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Well, I was actually diagnosed four years ago, but obviously, I had the condition before then because you don't realize what you have got. And my sister had said to me, "You are not walking properly." And I kept saying, "Oh yes, I am." And then, because I started to get a shake in my hand and that was when I went to the GP and they referred me on to a neurologist. And I was direct diagnosed from there.
I was first diagnosed seven and a half years ago, but before that, last five or six years I think before that I should have gone to the doctors before but just sort of didn't want to know.
Yeah, I do tell others because obviously I'm slow and you need to explain. Some people are very good and have heard about it, but an awful lot haven't. And so then you have got to explain what Parkinson's is and how it affects people differently.
When I used to go out with my friends when I used to shake... I mean I never told them to start with, because I didn't want them to know. So I used to sit with my hands in between my legs and close my legs, so nobody knew that I was shaking. When I actually did tell them I got it they couldn't believe it. And even now they say, "Oh, you cannot have Parkinson's." I say, "Well, I have." I think most people are quite good, but you do get some people that are quite not very tolerant, should I say. For instance, if I'm at the checkout in the supermarket and I can not get my money out, you will hear a few tuts behind you with much to say, "Oh, cannot you hurry up? We are in a hurry." But other than that, not a lot I can tell you.
Well, it can vary from day to day, hour to hour, really. I obviously take medication to control my symptoms, so I have to have that four times a day. So when I get up in the morning it's really bad until I have had my first tablet and then hopefully that one is going to work, but it doesn't always. And it's not until I have had my lunchtime tablet that I kind of get going properly.
Shaking, stiffness, sleeping, sometimes if I'm really tired, even if I'm standing up, I can go to sleep, that is not good. But just generally tiredness and fatigue and slowness. I tend to fall over as well. So, I am sort of quite clumsy, so I fall over quite a bit, but that's one of the issues which is quite a lot, really.
