My mother has Parkinson's Disease. In case you don't know what it is exactly, here it is in a nutshell:
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of certain nerve cells in a part of the brain (substantia nigra) that produces dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, that the brain uses to help direct and control movement. In Parkinson's disease, these dopamine-producing nerve cells break down, dopamine levels drop, and brain signals directing movement become abnormal.
The classic symptoms of Parkinson's disease are shaking (tremor), stiff muscles (rigidity), and slow movement (bradykinesia). A person with advanced Parkinson's disease also may have stooped posture, a fixed facial expression, speech problems, and problems with balance or walking, as well as a decline in intellect.
Full article here: http://my.webmd.com/encyclopedia/article/1833.50913
Anyway, my mom has reached the point where her meds aren't working as well as they used to. She has about a 2 hour window now where she will quit shaking after she takes her meds. So, she has to plan her days activities around that.
So, it was nice to read in today's paper about some breakthroughs that have been made researching Parkinson's. In fact they've found out a popular supplement may help slow down the progression of the disease. I was pretty excited reading about this and was about to send the link to my mom, but my sister beat me to it! Anyway, here's a link: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1833.51414
Better be killed than frightened to death - Robert Smith Surtees
Posted by Valkyre at October 15, 2002 08:29 PM