No one has an incurable disease until someone tells you they have it. You may have symptoms for weeks, months, or years, but until a doctor sits down with you, looks squarely in the eyes, and says it, you just don’t know about it. Of course all your symptoms could be something else. They could be nothing. Symptoms could be major, could be minor, laughable, painful; all of the above or none of the above.
As mentioned before, I went to the neurologist earlier this year expecting to be expected to be laughed out of the office, similar to years before. However, in a twist of fate, the doctor looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “You have Parkinson’s.”
I never fully processed my initial meeting, never got the chance. No sooner had I received my prognosis, COVID arrived and all hell broke loose – twelve hour a day shifts, bad food, and political leaders refusing to provide any semblance of what they were hired to do, like leadership for one.
There’s always hope that the last neurologist made a mistake and my current neurologist would say. “our bad. Sorry. you are just fine. Go forth and propagate.” In reality, how many of us really have such luck, as we all die from something. Yet somewhere inside me, there was a little speck of hope that somehow, all this, the Parkinson’s, the tumor, and poor prognosis would be explained away by a bad burrito eaten several years prior.
No such luck. Within minutes of my telehealth appointment, my neurologist confirmed my plight.
“We had your scans and physical assessment reviewed by another neurologist. And that neurologist confirmed your diagnosis. You have Parkinson’s.”
There was no mention of being years late. There was no, “Sorry dude for being tardy.” None of that. After usual conversation of current symptoms, medicine schedule, and symptom management, we ended on prognosis.
“Basically, we think you will get anywhere from 1 to 3 good years. This will be our ‘golden period.’”
“Golden Period?’” I thought. Since this has been raging undiagnosed for years, how much of my ‘golden period’ was swallowed by bad burritos? Ah. Maybe I should be grateful. I have more time remaining than others. Many people experienced diseases which have taken them quickly and way too soon.
I used to have no identifiable issues. And, all the symptoms I do have, l used to be able to successfully mask. That’s no longer the case. Tremors, stiff muscles, and dropping things are common. Nightly hours of insomnia are taxing and l am unsure just how long I can physically work. Lastly, Lord only knows if my tumor has grown or not, for a surgical, post-op follow-up was washed away during COVID’s tsunami.
The ‘golden year(s)?’ What the hell is that? Last March, I was told I would have a couple of good years left. My neurologist is saying if the tumor, or remnants thereof, doesn’t wipe me out by two years, maybe I will get an additional year or two … or … maybe not.
Sigh. Experiences from just a year ago seem so far away. No matter. I remain exhausted and wish for nothing more than one pain-free day.