I was at bowls the other day and I sat talking to another club member and dropped into the conversation the fact that I had Parkinson’s. He expressed surprise – which is a common reaction – and said that looking at me, he wouldn’t have thought I had the condition. He then dropped his own health issues into the mix and said that he was five years post treatment for cancer and I responded with a similar statement.
The thing is this, neither Cancer nor Parkinson’s is necessarily that obvious in the eyes of those that meet us. A person diagnosed with Cancer may not have any noticeable outward signs, but can be quite ill and perhaps not have a great prognosis. It may be that it is a significant time until the symptoms and effects of Cancer and perhaps treatments such as chemotherapy make it more obvious that the person does indeed have a serious condition.
There are often many differences between being diagnosed with any sort of Cancer and being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. For one thing, a person with Cancer may at some point be ‘cured’ of Cancer. For a person with Parkinson’s there is no cure currently to be had. For a person with Cancer, if they are not able to be cured and they have a particularly aggressive form of Cancer, they may have a much limited lifespan. I have met people and had friends of friends diagnosed and life expectancy was measured in months not years. At least – a small comfort – Parkinson’s is for the most part a condition that does not necessarily cause a rapid decline, but rather a condition that can span many years.
One of the reasons I am interested in these two conditions, is that I have actually had both myself. My Cancer was cervical Cancer and came completely out of the blue. I was probably about 30 years younger than I am now. I was fit and healthy – or so I thought – and the slimmest I had ever been. There were absolutely no symptoms at all and nothing to suggest that I had anything wrong with me. If I had not had regular smear tests, I most likely would not have lived to tell this tale. I had a routine test and was sent an appointment to go to the local hospital, where I was told the results that I had Cancer and I was to be admitted to hospital the next day for surgery to remove part of my cervix. Happily, this was the only intervention needed. The Cancer was surgically removed and has never reappeared. At the time I was mid 30’s and divorced with three young children who could easily have lost their mum early in their young years. The complete lack of symptoms – if I had not been vigilant about smears – could have been fatal.
Fast forward to my diagnosis in 2020 of Parkinson’s Disease. The outcome this time of that diagnosis was not a surprise. Both my parents had it and I had somehow always known that I would be the one of us four siblings who would end up with the same diagnosis. The symptoms were mild and for the most part still are. They are often in the early stages, not noticed by others who might see us, but noticeable to someone like me, who has seen progression of Parkinson’s twice before with parents. Flags were raised in the first instance when I noticed a slight tremor from time to time of my left hand and arm. An increase in fatigue was noted and my legs feeling leaden and making it difficult to climb over a stile when out walking. These were the main symptoms that alerted me to the likelihood of my having the same condition as my parents. However, I had to really push my GP at the time to get a referral to a Neurologist who specialized in Parkinson’s, who had also diagnosed and supported both my parents.
Unlike some, I did not have to have blood tests, scans or any in depth tests or procedures for the specialist to diagnose me. I know some have had sometimes years to wait, while all manner of tests were done and a long list of potential conditions were thought to be the cause. I was grateful that I did not have to go through the exhausting process of the myriad of tests and weeks and sometimes years before a diagnosis of Parkinson’s was finally made.
It’s not that I was in a hurry to get diagnosed with Parkinson’s – it’s not exactly the best news – but I am a person who can cope with most things once I know what they are and how they can be treated. I also knew that both my parents had at least 20 years following diagnosis, so hope that I shall have at least the same. Although not a terminal illness, Parkinson’s at this stage is not curable, but it can be manageable for quite some time with medications, lifestyle changes and exercise.
When compared with Cancer, I know – at least I hope – that I should have years to live yet and most of them likely to be good years. I have been told more than once that I am ‘a slow burner’ and things are not likely to get markedly worse in a hurry. That is something to be grateful for. I have had friends who have had friends that seemed to go from diagnosis to being deceased in a matter of a few short months. At least Parkinson’s will accompany me through life for many years yet to enjoy with those I love.
It may sound strange, but compared to some with Cancer I feel almost lucky to have Parkinson’s if I can have a reasonable lifespan. The only thing that Cancer gave me was the ability and knowledge to know that I was cured and need not fear my early demise. Parkinson’s hopefully will be a slow and gradual set of changes, but no cure is available as yet.
It is, I suppose a case of “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”
Not that I would choose either of these conditions, but I have beaten Cancer in the past. I may not be completely able to beat Parkinson’s, which is likely to win in the end, but at least I’m not going to give up and let them win too easily.
My journey with Parkinsons 