Hi as the title states I am feeling so overwhelmed. My Dad (76) has had 2 strokes and 4 weeks ago we were given the news that this had brought the onset of Parkinson's . Last week he was rushed to Hospital with a bad water infection which has now been cleared up but it seems as though the Parkinson's has hit him, he has a stare in his eyes, he is shaking, and cannot talk at all, are these signs of the disease, I know the shaking is, he cannot sit up in his hospital bed unaided without pillows either side of him and he is struggling swallowing . I feel like I have been hit by a truck at the moment it's so hard to accept that Parkinsons could have come this quickly. Any advise would be appreciated
Try not to despair Lynney, hopefully there will be a neurologist on hand at the hospital to give you some answers as to whether your dad's current difficulties are because of Parkinsons.
Everyone has different aspects of Parkinsons, and some people have difficulty swallowing, but it might just be that's he getting anxious about everything and it's causing the trouble swallowing as (I think) swallowing difficulty usually comes later on, if at all. (My mum has had Parkinsons for nearly 9 years and hardly ever has any trouble with swallowing).
I guess he probably needs lots of reassurance from family and friends, so try your best not to show you're scared, and continue to use this forum to voice all your fears / ask questions.
I find with my mum that everything is a bit of a 'combination' of things, so your dad being weak could just be a combination of being in hospital, having had the strokes and a water infection, combined with the onset of Parkinsons and also if they have given him any medication at all. And if he's having trouble swallowing, he won't be eating much so that will add to the weakness.
Hope that you'll get all the answers you want sooner rather than later, and don't forget to look after yourself while it's all going on, so that you can be strong for him when he gets out of hospital.
Tessa
Everyone has different aspects of Parkinsons, and some people have difficulty swallowing, but it might just be that's he getting anxious about everything and it's causing the trouble swallowing as (I think) swallowing difficulty usually comes later on, if at all. (My mum has had Parkinsons for nearly 9 years and hardly ever has any trouble with swallowing).
I guess he probably needs lots of reassurance from family and friends, so try your best not to show you're scared, and continue to use this forum to voice all your fears / ask questions.
I find with my mum that everything is a bit of a 'combination' of things, so your dad being weak could just be a combination of being in hospital, having had the strokes and a water infection, combined with the onset of Parkinsons and also if they have given him any medication at all. And if he's having trouble swallowing, he won't be eating much so that will add to the weakness.
Hope that you'll get all the answers you want sooner rather than later, and don't forget to look after yourself while it's all going on, so that you can be strong for him when he gets out of hospital.
Tessa
Welcome to the forum, Lynney!
I repeat the message: do not despair. Many Parkinson's symptoms are reversible with time and medication. While it is true that difficulty swallowing usually comes in later stages, it was my strange experience (and I have heard of other such cases) to have it at the beginning of PD. It was brought on by another illness or trauma, just like your father's case, and lasted only about a week or ten days. In the succeeding 15 years, that particular symptom has never returned.
PD is unpredictable and varies from case to case, but I hope your father improves soon under good care. Best wishes!
I repeat the message: do not despair. Many Parkinson's symptoms are reversible with time and medication. While it is true that difficulty swallowing usually comes in later stages, it was my strange experience (and I have heard of other such cases) to have it at the beginning of PD. It was brought on by another illness or trauma, just like your father's case, and lasted only about a week or ten days. In the succeeding 15 years, that particular symptom has never returned.
PD is unpredictable and varies from case to case, but I hope your father improves soon under good care. Best wishes!