A person, upon hearing the diagnosis of Parkinson's, wants to know how long they will be mobile and cognitively sound. Each person is affected differently, in scope, also in progress. One knows the end result....it is progressive....and ....well, one continues to imagine the worst scenario. Having a guideline, or a timeline of sorts, helps the new Parkie prepare themselves, but also see that stages can last many years. The stages below are summarized to give the Parkie a feeling of preparation for what is to come. It is not accurate in terms of how long or how severe the stages may be, but rather a way to identify and compare oneself with the, "norm"
I guess what I am trying to convey is the fact that once I came across this general outline of what to expect, I could finally come to terms with and yes....even accept...that I had Young Onset Parkinson's...and it wasn't the end of all my dreams and wishes.
Currently I waver between stage two and three. It may change day to day, or week to week. Some days good, some days bad, but hey...it can be a game of "Guess Today's Stage", And deep down, I believe I am still years away from stage four....so, life is good. I mean, really, who else has their future laid out in front of them? I can prepare, and while I am well, can take advantage of the time to do the things I want to do. I don't have an immediate deadline, but at least I know that I have blocks of time ahead of me with which I can measure my priorities, or complete my Bucket List. It is like a peek into my future...and...it's not all that bad.
HOEHN & YAHR, THE FIVE STAGES of PARKINSON'S DISEASE
*Stage One:
Signs and symptoms on one side only
Symptoms mild
Symptoms inconvenient but not disabling
Usually presents with tremor of one limb
Friends have noticed changes in posture, locomotion and facial expression
*Stage Two:
Symptoms are bilateral
Minimal disability
Posture and gait affected
*Stage Three:
Significant slowing of body movements
Early impairment of equilibrium on walking or standing
Generalized dysfunction that is moderately severe
*Stage Four:
Severe symptoms
Can still walk to a limited extent
Rigidity and bradykinesia
No longer able to live alone
Tremor may be less than earlier stages
*Stage Five:
Cachectic stage
Invalidism complete
Cannot stand or walk
Requires constant nursing care
This rating system has been largely supplanted by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, which is much more complicated.
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