Blog Archives
Parkinson’s Essay Turns 200!
Tomorrow, James Parkinson‘s essay will be 200 years old. Since his discovery, modern medicine has made strides with L-Dopa and Carbi-dopa breakthroughs that have become the long-standing gold standard of regimens. Not to diminish the importance of the Levadopa breakthrough, but that was over a half a century ago.
New drugs and procedures are slowly trickling out, but no one drug that I know of has impacted Parkinson’s disease as that of L-Dopa. To this very day, since my 1991 diagnosis, I have found benefit from this most amazing life-changing drug. I am very lucky to report that my dosage, even after all this time, is a lowly 3 pills (25/100) a day. I aim to keep my pill consumption to the utmost minimum, but only time will tell.
I am hopeful but impatient as I plead with any pharmaceutical company, researcher, doctor, or anyone connected with creating new innovations to the neurological world that a huge need is there, right now, and an escalating problem that will impact so many. I would offer detailed numbers, but at this time, as we have no hard numbers, for lack of a registry devoted to Parkinson’s patients, the numbers just aren’t gathered, yet.
On World Parkinson’s Day (4/11/17), like millions around the world, I will be participating in #UniteForParkinsons. Please join us to spread awareness via social media to the world about Parkinson’s disease. Visit https://www.worldparkinsonsday.com/#world-parkinsons-day for more information!
What Is It Going To Take?
I am quickly nearing the age of 50. To many of you reading this, 50 isn’t old. I don’t consider 50 old either, but I have had Parkinson’s disease since age 17, and that means I’ve had it for a long time.
When I was given my diagnosis at the age of 23, I was told by several people in the PD community that I would see a cure in 5 or at least 10 years. A quarter of a century later, I didn’t expect a cure but I had hoped science had developed better drugs, therapies, and that hospitals and retirement homes would have better understandings of how to care for people with this disease.
What is it going to take for the world to understand Parkinson’s disease? What is it going to take to develop new drugs with fewer side-effects? What is it going to take to get Parkinson’s disease seen as an illness that needs assistance, right NOW!
