremendously. In terms of her personality...she is more paranoid, and the filter between her brain and her mouth is definitely not there anymore, lol! She gets very frustrated, as she is aware of her memory problems. The isolation caused by COVID-19 has not helped with her mental well-being. We really need nice weather so she can get outside.

@mlsol

Mary, I'm so glad to hear that her meds are organized for her. That is a great help! I certainly agree that given our COVID restrictions it has made mental stability more difficult for older individuals. Are you able to visit her at the senior living center?

Has your mom been given any speech therapy? Speech therapy can be a great benefit for swallowing issues as well as speech. If she has not had this kind of therapy I suggest that you inquire about it with her neurologist. Those of us with PD will get speech therapy from time to time. I try to do it annually.

I hope the weather gets warmer in your locale so that you can get your mom outside a bit more. That is a great idea.

Have you had the opportunity to take a look at the Caregiver's discussion that I mentioned?

Hi Teresa, as with all of us, my mom has her good days and her bad days. She gets very frustrated with both the physical and mental effects of PD and her meds. The Sinemet has really decreased her appetite, and she has lost quite a bit of weight. We have been able to maintain her weight with protein drinks and bars, but she really notices it when she looks in the mirror. We have slowly been adding to her wardrobe, as she now wears smaller sizes.
Her biggest annoyance lately has been her lower lip. I'm not sure how to describe it, but the skin below her lip line basically looks swollen. I googled it and looks like it can be a side affect of PD?
I have checked out the discussion on dementia, but have not been able to spend a lot of time on it. I will though!