Hi,
My Dad has been in Hospital for the last week and he is now being treated for Parkinson’s, so I have come to this amazing site for as much info as I can find out. He has had a brain scan and today is having a full body scan, all will be sent to Kings as they have also identified a small benign tumour so they want to make sure nothing else is going on with that.
He has a tremor in in leg for a while now, his GP was aware but i think they just felt it was his age (81) plus he is diabetic. But over the last year I think the tremor has got worse and i have noticed his movements are slower.
Last Tuesday he felt very poorly and we made contact with 111, I was so glad that they took him into hospital with a possible infection, as from that, his medical history is being fully looked into to see what is causing his shaking, which the consultant has advised me today that they have started medication for Parkinson and he will be referred to a Parkinson consultant in a few months.
So here I am his daughter, trying to find out all I can, i’m so worried as he lives alone and I’m worried how is really going to cope going forward. I feel if i can fully understand the condition that is the best place to start maybe.
Any advice from anyone else in this situation would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks and take care.
Hi @Woodsie and welcome to the forums.
Sorry to hear about your dad’s admission to hospital, hopefully with the treatment he is now receiving he will get some relief from his symptoms and will be able to return home soon.
We have a dedicated area on our website for people affected by a new diagnosis of Parkinson’s here and our Parkinson’s and You Booklet can to answer many of the questions people have when they are diagnosed.
Do also have a look at our Caring for Someone with Parkinson’s pages which many family members also find useful.
If you would like paper copies of our publications for your Dad or other family members you can order these for free on our online shop here.
We also have our Helpline and Local Adviser service that you can contact for a further chat and help you find out about local support.
Warm regards,
David
Forum Moderation Team
Hello, first thing to say is don’t panic. Your reaction to find out everything you can is entirely understandable but I urge you to not to dive in headlong, you are likely to be overwhelmed with information overload or be horrified at the apparent future your father faces. Granted it’s not a condition to be welcomed but reading it cold can distort the reality for the individual. It is a very complex condition with both motor and non motor symptoms that together cover just about every bodily function known to man (or woman!) it doesn’t mean your dad will experience everything. Take for eg arguably the thing most people will associate with Parkinson’s ie shaking, tremor, I was diagnosed 10 ½ years ago and I don’t have tremor. Far better to deal with things as they develop one step at a time especially in the early days until diagnosis is confirmed, medication sorted and so on.
Nothing will immediately change you do have some time to get used to all that’s happening. It’s getting late and my typing is developing a mind of it’s own so I’m going to have to call it a night. However it may be worth reading some other posts as you will quickly get a feel for best early days advice. The best thing you can do for your dad by far is just to be there and try to stay positive. I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting it’s an easy road but it’s not the end of the world either unless you choose to see it that way. Hope this helps a bit, we’re always here if you need. Got to go typing has had it for tonight - if you saw me now you’d never believe I earned my living for years as a bona fide touch typist!