Just got back from my visit with the largest Parkinson’s
group medical practice in the country. Turns out to have been a good idea. Of
course, only I knew the docs were auditioning to win me as a patient… I didn’t want
them to know I might be writing about them later in the day. Given my generally
skeptical attitude, and my lack of patience and respect even when it is due, I
wouldn’t want me as a patient. (Notice my clever use of patient and patience in
the same sentence? Just pointing that out.)
Also turns out that the people I met from this group are the
nicest, most professional, most concerned and helpful people I have ever met in
a medical environment. Let me fill you in.
While I found the doctor with whom I met on the internet, I got
lucky. (I would rather be lucky than smart.) She is a very senior member of the
group and an expert in a drug I take and which is a powerful agent with sometimes
problematic side effects. She said this drug was like heroin for PD patients
and wants to take me off it. I am fine with trying that. She wants to explore a
treatment called deep brain stimulation as a better therapy to control
symptoms.
She was successful in convincing me to be a guinea pig for
three studies sponsored by Yale University, UPenn and Columbia University in
searching for common denominators of the causes of Parkinson’s. I’m happy to
contribute blood samples, brain tests and whatever else I can. You never know
who may benefit in the next generation. It just may be my grandchildren. You’re
welcome.
A program coordinator gave me a brain test to determine if I
had any diminishment of my brain functions which can affect some PD people. The
test was challenging and when I took it, I thought I did only so so. I was
happy to find out I got a prefect score. (I told you, I’d rather be lucky than
smart.)
Conclusion: Finding resources beyond my single practitioner
was the right decision. My new doctor got me to thinking about how I want to live
the rest of my life. She caused me to want to plan for a long and productive
life given the fact that both my parents live or lived beyond 90. Mom is 96 and
going strong.
Who knows, if I live long enough, maybe a cure will be found
in my lifetime. Then I will have to find something else to complain and blog
about.
The photo below is the reflection of One World Trade Center on the 9-11 Museum. More photos at NYUrbanimages.com my photo website.
 |
| 9-11 Museum |
No comments:
Post a Comment