'Parkinson's Largely Is a Preventable Disease'

[Anonymous]

To the previous pp - I agree that physical activity seems to help, at least in some cases. One of my family members has parkinsons. He's always been a very good athlete and played team sports into his 60s (pre diagnosis) and is still working very hard to keep active now, even though he's now in his late 70s - takes classes at the gym (not sure if they're parkinsons specific or not), plus lots of walks with his family. It seems like that's helping him slow down the progression of the disease. It's been 7-8 years since he was diagnosed and while he's definitely slowed down, he's still able to get around fairly well.

It's a tough disease, and it seems like there are various forms and causes. I'm hopeful that we're making progress in preventing and treating it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as we live in this capitalist hellhole, America will never stop using toxic chemicals. I am encouraging my kids to travel and do a lot of research and decide where they want to live their adult lives. That decision should take into account climate, environmental health, health of the food supply, cost of living, healthcare, political stability, among other things.

We live on a shared planet. No one’s climate, environmental heath, etc is going to be great if someone else is heavily polluting.

Too bad Trump is gutting the EPA. Companies will release more toxic chemicals into the environment, and we will all die sooner than we should have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as we live in this capitalist hellhole, America will never stop using toxic chemicals. I am encouraging my kids to travel and do a lot of research and decide where they want to live their adult lives. That decision should take into account climate, environmental health, health of the food supply, cost of living, healthcare, political stability, among other things.

We live on a shared planet. No one’s climate, environmental heath, etc is going to be great if someone else is heavily polluting.

Too bad Trump is gutting the EPA. Companies will release more toxic chemicals into the environment, and we will all die sooner than we should have.

They should all get what they give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So since I was never in the military, never dry-clean anything, don't drink any sort of coffee and have never de-greased anything other than a dish, I should be okay on the Parkinson's front? Am I understanding that correctly?

You can drink caffeinated coffee. It's good for you. This week.

I don't drink it because I don't like it. So I won't be starting to drink coffee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parkinson's is genetic.

According to the article, a small percentage are for sure, but also within a family you tend to be exposed to the same environment, so some cases that may appear to be genetic are environmental.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parkinson's is genetic.

I have Parkinson’s Disease and am the first in my family to have it.

Same for my dad, who passed away last year at age 80 with it. He was dx in his 60's. Dad did not drink, smoke or do any illegal drugs (I really think he would have lived to 100 without it!). He was in the military for 4 years in the early 60's.

I will always wonder what caused it. A genetic fluke? Something from the air force? I'll never know. I do worry about me and my brother (if a finger twitches I get all nervous) but we show no symptoms now in our 50's.

[Anonymous]

PP again-meant to also say, I don't really know what Dad could have done to prevent it? Like I said, he didn't smoke/drink/drug, he kept a healthy weight, and was relatively active, even playing league ice hockey until age 50. No one else in the family-not his siblings, cousins no one else, has it.

Parkinsons is awful, it was so hard and awful for him. He was so healthy otherwise that he live all the way to the end of stage 5-the very worst of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So since I was never in the military, never dry-clean anything, don't drink any sort of coffee and have never de-greased anything other than a dish, I should be okay on the Parkinson's front? Am I understanding that correctly?

Do you alway make things about yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again-meant to also say, I don't really know what Dad could have done to prevent it? Like I said, he didn't smoke/drink/drug, he kept a healthy weight, and was relatively active, even playing league ice hockey until age 50. No one else in the family-not his siblings, cousins no one else, has it.

Parkinsons is awful, it was so hard and awful for him. He was so healthy otherwise that he live all the way to the end of stage 5-the very worst of it.

I’m so sorry for your loss. I really don’t know why I have it and am just trying to get through each day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So since I was never in the military, never dry-clean anything, don't drink any sort of coffee and have never de-greased anything other than a dish, I should be okay on the Parkinson's front? Am I understanding that correctly?

Do you alway make things about yourself?

No, just sometimes. Seems totally normal to hear a horrible disease is preventable, see what prevents it and then double-check that you're understanding what you've read and whether it applies to you.

[Anonymous]

My Dad died of it. He was a very healthy active guy..riding his bike to work in his 70s. He was gone 3 years after diagnosis and the last year was horrible. No other family members had it. He did not drink coffee

[Anonymous]

My father has it but none of the risk factor discussed in this thread apply to him. He is the only person in his family to get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again-meant to also say, I don't really know what Dad could have done to prevent it? Like I said, he didn't smoke/drink/drug, he kept a healthy weight, and was relatively active, even playing league ice hockey until age 50. No one else in the family-not his siblings, cousins no one else, has it.

Parkinsons is awful, it was so hard and awful for him. He was so healthy otherwise that he live all the way to the end of stage 5-the very worst of it.

I’m so sorry for your loss. I really don’t know why I have it and am just trying to get through each day.

PP quoted-Thank you, and I'm sorry that you are going through this. I do want to be of some encouragement...my dad did have many years after dx when he was still able to be active. He and my mom traveled some, we (meaning me and my then minor kids) all went to Disney World, and he got to see 2 of my kids get married. With advancements now, I hope you can have many good years ahead!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again-meant to also say, I don't really know what Dad could have done to prevent it? Like I said, he didn't smoke/drink/drug, he kept a healthy weight, and was relatively active, even playing league ice hockey until age 50. No one else in the family-not his siblings, cousins no one else, has it.

Parkinsons is awful, it was so hard and awful for him. He was so healthy otherwise that he live all the way to the end of stage 5-the very worst of it.

I’m so sorry about your Dad’s illness and struggles with Parkinson’s. I was glad to hear he did have many good years after his diagnosis before the disease progressed.

My Mom had a similar trajectory and died after a 10 year struggle. Like your Dad, she never smoked, drank or did drugs and lived an active healthy lifestyle. The doctors never gave us a definitive reason why she developed it, but she had worked in a lab while a college student and early in her career, maybe there was exposure there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again-meant to also say, I don't really know what Dad could have done to prevent it? Like I said, he didn't smoke/drink/drug, he kept a healthy weight, and was relatively active, even playing league ice hockey until age 50. No one else in the family-not his siblings, cousins no one else, has it.

Parkinsons is awful, it was so hard and awful for him. He was so healthy otherwise that he live all the way to the end of stage 5-the very worst of it.

I’m so sorry for your loss. I really don’t know why I have it and am just trying to get through each day.

PP quoted-Thank you, and I'm sorry that you are going through this. I do want to be of some encouragement...my dad did have many years after dx when he was still able to be active. He and my mom traveled some, we (meaning me and my then minor kids) all went to Disney World, and he got to see 2 of my kids get married. With advancements now, I hope you can have many good years ahead!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am grateful.