‘I was too embarrassed to tell people I had Parkinson’s… I kept it to myself for two years’

November 24, 2016

Shirley Leed

WHEN Shirley Leed was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she kept it a secret.

Aged just 52, Shirley feared having the degenerative neurological condition would make people treat her differently.

But since coming to terms with the diagnosis, Shirley is determined not to let Parkinson's stop her and has now bravely spoken out about the condition to urge others not to suffer in silence.

The grandma-of-two, who is under the care of the private Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, said: “I have Parkinson’s but I don’t feel any different. I can do the things that anyone else can do and thanks to the treatment I get, it’s difficult to tell I have Parkinson’s. You mustn't let it take control."

Shirley, who worked as a cashier for the council, was diagnosed in 2005 after she was referred for shaking symptoms when she was receiving treatment for anxiety. Parkinson's disease affects around 127,000 people in the UK - that's about one in 500 people.

“I had been shaking which I had put down to anxiety. However as soon as I walked into the consultant’s room, he said he knew I had Parkinson’s because my right arm wasn’t swinging naturally.”

A brain scan confirmed the diagnosis and Shirley was told it is likely she had the disease several years earlier.

Shirley, who said her hand writing had become smaller and deteriorated, said: “I didn’t tell my family or anyone I worked with at the time because I was embarrassed and I didn’t want to be treated any differently. I kept it to myself for a couple of years and would even sit on my hand so people wouldn’t see it shaking.”

However Shirley, now 63, has been under the care of consultant neurologist Dr Rudy Capildeo for years and she takes regular tablets to control the symptoms. She said the condition has not stopped her living life and she has even spent three months in Malawi volunteering at an orphanage.

“People have the image of someone with Parkinson’s shaking from head to foot but you have to have faith it can be treated.

“My consultant has always been very positive and that has made me positive.

“Thoughts must go through anyone’s mind who has a degenerative condition but I don’t feel any different to anyone else and I don’t look any different. There is no reason why I can’t live life to the full like anyone else.

"I think it's really important for people with Parkinson's to know they are not alone."

Dr Capildeo from Nuffield Health Bournemouth is hosting a free public information event ‘Let’s Talk Neurology’ on December 1 from 6.30pm which includes one-to-one advice sessions on the types of treatments that are available.

To book a place at the event, call 01202 375032.

For more information go to parkinsons.org.uk

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14927722.___I_was_too_embarrassed_to_tell_people_I_had_Parkinson___s____I_kept_it_to_myself_for_two_years___/