Not Alone: A Daughter and Her Dad Battle Parkinson's Together

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When Kelly’s dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 20 years ago, she researched the disease and the best treatment options for him. Little did she know that she too would be diagnosed with the same devastating disease four years later, at the age of 29!

At first, Kelly couldn’t believe what was happening to her. The first symptom she noticed was a tremor in her right hand, which was misdiagnosed by her primary care doctor as carpal tunnel syndrome. About 6 months later, the tremor started in her right leg, and she began to doubt the original diagnosis. She made an appointment with a movement disorder specialist, and never in her wildest dreams did she expect to leave that appointment with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at such a young age.

After starting medications, Kelly’s symptoms were well controlled. She didn’t feel the need tell anyone except her immediate family. Over the course of the next 10 years, she told very few people and kept most the things that were changing with her body and mind to herself. It seemed easier for Kelly to hide the disease and get on with her life.

Kelly was fortunate that her Parkinson’s had progressed slowly, and medications helped, although she still needed some therapy. Her father was not as lucky. He experienced sleep and vision problems, tremors, and stiffness associated with the disease. From Kelly’s research and personal experience, she learned that in many cases, doctors did not offer physical therapy or mental health therapy unless asked. She didn’t want her dad’s treatment to suffer because he didn’t know the questions to ask or because he couldn’t articulate his symptoms, so she stepped in and helped him.

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