A woman has recounted how she was dismissed by her GP as being too young to have Parkinson’s Disease, only to receive a diagnosis after seeking a second opinion privately.
Christine Stanley, 62, lived with uncertainty for two years when she began experiencing muscle weakness while setting up a trampoline.
The retired PE teacher’s initial concerns were attributed by her GP to cancer treatment she underwent at the age of 29. However, as her sense of smell also started to fail, she turned to a private doctor who quickly suspected Parkinson’s.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Christine expressed her frustration with her GP’s reluctance to acknowledge her symptoms, stating: “I waited six months before I went back to the GP – I was embarrassed to trouble him again – and once again my symptoms were attributed to my cancer treatment.”
She continued, revealing the relief at finally getting an answer: “I went back and forth to the GP countless times. I felt so frustrated.
“Finally, two years after the weakness in my shoulder started in 2018, I paid £265 to see a consultant neurologist, who specialised in movement disorders. Less than ten minutes into the appointment he said ‘I think you have Parkinson’s'”.
After being diagnosed, Christine shared that she felt “devastated”, yet her husband embraced her with reassuring words, saying, “in sickness and in health”. Parkinson’s UK highlights that over 150,000 individuals are living with Parkinson’s, which has become the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the nation, according to the charity, reports Surrey Live.
While Parkinson’s is commonly known for its physical symptoms, such as tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and sometimes pain, experts increasingly recognise that other senses might hint at the condition’s onset.
Consultant Neuropsychologist Dr Clara O’Brien remarked: “It can be one of the earliest symptoms, and people often report experiencing loss of smell before they even have any difficulties with movement.”
Discussing why this sense is affected, Dr O’Brien pointed out recent findings: “There is debate about why people with Parkinson’s experience it, but recent research has found that the part of the brain that processes smell – the ‘olfactory bulb’ – was smaller in a group of people with Parkinson’s.”
Despite the difficult nature of a Parkinson’s diagnosis for patients and their families, there is optimism as new treatments continue to alleviate the condition’s effects.
Earlier this year, 65 year old patient Kevin Hill had a device implanted in his brain that was so effective at counteracting his symptoms that he now sometimes forgets he has the condition.
He told the BBC that he can forget he has the condition “for days and days and days” and that his tremors “stopped instantly” once the device – that uses a technique known as deep brain stimulation via a microchip – was turned on.
The hope is that, in the future, many more patients will have access to the same treatment Kevin now benefits from.