| " DIAGNOSED in his 30s | 'I had no idea how bad it would be' YOUNG ONSET | 'I had no idea how bad it would be' -- early diagnosis often difficult but 'crucial' " " He was playing a Neil Young song, "Powderfinger," on his guitar and fumbled a chord change. " ""I had been playing it for years, and one day I couldn't play it any more," Hurley said. " "Kevin Hurley says deep-brain stimulation "saved my life" by helping control his Parkinson's. Michael J. Fox (inset) was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 30 years old. " "He went to a second doctor, who prescribed Ritalin. That was after Hurley reported another Parkinson's symptom -- difficulty concentrating. " "It took four years before Hurley was diagnosed correctly. In his 30s, he had to come to grips with having what's usually thought to be a disease only old people get. " "The average age of Parkinson's diagnosis is 60. But of the 1 million people in the United States who have the disease, between 5 percent and 10 percent are diagnosed before they turn 40. The best-known Parkinson's patient is actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed at 30. " "Doctors are often slow to recognize these early cases. So the prevalence of young-onset Parkinson's might be higher than what's reported. " "Drugs can slow the progression of the disease. So the Young Onset Parkinson's Association urges: "It is crucial that an early diagnosis be made, particularly in the younger patient who will have many more years." " "Hurley, who is being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was diagnosed in 1996. But he remained in denial for years. He convinced himself his condition would be nothing more than a nuisance. " "As the disease progressed, Hurley needed to take as many as five drugs to control his shaking and other symptoms. But the medicines caused sleepiness, compulsive behavior and other side effects. And the benefits sometimes lasted only an hour. " "Even with the medicines, Hurley would fall -- often three or four times a day. His hands shook uncontrollably. He couldn't hold things. And his slurred, mumbling speech was nearly impossible to understand. " "Last February, Hurley resigned his job as a fund-raiser for La Rabida Children's Hospital. A month later, he underwent Parkinson's surgery at Northwestern. A surgeon drilled two nickel-size holes
... read the whole article |