Do You Know Someone Who is Pretending to Have PD?

 NOVEMBER 1, 2017  BY SHERRI WOODBRIDGE

This is for all those people with Parkinson’s disease who can’t seem to make others understand what’s going on in the mind of a PD patient.

I’ve heard of people with PD who actually live with others who don’t believe they have PD. You can call it denial. You can call it ignorance. You can call it whatever you want, but who in their right mind would want to pretend to have Parkinson’s disease?

Who would, in their right mind want to:

• Pretend to fall?
• Pretend to stutter?
• Pretend to drool (how attractive)?
• Pretend to whisper so that every other word someone says is: “WHAT?”
• Pretend not to smell the fragrance of a rose?
• Pretend to shake so that every eye is on you?
• Pretend to look mad all the time?

Pay me thousands of dollars to pretend I have PD in a movie — make that millions — and I might consider it. But to pretend, day to day, to have a debilitating disease? Give me a break. And, wouldn’t someone who’s pretending rather spend thousands of dollars on a vacation, rather than for doctor appointments and drugs you’d rather not have to swallow three or more times a day?

Here is the latest comment I’ve heard one person say to a frie nd (quite seriously and sarcastically): “What is wrong with you? It’s like something’s wrong with your brain.”

All I can say is, “Gee … Ya think?”

Every morning we PD’ers wake up and gather the strength to get out of bed. We don’t just pop up like a toaster tart and stretch like Jane Fonda or Jillian Michaels. Nope. We push ourselves up — our stiff, sore selves — and we don’t even consider stretching for fear of our muscles cramping up just by thinking of performing such a task.

We shuffle to the bathroom like a weighted penguin and thank God for the person who invented elastic waistbands so we don’t have to fumble with buttons or zippers or strings. We shower, washing the same frame as always, but taking 10 times as long as it once did not so long ago. We brush our teeth with electric toothbrushes so we don’t tear our gums apart should the tremors take over and attempt to complete this task for us. We dress, again taking 10 times as long as it once did, and sometimes (often for some) we need assistance, very aware of what being humbled can mean.

If we haven’t already downed our morning’s medicinal cocktail, we choose now. The number of pills varies, however, depending on who you are and the doctor you have and what’s going on with your body. Me? Nine for breakfast, five for lunch, five for supper and three for bedtime. Mmm, mmm good. And did I mention the side effects that the medicines cause, or can cause? You name it. The possibilities are endless.

You go on with your day. Now, here it must be stressed that every PD patient’s day is different, as one person may be having a good “on” day (or at least part of one), with their meds working great, while another is having an “off” day, with their meds in need of adjustment, or perhaps just not working too well anymore. You act crazy where once you may have been seen as calm and quiet, at least in public.

Perhaps it is the PD. Maybe it’s the realization that today, this day, is the time to enjoy life and laugh and not care what others are thinking while you act — crazy.

I’ve heard it said that with Alzheimer’s, the patient doesn’t recognize family or friends after a while, whereas with Parkinson’s disease, family and friends may not recognize the patient. They act differently. They think differently.

Maybe we’re just trying to confuse those we love to see if they notice. I hardly think this is the case. But, you know, after all, something is wrong with our brains, so the transformation is legitimate and warranted, right?

If you know someone who says they have PD and you may think they are pretending, please think again. They’d much rather pretend to be Cinderella or Prince Charming and live happily ever after.

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Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s Disease.

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2017/11/01/pd-do-you-know-someone-pretending-to-have-parkinsons-disease/