Yesterday I attended a neurological outpatient appointment for what I thought was going to be a treatment plan for a trapped nerve. I attended alone and was not prepared for the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s. My view is obscured as I worked as a Macmillan nurse for some years early 2000 and my experience of people with PoD is colored by thi. I don’t have a treatment plan and I don’t have any other information . I am now waiting mri and dopamine check with review in 3 months I am only61. Struggling with what my future is going to be if I have one.
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Hi @PeterStuart, thank you for your post and welcome to the Forum. We hope you enjoy being part of the community here.
We are sorry to hear of your diagnosis and understand how concerning a time this must be for you. Please know you are not alone and we are here to help. We have information on our website for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s, including a checklist on things to do and links to support that is available to you. You can find it here: Newly diagnosed with Parkinson's | Parkinson's UK
We also have a free, confidential helpline you can call on 0808 800 0303. You can speak with one of our specialists who can answer your questions and offer you the advice and guidance you need as you navigate this.
We hope this helps. Do reach out if there is anything we can do.
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team 
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Hi!
I am so sorry that you had to get that information alone and out of nowhere. This is very understandable how you feel right now.
Because of your experience with Macmillan, you may be automatically thinking about the complicated cases you have been dealing with years back. However, please do not think that these pictures from the past determine what is going to happen tomorrow because there are a lot of advancements in treatments and management of symptoms since the early 2000s, and most patients lead their active lives years after their diagnosis.
Here are some quick tips for the meanwhile until your review comes up:
Contact the Parkinson’s UK Helpline (0808 800 0303): There are advisers and nurses available who will give you answers, help you understand the MRI/dopamine scans, and listen to you.
Take someone with you next time: Do not go to your review alone but take a friend or family member to support you and take notes.
Do not google anything late at night: Use only official resources such as Parkinson’s UK website instead of searching the internet where almost all results show the worst possible scenarios.
Just take it one day at a time. Our community is always here for you if you need to talk.
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Hello @PeterStuart @louisowen2608 dopamine check ! MRI scan ! Do you mean a. . DAT SCAN , i have never heard of a “ Dopamine check “ what does dopamine look like ! . Advancement in treatment. Like Apomorphine hydrochloride Infusion or injection pens and the new one foslevodopa–foscarbidopa. But that’s a long way off for you Peter , you will be on something like Stanek 100/25 to start with , my wife just had a pain in her shoulder. We believed it was an injury form a fall off a horse around a year before.. but no. A DATscan showd lower intake on one side .. Parkinson’s is a progressive condition, like lots of things .. it could be 5 /10/15 years before you notice any real problems.. best thing excecise…. Thank you for being a Macmillan nurse.
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That makes sense, thanks for clearing that up 
I meant a DaTSCAN but definitely used the wrong wording. Your wife’s experience shows how easily the early signs can be mistaken for something else. I also agree about exercise — probably one of the more positive things Peter can focus on right now while he’s waiting for the scans and next appointment. Hopefully he gets some clearer answers soon. 