Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease can affect different people in different ways, but the most common symptom pattern begins with difficulty in remembering new information. This is because disruption of brain cell function usually begins in regions involved in forming new memories.

As damage spreads, individuals experience other difficulties. The following are some warning signs of Alzheimer's:

Progressive memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information
Behavioural, mood and personality changes
Difficulty finding the right words and performing familiar tasks
Misplacing things or putting them in unusual places, like milk in the bathroom
Problems with abstract thinking, loss of initiative and poor judgment
Getting lost in familiar surroundings, and disorientation
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testimonal

My name is Michele Holderby, and I refused to let Parkinson's disease control my life.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 45 years old. I cried all the way home. As a physical therapist, I knew what to expect from having worked with Parkinson's patients.

But I am pretty optimistic, so I was able get on with my life. I found the Parkinson's part I could live with. The worst was the dystonia. My arms would go up, and my head would arch back. It is really painful. It stretches and pulls at your muscles, and you can't do anything about it. It was stealing my life away.

Allow yourself to cry... but don't stay there.

So I went to the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration in Gainesville, an NPF Center of Excellence, where I met Dr. Okun and Dr. Foote. Dr. Okun said they could help me, and I almost burst into tears.

In 2009, I underwent one deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, followed by a second outpatient surgery to install the battery pack in my chest. As soon as they started to test my limbs during the first surgery, I started giggling because I was so happy — they were moving my limbs and there was no stiffness! It was amazing. The difference between my life then and now is night and day.

If you have Parkinson's, you need to educate yourself. Know how to communicate with your healthcare team so you can help manage your own health. Keep hoping — there is always hope for a cure. Allow yourself to cry because it makes you feel better sometimes just to get that all out. But don't stay there and feel sorry for yourself, continue. It is a battle.

Parkinson's may be part of your life, but it doesn't have to take over your life.

Thanks to the generous support of friends like you, the National Parkinson Foundation can continue its life-changing work.

Sincerely,

Michele Holderby

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PD isn't the end of your life

PD isn’t the end of your life. It can be the start of a new life. If you use the power of positive thought, you can change your life for the better. I’m a better, more caring person now. Think about what you can do, not what you can’t doI think there's still a need for better information for people with Parkinson's disease, at all stages of their illness. Greater public awareness about Parkinson's is also needed, so that people understand that the disease does not just affect the elderly and isn't just about wheelchairs and disability