As if Parkinson's isn't enough to deal with

I’ve heard of stories like this: Someone is slammed with a Parkinson’s diagnosis, only to find out a few years later they have cancer, or multiple sclerosis, or kidney disease.

Or aneurysms. Like mine.

Wait. What?

I’ve joined the ranks of many others who manage chronic or acute health problems along with their PD. It’s a kick in the pants. A double whammy.

Let’s back up a bit.

A year ago I heard about clinical trials by pharma companies using stem cells to restore dopamine. That’s the neurotransmitter that goes AWOL in people with Parkinson’s disease, causing problems with movement, motivation, and even focus.

Stem cell therapy got my attention. The idea wasn’t new, but I thought we might finally be approaching a breakthrough for Parkinson’s. A new hope! After six months of consideration, I signed on as a participant in the study. The decision was excruciating, but it felt right for me.

Luckily, one of the sites for this nationwide stem cell study was at a university hospital less than an hour’s drive from my home.

A woman waits outside the glass doors of a clinic.

I sailed through the two-day screening process. I was all in.

Until I wasn’t.

While awaiting my start date for the study, the Unshakable Husband and I took a hiking trip to West Virginia. One evening, I saw that the doctor in charge of the study left a message on my phone. It was Friday after hours. I called his answering service, and he called me right back. I knew it couldn’t be good.

In fact, the news was rather shocking. The MRI that I had undergone for the screening showed an abnormality. It was most likely an aneurysm, and I was to get a CT scan as soon as I returned home.

To make a long story short, the scan confirmed two aneurysms in my head and one in my neck; I signed on with the best neurovascular surgeon I could find; and I was booted from the clinical trial after a review.

That last part hurt. It was like watching your favorite diamond earrings swirl down the shower drain. I had pinned some hopes on that study, and that door had closed.

Now the surgeon will put the largest of my aneurysms out of commission through a procedure that to me is a marvel of medical technology. It’s less invasive than other methods but will still have a recovery period.

A woman walks with a pole in a foggy woods

I’m not thrilled about being sidelined from hiking or exercise.

They are an important part of how I manage life with Parkinson’s.

But for now, taking care of this new problem is the most important trail I can follow.

This story is by no means over, but I already have two takeaways:

An unexpected health problem can push Parkinson’s into the background. My PD symptoms haven’t disappeared, but they’re not occupying as much space in my thoughts right now. There’s a new medical condition in town! I’m not saying anyone should welcome a new health challenge just so they can soft-pedal their PD. But there’s something freeing about shifting an intense focus off of it.
If I hadn’t chosen to do the study, it’s likely I’d be walking around with a potentially dangerous condition in my head for who knows how long. Being a religious person, I give credit — and gratitude — to forces outside myself guiding me toward the screening process that led to discovery of a very real health threat. So thank you, Lord, for that.

Coming soon: A future post will look at ways to manage add-on health challenges when you already have Parkinson’s disease.