A VISIT WITH THE NEUROLOGIST

Well, as I said before, we were pregnant and less than a month from delivery when I finally went to a Neurologist.
My first stop was at the local level here in town where the doctor said he was certain I had PD but in order to eliminate stroke and other possible issues he ordered an MRI and some other stuff I don't recall.
What lead to me going in the first place was the fact that the tremors on my left side had become much more visible and I felt that I had lost a lot of strength on that side. My wife had watched these changes occur ever so slowly and I could feel them now in my own body. One other person that works for me at Advance Auto also noticed the loss of arm swing and loss of use in my left arm even before I really noticed it. When she questioned me and I started to take notice I was kind of shocked that it had happened so slowly I had not been aware of it. Thanks TK !
Anyway, I had also noted a couple other things and I knew it was time to go get the news I had known myself for several years confirmed.

The local guy looked over the tests and recommended a world class research neurologist at UVA , we will call Doctor Fred. I knew of him thru my brother who had been diagnosed 5 years earlier and my appointment with him was set. He agreed and provided a little more insight...

By now, my older brother had been diagnosed with PD+MSA which is a much more devastating and fast moving strain of PD. Dr. Fred told me that there was only about a 3% chance mine would turn out like that. That was a year and a half ago but I won't fully believe that until I hit about 5 years in and don't see signs of MSA. I will tell you, it is a terrible manifestation of an already nasty illness and it scares me to death.
Dr. Fred also taught me how to "feel" the stiffness in my left side and started me on a drug called mirapex. Check out the side effects of these little jewels sometime when you have time....

Anyway, my wife felt I was in denial because I came home and went to work the next day and it life as usual. I was relieved to know for sure what I had been guessing for years and saw no reason to get all excited. They say knowledge is power....They also say ignorance is bliss....I never can figure out who "They" are but "They" must be pretty smart folks because both are true just at different times.

In my case , what my wife took as being in denial was just my phase of ignorance is bliss. Even though I knew some about PD, I would soon find out and experience more than I cared to know. It is safe to say that I am ignorant no longer.............more to come.