The Frozen Man… Chapter 7, Tremor- I’m All Shook Up

“On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points.”                   -Virginia Woolf

Mr. Parkinson Rides Again

Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind.
The goal is to find it. -Buddha

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated this blog as to my conflict with Parkinson’s disease. I say ‘conflict’ for every day is like fighting the dragon; win, lose or draw. Since I last wrote about PD, I’ve attended a 28-day clinical trial and moved to St.Augustine, Fl. which required me to find another neurologist. And since April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, this seems like a good precursor to next month’s activities.

Mr. Parkinson Goes to Clinical Trials, Part 2

You have to cry with your own good tears, you have to laugh with your own good cheer.   -Toad The Wet Sprocket

Upon my acceptance into the program, I made arrangements and decided on the week I would check in. I am self-employed so it was not hard to schedule the time. They required me there for 7 days, checking in on Sunday and checking out on the following Saturday and told me to fast the night before and not to take my medication as they had to draw blood upon my arrival.

Levodopa is the type of drug that if you don’t take it at scheduled intervals then you feel the lack of it immediately. The term for this medication as to its’ losing its effectiveness is ‘off ‘ as compared to ‘on’ when it is effective. So I was definitely ‘off’ after fasting without coffee or meds. Upon arrival, I was instantly rushed to a chair to sit down. But even in my lethargic state I could tell something was wrong.

Mr. Parkinson Goes to Clinical Trials, Part 1

When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease I went online and signed up for newsletters, free publications, and became a member of several major Parkinson’s foundations. As you may have guessed, I have collected tons of information and the one thing all these sites suggested is volunteering for clinical trials. Yet for some reason, I did not think they were talking to me? Maybe that was the ‘denial’ part of me; if you take part then you acknowledge you have Parkinson’s.

One day a friend gave me the phone number from an advertisement, looking for volunteers for a Parkinson’s study. I asked my neurologist about it and with his encouragement I called the number, left my name, and did not think twice about it. After a few months, I received a call from a research facility and they