Parkinson's Disease Support Group

Yes! Its a internal spasm for me head to toe.

This was my first symptom...years before anything else manifested. It was a very annoying almost numb feeling in my thumb and forefinger, really bad at night. When I awoke in the morning it was gone.

C

Yikes...I get this sometimes....thanks for responding.

Don't forget, this can arise from numerous minor causes. Odds are in your favor its nothing.

C

Yes, I know....it's just that my mom has PD, so of course there is a part of me that is getting a little nervous, but I won't worry about it. That original post was kinda old and I don't get it so often anymore. Thanks everyone for your input. Melody

PDdaughter, like you, my mother has PD and I wondered about my likelihood of contracting PD. According to my reading, we are ca. 5% more likely to get PD as opposed to the general population who does not have a parent with PD.

That being said, however, if you have other blood family members with PD (thus, a possible genetic connection) or you can link your mother's PD to environmental causes to which you, too, were exposed like she was, then there may be at an increased risk. It still does not mean, though, that we will get PD since every one has a different chemistry and neurological make-up, etc. and, thus, responds differently to such environmental exposure.

I don't know about you, but I have developed a hyper-sensitivity (for lack of a better word) when it comes to my own body as I have gotten older and seen first my father battle heart problems for decades (arythmia, now cured as of February) and, most acutely, my mother with PD and Dystonia.

I continue to eat healthy, exercise, have eliminated household chemicals and do what I can to avoid inhaling outdoor chemicals, and I work rigorously on reducing my stress level through meditation and spirituality. The way I see it, we need to not only keep ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally healthy for ourselves but also for our parents who need us to be strong and supportive in every way. Focusing on what we can do to stay healthy rather than on whether a twitch or a tingle may be the early signs of PD in us is key for our sake and our loved ones.

Sending you strength and good health,
Iris :-)

Thank you Iris for your wisdom, most days I don't have time to notice what is going on with my body, good or bad...I just try to keep everything in moderation, as my darling father always preached. Works for me, except it seems the older I get the more stressed I get. Right now with taking care of my mom in a nh, and her husband in there also with dementia, and now my sister having surgery for breast cancer, seems I didn't have as much stress when my 3 boys were running me ragged years ago!
Thanks again, and good luck to you as well...

The stress your sons caused you is a very different one from the kind you are suffering now. This kind you have now is the kind that can cause YOU illness. You clearly have A LOT on your hands. Please don't forget to take care of you -- make the effort to take care of you or else you won't be any good for your loved ones.

Hugs,
Iris

Thanks Iris, you know you have a very calming way about you...do you do this for a living?
I've told so many caregivers on this site over the year to "take care of yourself or you will be no good to anyone".....but it's so hard to take your own advice.
Thank you again and it's a real pleasure "talking" with you...Melody

Hi, Melody.

Thank you for your kind comments. I've come around to my "wisdom" by thinking a lot! LOL As an only child and with no other relatives in this country, the thought of my parents' aging has always been of concern, particularly as I have aged and especially since my mom's illness. Believe me, I have my dark moments, too, but I meditate and, well, I think my way out of them, if that makes sense. The advice I've given you is advice that has become a mantra of sorts for me myself over the course of the past year and, because of my repeated "self-brainwashing," I have learned to reduce my stress. :-)

In friendship,
Iris