Author Description

What do Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, and Janet Reno all have in common? These three public figures may seem completely unrelated-after all, what could an actor, a boxer, and the former US Attorney General possibly share? All three of these individuals are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, an illnesses that affects the part of the brain that controls movement. Being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease is a deeply scary and unsettling experience. Because Parkinson's disease is a progressive disease which affects the brain, people who are diagnosed with the disease are often terrified of being left unable to care for themselves, depending on other people to perform even simple tasks. Unfortunately, this is not an unreasonable fear. However, there is still hope. In fact, as hard as it may to be, being diagnosed is actually a good thing in some ways. Once you know what's causing your symptoms, you can take steps to control them and restore your quality of life. The symptoms of Parkinson's can usually be controlled by a variety of different approaches, often for many years after the initial diagnosis. In this book, we will look at how Parkinson's disease affects the brain, what causes it, and what treatments are available. We will also look at different coping strategies that can be used to keep people suffering from this illness living as normally as possible for as long as possible.