"Idiopathic" - "Sporadic" - "Placebo" - all these little code words wherein the doc admits his own ignorance while implying that it is our fault that he is ignorant!

The truth is that he doesn't know but he doesn't want to admit even to himself that he doesn't and therefore the patient must be the problem. It's ridiculous. All in my head? If my endocrine system was screwed up before I was born and I have PD as a result, you're damn straight it is in my head. But that makes it a much harder illness to treat than the one where he gives me a couple of pills and everyone is happy.

If they dare say "all in your head" I suggest we reply "Doc, I have a degenerative brain disorder! Of course it's all in my head! I thought you knew that. Are you OK?" and then look real concerned for his well being. Sheesh!

Thanks, Rev. I am trying to look at the positive now, but give me a day or two to get there.

I thought that Peg's sayings were "givens", but if we are to respond:

"You don't have to be rich to be rich"
When the kids were growing up and we didn't have any money (I'm talking weeks when $10 had to feed 8 people) I always told them that we were not poor, that there was a big difference between being poor and not having money.

"You are your own worst enemy."
Sadly, this is all too true. We know our own weak points, so when we are down we know what to attack. We can get by thinking things about ourselves that we wouldn't allow anyone to say aloud.

Take one day at a time. Only look back to see how far you have come.

The first part has been my mantra since my youngest was born with serious problsms and mutltiple disabilities. The second part I adopted to help me get over surgery.

If you dwell on the past - you live in the past. If you dwell in the future - you live in the future.
And I tend to not dwell in the present, a major downfall.

You only get one body, and it has its limits. You only get one mind, and its potential is infinite.
I would like to believe that, but lately my mind has had very finite capabilities.

Believe in yourself, but believe you need a higher being or force to monitor and check. You can't do it alone.
I'm afraid that I lost the faith a long time ago.

Trust some, but not everyone. Be suspicious of some, but not everyone.
I tend to trust until proven otherwise (except around medical issues, lol)

Finally, no matter what you think - SOMEBODY CARES AND LOVES YOU!

and for this, dear friends, I am grateful.

Peg and Thelma are quite a bit different in their philosophy of life. Lets enjoy those differences as both views are shown around the world. Some people look at the world as half empty. Others as half full. Now lets get back to Cathy's neurologist's lack of emphathy for his patient.

Cathy has had little support from her family all along. She has seen several different neurologist's and some have diagnosed her as having Parkinson's while others have said no. Cathy has a medical problem and would like a diagnosis. Does anyone else have some ideas on questions she can ask her doctor based on their own past experiences of dealing with neurologists? She is still stinging from the neurologist telling her it is psychiatric in nature which, if true, is nothing to be ashamed of. But I think Cathy knows what she is feeling. I still would suggest her asking if she can try a low dose trial of sinemet to see how she responds. It seems to be the only measuring tool neurologists use to determine whether anyone falls under the huge umbrella of Parkinson's disease (In the future I believe that category will be subdivided as knowledge of the etiology of the disease grows as everyone's symptoms are different.} Come on folks, put your thinking hats on!!!

Love,
Vicky

I agree with you, Vicky. When I read your initial suggestion in this thread to try Sinemet I wondered if MF had done that, and if not, why not? If Sinemet was taken, then what was the result? As far as I know, that is still the baseline test for PD when all other maladies have been ruled out. In my case, I was first given an agonist (Mirapex) when dx'd instead of Sinemet, but the result was the same - it stopped my tremor.

mamafigure - I am someone who knows, and doesn't run from, mental illness. The experiences I've had with depression, anxiety, and "clognitive" dysfunction are well documented in this forum over the years. But nothing would make me more angry than to have a doctor tell me my physical symptoms are "all in my head"!

Have you taken Sinemet or an agonist? I don't remember your complete history.

Regardless, my heart goes out to you. You are really suffering; it's awful not to have a definitive illness to target and fight. I admire your resilience.

Far too personal sorry

Charlie, i am shocked at your response to Kathy. I think that it is just plain callous. I know you a bit from our phone conversations, and thought that you a learned man, with vast empathy for others.
How do you know that Kathy "can be cured", and as for "wanna trade disorders", well . I hope that you are just having a bad day chasmo, or that someone has stolen your password, and that is not you replying.
The brain is a universe unto itself; for neurologists to profess that they are "experts" at understanding this, the most complex of all organs, is just sheer human arrogance. There can be "things amiss" in multiple brain sub-structures, things that add up to the manifestation of baffling symptoms, that only a thorough modern work-up (such as Vicky suggested) can at most shed a bit of light on.
And yes Rev, it most definitely IS "All in our heads". Everybody on planet earth is a bit messed up, in one way or another. This is a result of being mortal. Some people are VERY messed up mentally, and they deserve our sympathy and " there but for the grace of God go I". They need help every bit as much as the physically ill, and sometimes it's by far much worse being messed up badly in the psyche than physically. I don't know why the general public has less tolerance for the mentally ill than for the physically ill, and why they somehow think that one can easily just "get themselves together". Mental illness has it's roots in a physical problem, on the molecular level, the same as the origins of some physical illness.
And Kathy, from what you have posted over the years, i think that you are just a tough nut to crack (really sorry for the terrible pun, there is nothing funny about your condition ). The doctors DON'T KNOW what is causing your symptoms and thus they are just trying to "pass you off". Sure, there are cases where mental illness genuinely manifests itself as a physical illness, but I personally believe that most people are not trying to "just get attention" or anything like that. Your physical disease is REAL, it's just that we are still medically in the stone age when it comes to intractable cases like yours, and you would get just as good advice from a witch doctor as you would from the best neuorologist. I shouldn't say that. There is somebody in this world who can come close to figuring the rubic's cube of symptomology that you posess, you just haven't found them yet.
I sincerely hope that you aren't put off by being put off for such a long time and have the courage and the strength to keep plugging to get some REAL answers to your problems, so that you can find some RELIEF from the horrible stress that you must be feeling. cs

we all say things that can be misconscrewed. I was merely congratulating her for not having PD and something that hopefully is curable. My thoughts where slanted because of my shoulder pain in retrospect.
I apologise to you MF for any distress I caused.

CHarlie

to be misunderstood on this forum. Words without facial expressions, often just don't come off the way we mean 'em. Sorry Chas

My neuro asked me if i "wished" it was all in my head and I say "yes". He said, "then it isn't".

To cs comments: I think people are basically competitive, especially if they are trying to overcome baggage (everyone has it but different degrees); they don't even think it's cool to show emotion, let alone screwed up emotions, as mental illness can manifest itself. If you give too much of yourself away, it can and probably will be used against you. This is part of the me, myself and I world we live in.

On the other hand, "it's all in your head", is not a diagnosis. Where's the treatment suggestion? Why not have a psychiatrist be the judge of that mamaf? It might eliminate this angle?

paula

no problem, love ya buddy!!!