Mary Frances...to Doreen who has PD...and I want to tell you that I continually research PD...all aspects...medications...adverse side effects...what's new on the horizon, etc. I am constantly searching and researching and, in fact, Doreen often chides me for spending so much time with this...that I'm too "into" PD...but, that never deters me because I feel that as her carepartner, it is my responsibility to do what I do so that I can be the best possible carepartner that I can be. I'll give you an example of how my "carepartnering" recently resulted in resolving a horrendous situation. Doreen's neurologist prescribed a medication precisely to control her now progressing tremor...and it certainly was the answer...absolutely controlled the tremor...really, eliminated it...BUT, the terrible adverse side effects almost "did us both in". Initially, I began to notice some things that just didn't seem "normal"...disorientation...confusion...disorganiz ed (so not like her)...lack of short-term memory...but, she still continued to work as a medical assistant so that I felt surely it was just I who was alert to these things...that surely, if she were not able to do her job, someone would have spoken with her AND with me (they know me well enough to have done that), but there was nothing coming to me nor to Doreen so that I felt that I was being unduly concerned. To make this as brief as I can, ultimately, Doreen was "relieved" of her position as the assistant to the cancer specialist in the practice (had been his assistant for 20+ years) BECAUSE she wasn't able to function in that position due to the cognitive impairment. My first and most fearful thought was that the PD had progressed, but I just didn't feel that this would happen literally "overnight". I decided to do an extensive search/research on all the PD medications that Doreen was taking...and, ah ha...I found the culprit...Cogentin with all the adverse cognitive side effects that Doreen was experiencing. I immediately discussed all that I had learned with Doreen's neurologist who began gradually weaning her off Cogentin...but, this, too was a difficult process in that she had an "attack"that was very like what one would see if/when viewing Michael J. Fox at his worst...and I immediately thought that this seemed very much like a withdrawal symptom occurring during the weaning off period. The point that I've been attempting to make, here (albeit, kind of long drawn out) is that it was only through my observations...my search/research that all of this was resolved...my being constantly alert to PD, its own symptoms and those related to its medications that we finally came through this maze...and I assure you that I will continue my pattern of watchfulness because, for me, this is my responsibility as Doreen's carepartner.

Therese