Parkinson Denial

[Jean]

My 72 yr. husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six month ago by his neurologist. His Internal medicine doctor told him he doesn’t have Parkinson’s. He’s sticking with his Internal med doctor opinion and says it’s just tremors. His neurologist put him on ropinirole and his tremors improved a little. I think he has Parkinson’s because before taking the prescribed medication his movement was slow, his left leg was dragging and his stanch was a little hunched over. He had back surgery 5 yrs ago because his legs collapsed under him. The doctors told him it was sever arthritis. Now I wonder if that was a symptom of Parkinsons. We don’t say the P word because he’s in denial and gets mad if I mention it. Is denial typical after diagnosis?

[Sherman Paskett]

Everyone has his way of coping; denial is one that works for a while. One thing you can be grateful for with PD is that there really is no cure — the disease progresses no matter what you do — but there are things you can encourage him to do that will slow the progression of the disease. Encourage him to keep moving, get exercise, eat well (a Mediterranean diet is good), and stay involved with friends and family.

If there were a cure or even a pill that would significantly slow the disease he would lose opportunity for a higher quality of life through his denial, but since there isn’t, the disease will progress anyway and at some point he will give up on denialism and seek help.

[Jean]

Thanks, that’s a good way to look at it. He walks and exercises daily. Parkinson’s not going anywhere so eventually he will have to accept it.

 

[Author]

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