Living with Parkinson's Disease: Karl and Angela
Karl Robb's first medical "diagnosis" was "to have a beer and relax." Seven doctors and several years later, Karl received the correct diagnosis: Parkinson's disease. He received medication (Sinemet®[1], what Karl calls the "gold standard" of Parkinson's drugs) and twenty-four hours later, his foot stopped trembling for the first time in almost a decade.
Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease) is a neurological disorder that occurs when certain neurons in the brain die or become impaired. These nerve cells, located in a midbrain structure that controls muscle movement, produce dopamine, the chemical responsible for coordinated muscle function. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease begin to appear when 80 percent of these neurons become damaged.
"Parkinson's affects every person differently," Angela Robb, Karl's wife, says. "For Karl, receiving the correct diagnosis became the first step to living with Parkinson's disease."
This article continues at Living With Parkinson's Disease.
[1] All pharmaceutical brand names mentioned in this article are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Their usage here is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement or promotion by A Place For Mom, Inc.