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yopd1142 karma

Thanks. My daughter had a trach and feeding tube as well until four. She is Deaf/HoH and actually has no vestibular system. She also loves to read. She is mainstreamed in first grade.

Your description of the value of your mainstream education vs other areas is very valuable. My daughter would be bored in a special ed class as I'm sure you would have been.

yopd112 karma

The original.

yopd16 karma

Also, the delay was really me getting my act together and getting to a doctor, convincing my doctor I had to see a specialist, and then ruling everything else out (stroke, tumor, wilson's disease and a few other things). Luckily, I was sent directly to a Movement Disorders Specialist, a subspecialty of neurology, who could recognize Parkinson's pretty easily. Most doctors don't even consider Parkinson's in a 32-34 year old.

yopd16 karma

First sign of Parkinson's was a tremor in my right thumb. I currently take Azilect, Requip ER, and Sinemet each day. I actually take so much Requip and Sinemet that most Parkinson's patients are surprised I can stand up and function without a lot of side effects. I've also tried Mirapex and Stalevo in the past but both made me foggy/loopy and I quickly stopped taking both.

I was awake during most of the surgery. I even felt the drill going through my skull. When placing the electrodes, the neurologist during surgery basically shines a light in your eyes and moves your hands and legs to measure rigidity and response. Once they feel they've placed everything correctly. They energize each electrode to find the range of power that they have for each. Basically, they crank up the voltage until your face or arm or leg seizes as if you are getting a small shock.

yopd15 karma

I am a software engineer. I stayed with the same company for 19 years and only recently switched jobs. However, both companies, luckily, have been supportive of me. I do very well when my medications are "on" so I can type with two hands and do my job. In fact, one of the reasons I am doing this is to practice typing with two hands before I go back to work Monday.

In my interview with my new company, I did inform them that I had Parkinson's which I was not obligated to do. However, my boss basically asked what that meant, and I told him I would basically type slower at certain times of the day and I would have to walk with a cane to maintain my balance at those same times. He said if it didn't affect my job or performance he didn't care.