As I got ready to leave the Parkinson’s support group meeting, Diana looked over at me and remarked, “Wow, you put that coat on so easily!” The stiffness that Parkinson’s patients typical experience makes it difficult to dress so her comment made me realize just how well I am coping with this disease and that my symptoms are progressing much slower than most of the other folks in our group.

I’m not sure why this is, but as you know, I am trying to fight the disease on multiple fronts by exercising frequently, taking alternative, homeopathic remedies, and adapting to any new limitations, such as giving the coat an extra vigorous swing to get it around my shoulders to get it on.

The speed of the progression of the disease for Diana has been shocking. She was the facilitator of the support group when I first started attending about six years ago. Today she has intense unwanted movements – dyskinesia – and has noticeably impaired cognitive function, making it impossible for her to convene the group. She also experiences hallucinations as a side effect of the meds she’s taking. That’s something I hope I don’t ever have to deal with.

Despite my comparative better functioning than Diana (as well as many others), I do sense the relentless progression of the disease. I am having more difficulty with balance, although don’t need to use a cane. I am more frequently having trouble finding the right words to express myself as articulately as I

would like, although that doesn’t stop me from joining in the conversation. And, I occasionally feel a slight tremor in my right hand and more frequently feel some effects of dyskinesia.

On the form my doctor gives me with each visit to rate the progression of several PD symptoms, I still mark “don’t have,” on most of them, but on recent visits, I’ve marked a few more of them as “worse” compared to the previous visit, including those I mention above.

When I was first diagnosed, I asked the doctor, “What is he prognosis for PD?” He discreetly said, “In ten years, you’re going to need some help.” That was six and a half years ago.

I think I’m on a more gradual pace than that doctor predicted and will continue working to keep it that way. Thanks for your support, encouragement and patience.