New doctor, new questions

[kaypeeoh]

We just moved to Connecticut after 35 years with Salt Lake City doctors. They got my wife through three cancers and me through 100% obstruction of the LAD coronary artery. They're also who diagnosed me with PD. I had an appointment to be seen by a neuro here but their first opening wasn't til January 31. However the office just called, they had a cancellation and can see me tomorrow--October 27--at 8AM. Any questions you guys recommend me asking? I generally go into a fugue state and forget everything once we're out of the exam room. For that reason my wife is coming too. I know she wants me to apply for disability but I'm still not sure I actually have PD.

TIA,

kpo

[MBAnderson]

You've posted a lot of insightful and informative threads. If you had to declare right now, what would you say?

[kaypeeoh in reply to MBAnderson]

I see how much suffering there is in people in this forum. I have dominant hand resting tremor for 5 years. I have constipation controllable with ozone and minor balance problems. But nothing that is painful. I have a bad back but I've had a bad back for 50+ years. So I don't know whether I have PD. Propranolol, Sinemet and/or ropinirole don't have any effects on me other than lower leg edema. Doctors in Salt Lake City say I have PD but I guess I need this as a second opinion.

[MarionP in reply to kaypeeoh]

You should have a DaT scan by a neurologist. If you have PD or are on the path toward it, the scan will confirm it. If there is any question, then a subsequent scan in about 2 years will help make that more definitive. the reason you need to do this is because if you do not have pd, then your symptoms may be due to something else that may need to be treated within an accessible window, within which your treatment options and prognosis may have a shelf life which you do not want to miss or delay meeting. We called the process of tracking down symptoms that can be common (or which may mimic) to more than one condition "differential diagnosis," and it can be critically important to get to the right cause of the symptoms. I would waste no time. You should also be seen by a rheumatologist, endocrinologist, and an infectious disease specialist...perhaps even a toxicologist...and all should be asked to work and collaborate together. You could conceivably have anything from an infectious viral or bacteriological or even fungal disease to a toxic or poisoning disease, to even hanta virus or radiation poisoning (if you ever spent much time in the four corners area (you did say Utah, right?)) or industrial or agricultural chemical poisoning, as well as an assortment of other neurological disease, or even a nutritional deficiency or excess. Or nothing. Get the rule-outs done.

[Despe]

"I have dominant hand resting tremor for 5 years. I have constipation. . ."

These are PD symptoms, especially the resting tremor.

[kaypeeoh]

I'm back from the neuro. I have a photo. This website only allows photos on new posts. So I posted a photo of my discharge info and added a short discussion.

[mgregor6]

Who is your neuro in Connecticut, may I ask?

[kaypeeoh in reply to mgregor6]

Elena Bortan

[mgregor6 in reply to kaypeeoh]

Oh okay. Th e Parkinson's community is smaller in CT so that it's easier to ask around in order to find out from you PD peers which neuros and/or motion specialists are decent and which to avoid. But I have yet to hear of Elena Bortan.

[Godiv]

I think I could really tell it when my arm stopped swinging when I walked. Even though I would tell people I had a stiff shoulder LOL.