Dad Living With Parkinson’s

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease increase in increments for those who acquire the disease. This brain disorder causes tremors and stiffness that can lead to difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. It is caused by the impairment and death of nerve cells in the brain (National Institute on Aging). Andy McDowell documents his experience with Parkinson’s on YouTube (Dad Living With Parkinson’s). Andy has early-onset Parkinson’s because his symptoms developed at age 43 and most people develop the disease after 50. His earliest symptoms included slurred speech, forgetfulness, and mood swings. It became difficult for him to drive, experiencing trouble moving his right foot to the brake on time. Eventually, he developed dyskinesia and trouble with talking and swallowing. Andy’s friend Andrew also has Parkinson’s and is receiving Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) treatment. Throughout the video (25:41), Andrew shows how he can control his movements and tremors with the DBS treatment on and it is uncontrollable with it turned off. This gives Andy hope. Andy tries to maintain muscle tone and gross motor skills by kayaking, hiking, and participating in other activities until he receives the DBS implant. I chose this condition to learn about its progression. I’ve learned that there can be an early onset and the movements made by those with Parkinson’s can be misinterpreted. It is easy to mistake the person for being drunk, drugged, or mentally impaired. I would recommend others to learn about Parkinson’s to reduce the stigma around the disorder due to ignorance. Increasing common knowledge can reduce the judgment of those who are showing symptoms. Andy’s video is a great insider to the early onset of Parkinson’s.

 

National Institute on Aging. Parkinson’s disease. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/parkinsons-disease#:~:text=Parkinson's%20disease%20is%20a%20brain,have%20difficulty%20walking%20and%20talking.

 

Attitude. Dad Living With Parkinson’s. YouTube. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bp9n60m3AY

Pictured: Andy McDowell

Retrieved from https://www.parkinsonsmovement.com/project/andy-mcdowell/