This is a sponsored post in partnership with The Motherhood.
For years, I didn’t know much about Parkinson’s Disease aside from what I saw on medical TV dramas. I knew it was a disease that Michael J. Fox had been diagnosed with and therefore the story line for the characters he now portrayed on television were written to share his story of having Parkinson’s Disease. I had also seen the disease represented on a few of my favorite medical dramas as well. Other than that, I had zero other knowledge about Parkinson’s Disease.
In my life, I am not directly connected to a person with Parkinson’s Disease, however my sister and my brother-in-law are, as his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease about 15 years ago and I have heard the effects this disease has had on him and their entire family. As of right now, his wife is his main care partner, but my brother-in-law and his siblings fill in whenever they are needed too.
To help bring more awareness to Parkinson’s Disease, my sister and her family have organized a mini family triathlon at their cottage that everyone competes in over the summer. For their mini triathlon, everyone pays an entry fee and that is then donated to Parkinson’s research.
2017 Mini Triathlon
From what I have learned of Parkinson’s Disease, I was aware of some symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, like resting tremors and loss of balance. What I didn’t know is that more than half of people living with Parkinson’s, will experience a lesser known aspect of the disease—hallucinations and delusions, over the course of their disease. These hallucinations can cause people to see, hear, or experience things that aren’t
real while these delusions often have paranoid themes.
Reporting Symptoms
People often don’t share all of their symptoms with their Parkinson’s specialist, which can make them a challenge to diagnose. Many times, the reason behind this is that people with Parkinson’s or their care partners are embarrassed by reporting hallucinations or delusions or they do not realize they are part of the disease.
Thankfully, at this time, my brother-in-law’s father isn’t reporting or displaying any of these symptoms.
Educate Yourself
If you or someone you care for is experiencing these symptoms, you are not alone, and you may be able to get help. Talk to a Parkinson’s specialist to learn more about available treatment options, such as an FDA-approved medication indicated for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease. Learn more about hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s at MoretoParkinsons.com.
