I’m a 38 yo wife and mum. I live in Sydney, Australia and I work full time as a Legal Secretary.
I am going to see my doctor this week as I have had a tremor in my left hand for 3 years and it’s getting noticeably worse. I went to a neurologist in Jan 2019 when we lived in a regional area, who said “you’re just stressed”. We moved to Sydney and when I saw my GP he dismissed the tremor as “it’s nothing, you’re fine” but then proceeded to tell me how shockingly bad my balance is… especially on my left side…
Fast forward to now, over the past couple of months I have been noticing a lot more going on.
My feet cramp all the time. My left wrist cramps so much it folds over.
I have random full body muscle spasms
My left arm doesn’t swing when I walk, it feels like I have “frozen shoulder” and it’s taking me twice as long to do things.
My sleep is ok but I have started having really bad vivid dreams.
The fatigue though is crippling. I spend most of my weekends asleep.
My hips are so stiff
I’m seriously thinking about getting a walking stick as my balance is so bad, I’ve nearly tripped so many times.
My wrists are super rigid and fingers on my left hand lock up
These are just a few things, there is more but I can’t think of them right now.
I know that this is not the place for a diagnosis, I’m just after your thoughts? am I going mad? Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m being a hypochondriac but then other times I think, “No, this is actually happening” I have been hiding what’s been happening as I was in denial, I don’t have time for something to be seriously wrong, but it’s exhausting trying to hide this any longer.
Parkinson’s can be quite challenging to diagnose and current evidence suggests that Parkinson’s tends to develop gradually.
Diagnosing Parkinson’s can take some time as there are other conditions, such as essential tremor with similar symptoms which probably explains your visit to the neurologist in 2019. There is also currently no definitive test for diagnosing Parkinson’s, however, Parkinson’s should only be diagnosed after having a consultation with a specialist.
A Parkinson’s specialist will take a detailed medical history and examine you. You may find it helpful to keep a diary or record of your symptoms to help you explain what’s been happening.
As you mentioned, we can’t give a diagnosis here, however, I can assure you that you are not going crazy. In light of the information that you’ve shared, many of the symptoms that you’re currently experiencing sound like typical symptoms of Parkinson’s. With that being said, it is important to remember that symptoms can vary from person to person and I would encourage you to book an appointment with your your GP or Parkinson’s specialist as soon as possible.
In the meantime, you can visit the Parkinson’s UK website for more information on how Parkinson’s is diagnosed. We also have an incredible team of advisers via our helpline service - given that you’re based in Australia there is an obvious time difference which may make it difficult to give us a call, but you can also email us for more information and support at [email protected].
Lastly, we have a lovely community here with other members who know exactly what you’re going through so I’m sure it won’t be long until you hear from some of them with their own advice.
