Nothing you have not heard before

In my early thirties, my doctor diagnosed me with a familial tremor,

“It is most likely a familial tremor... it probably is not Parkinson’s disease since it does not run in your family...” He said.

I put that on a shelf and forgot about it. All throughout my 30s I was diagnosed with multiple cases of frozen shoulder, depression/cyclothymia and carpal tunnel.

Not buying it

At age 47, I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel which was causing my arm not to swing, which in turn, was causing gait problems. I was texting with my left hand in my neurologists waiting room when my neurologist came over and said, “There is nothing wrong with your right hand use your right hand...”

Some people in my life (wife and dentist) were not buying my neurologists’ diagnosis. I was checked for a stroke and Lyme Disease and ended up in a movement disorder doctor's office (at age 48) with a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

I can no longer write by hand, have almost no sense of smell, occasionally limp, do not react well to extreme temperatures, have depression, fatigue and occasional insomnia.

I have beautiful wife and a fantastic 8 year-old son on the spectrum. I am a full-time educator and volunteer for the Parkinson’s Foundation.