Chapter 1. Parkinsons Disease: A Case Study

Short Description

Dale is a 55-year-old man who suffers from Parkinson's disease. He describes the way he experiences his illness as having “a sharp mind in a body that does not work.” It has left him feeling hopeless.

Long Description

Dale is a 55-year-old man who suffers from Parkinson's disease. He describes the way he experiences his illness as having “a sharp mind in a body that does not work.” It has left him feeling hopeless. Dale was diagnosed with the disease 14 years ago and it has grown progressively worse. His muscles freeze, leaving him immobilized. Medication temporarily relieves these symptoms, but at times it also produces uncontrollable, wild movement. Each morning Dale waits to regain some limited ability to control his body. In the last three years, as the disease has progressed, Dale has become housebound and his medication has become less effective. His wife provides daily care. Dale reports that strangers stare as if he is mentally as well as physically ill. He longs to be viewed as a normal human being. The next scene shows Dale dramatically improved after treatment (see the video titled “Treating Parkinson's Disease: Deep Brain Electrode Implantation” for coverage of the treatment). Playing pool, he demonstrates his regained mobility and body control. He explains how he is again able to care for his own basic needs. With his wife at his side, he attends church for the first time in nearly three years. Old friends welcome him back. Dale describes himself as a new person with renewed hope.

Questions