Hi, I’m Helen. I am a specialised dementia nurse in Scotland UK. My dad has had a lot of health problems over the years. Recently I have noticed he has a lot of signs/symptoms that are those of Parkinson’s. We are waiting for doctors to finish doing tests they are doing to rule out other things too. Our family and the doctors are thinking Parkinson’s though.
Is there any advice you would give to help us get a quicker diagnosis. It’s different dealing with things like this in a personal situation that a professional situation.
Very difficult.
Hi Helen,
We wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the forum. We understand the frustration that can come with waiting for a diagnosis, particularly during the current moment. We recommend you call our free and confidential helpline at 0808 800 0303, as our advisers may be able to help.
Best wishes to you and your father,
Jason
Moderation Team
Hi @Helz-9175 Welcome on board the forum, hopefully I won’t be the only one offering words of wisdom. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a quick way to a Parky diagnosis as your Dad will have to speak to a Neurologist and have a DAT Scan done to confirm that it is. With you Helen working as a Nurse you can find out if there’s a Parkinson’s Nurse in your area to may be discuss the symptoms with. If it is Parky then your Dad doesn’t need to change his lifestyle because of it, just adapt as and when necessary.
Hi @Helz-9175, I agree with @cruisecontroller. My route to diagnosis was GP referral to neurologist, neurologist appointment where he asked me to perform lots of exercises and then pronounced he was certain I had PD. Then an MRI followed by a DAT scan which confirmed diagnosis. Start to finish was several months.
One thing that seems universally acknowledged is that exercise helps control symptoms, so you could focus on that with your dad.
