Hello, I’m Mark and I’m newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease on the 24th of May.
Quite severe on left side of body with a mild right side. I’ve had symptoms just over a year with huge progression over the last 6 months. Tremor in left hand, regidity arm, hand, leg, foot and face, I lost my smile and ability to communicate and speech problems. I could go on but I won’t. Put on madopar which has helped with the regidity and face which is great until it wears off again.
I had bacterial meningitis in December 2014, 4 years to get better and have suffered chronic migraine since then, now Parkinson’s! I have stopped looking at what might happen down the line, if I don’t know I cant think about it so I say! I’m really overwhelmed by it all. I’ve difficulty walking along with my arm tucked into my side then my voice gets tired. I’m wondering now is it better to speak to a Parkinson’s UK councillor or a councillor who could help me with what I’ve been through from meningitis then getting a kick in the teeth with Parkinson’s? Thank you so much for reading. Mark
Hi and welcome to our forum, Mark. You’ve really been through a lot so it’s not surprising that you feel overwhelmed. I can only imagine how stressful this is with the worrying about what might come next. It would be very easy to think like that. We do, however, have a lovely friendly bunch here who are ready to welcome you and make you feel at home.
It’s hard to say which counselling would be better for you but it won’t hurt to give our Helpline advisers a call on 0808 800 0303 in the morning and I’m sure they can guide you from there. I do hope that whoever you do speak to can bring more of a calm space into your life.
Looking forward to hearing how things go.
Take care 
Janice
Forum Moderation Team
Hi mark, that’s really overwhelming to read little and go through yourself and wishing you all the best with the treatment which sounds positive at least. I am nearly drivers myself on the 2nd of May, so around the same time and do suffer the same left-sided weakness rigidity in my left arm. I’m very grateful for the things that I can do… look after yourself and very happy to chat any time if that helps. I’m going to support group on the 13th so feel that may be helpful for me so hopefully there’s something in your area as well. Mark
Hi Mark WELCOME well what can I say that no other member has said, you have done really well to come through with what was thrown at you . It is very hard but take each day as it comes, is there any thing that you like to do and can still manage to do. do it, Must addmit when I first had PD I joined a PD group but this was not for me, even though they were very kind. At the time I was still green bowling so I raised money for Parkinson’s UK but running two comps. This is not everyones cup of tea but it is me, PD conditions are getting worse but I keep thinking what should I do next THAT I want to do and like. So has one door close’s another opens, So do what you want to do even if people think were strange, let them think it, Please keep posting were all here to help.
Hello Mark,
Yes as Mary said, you have done so well to get to where you are. I hope you have good medical support around you so the medication can be reviewed when necessary and you get the best treatment.
Sending you best wishes
Steph
@MarkCooke So sorry to hear about you being diagnosed with PD on top of all the other health issues. Tired voice, arms not swinging, deadpan face are some symptoms I am having too.
I applaud you for reaching out, I believe you have found the best way forward.
I have continued in my day job, help the wife with some of the housework, (i find sweeping very therapeutic) I practise playing the guitar and singing for an hour everyday even though I am only half as good as I once was, but I won’t give in without a fight, just like you.
Cheers
Hello @MarkCooke
Welcome to the forum. I can only agree with what the others have written above. You have indeed been through a lot and now you’ve been clobbered with a Parkinson’s diagnosis - you must be wondering what you have done to deserve this and the answer is absolutely nothing. If you were ever in any doubt that life just isn’t fair I think you can say that you have well and truly proven that point. The question remains however what now,? How do you move forward when you were just beginning to get your life back when the tidal wave that is Parkinson’s came knocking at your door…
To answer your last point first. You were asking about counsellors. I personally think that the overriding consideration is that you find someone you are comfortable with and can trust,; he or she should, if they are worth their salt, be able to help whatever their background might be.
I can’t tell you how, when or what your ex;eriences will be over the coming weeks and months because they will be unique to you. Nor will I insult your intelligence by telling you that having Parkinson’s is a walk in the park once you get used to the diagnosis. It’s not. It can be challenging, frustrating and give rise to a roller coaster of emotions. What I can tell you is that with time things will settle down for you. I say that in part because it’s not possible to live with the heightened state of emotion you are currently feeling. At some point you will realise that your life is continuing and that it is not all the bleak black hole it probably seems to be to you at the moment… You will probably find that hard to believe right now, but it will happen.
You, like me and everyone else with Parkibson’s have to find a way to live with the ever present Parkinson’s because it is a fact that, as there is no cure, cannot be changed. For me the key thing is to remain positive. I have written about this many times on the forum and it is my main driver. I won’t bore you with exactly how this works for me just now, but you don’t have to read many of my posts to find it’s a common theme in my approach to my own Parkinson’s. My way may not be your way but you will find a way to live with Parkinson’s in your life, it can however, take time and is not always easy… You are very recently diagnosed and it is a strange and scary time. Coming on the back of everything you have been through, it should be no surprise that you feel totally sideswiped by your Parkinson’s diagnosis. Believe it or not you are doing ok, be kind to yourself, and concentrate on what you can do and what you need to know now to get you through these early weeks and months. You can and will come out the other side. We’ve all been there is some shape or form and lived to tell the tale. So will you.
Tot
hi,MarkCooke! I do warmly welcome in this forum family