Parkinson's Disease

It's time to get a little serious. I guess many of you will know what's going wrong in the brain of a Parkinson's sufferer but many of you will not. Until I started googling my symptoms prior to diagnosis, I had very little clue about the illness.

It came to light after my diagnosis that one very early sign of Parkinson's is decreasing sense of smell. My kids used to tease me about it & of course at that point none of us had any idea. "Wake up & smell the coffee, erm... oh ok just wake up!" It's my contention that much more of this symptom should be publicised as an 'early warning'. I understand that although early diagnosis & treatment cannot cure, it can be beneficial. I can't help but wonder sometimes how much the disease could have been held off during the intervening period had I known & sought medical attention earlier. This is a key point as far as I'm concerned... sense of smell!

Anyhow, what's going in our brain that causes Parkinson's?- oh by the way, I have got into the habit of abbreviating the name to Parky's. Is that OK with everyone? It's just that the full name is a bit unwieldy you know? No objection? OK, Parky's it is then.

In a nutshell, Parky's is a progressive brain disorder that disrupts movement, balance, & coordination. It’s caused by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing cells in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine acts like a messenger between brain areas that control motion — when it fades, tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement begin. While the exact cause isn’t fully understood, a mix of genetic vulnerability & environmental triggers (like toxins or head injury) may play a role. Parky's affects over 10 million people worldwide, and while there’s no cure yet, music and rhythm-based therapies are showing promise in improving mobility & mood. There are of course many other therapies & treatments in development, not just the music-related stuff.

I'm not here to lecture anyone but I think a little enlightenment as to some of the details is warranted. There are in the region of 40 different symptoms, some more serious than others. It is incurable but can be slowed with medication, although the downside of the side effects can be insidious. Although it's incurable, it's not terminal in itself but again the downside is really unfortunate - for example with serious motor problems, falls become more frequent & can lead to breaks (hip for instance) & complications from such can cause death, especially in the older end of the population.

I was diagnosed around 2021, soon after the main part of the COVID outbreak. I believe I handled diagnosis quite well & was determined (still am) not to let it overwhelm me. During the first 3 to 3 & a half years the symptoms were mild & troubled me little. Then in mid-to-late 2025 my situation changed quite dramatically & a web of deteriorating health has resulted. More of that later, I don't want show it all on only our second date. I just wanted to show you an outline of Parky's. Later on we'll dig deeper into the medical side & more around music, both linked to its uses in disease control & the sheer pleasure of it!

Thank you for reading. More soon!