My grandfather is Joe Kenneth McLemore, he was born June 16, 1938. He has been more like a father than a grandfather to me; I was even named after him. So, in 1995 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease I was devastated. At the time I knew very little about this disease, most of us don't, it effects less that 1/2 of 1% of the population. The only thing I knew about Parkinson's Disease was that it made Mrs. Kuykendahl's hand shake so badly that she could not hold up her hymn book in church.

I am choosing Parkinson's Disease as my project because I am passionate about it. It affects someone that is very near and dear to my heart. So I will tell you everything I know about it; how it affects the person afflicted with it, and those around them.

History and Description of the Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD), also known as shaking palsy, was first described in 1917 by James Parkinson. More than a million Americans are afflicted with Parkinson's. The disease mostly affects people over the age of 40, although it can appear in younger patients and one form of PD can strike teenagers.

Surgical procedures such as pallidotomy are also proving successful in the treatment of PD. Pallidotomy is a procedure in which a small portion of the globus pallidus, a structure deep within the brain, is surgically destroyed, resulting in improved motor functioning. Doctors are also finding great success in eliminating tremors by implanting electrodes in the brain. Currently, testing only allows the electrode to be implanted on one side of the brain so if patients have tremors on both sides of the body, they must choose which side they wanted treated.

Alternative therapies for the treatment of Parkinson's are becoming more common because they are proving to slow the progression of the disease in its early stages. Some of these treatments include supplementation with vitamins C, B and E, co-enzyme Q-10; controlled diet, relaxation therapy (to alleviate stress which aggravates PD); and detoxification to eliminate as much metal toxicity as possible.

Parkinson's disease symptoms occur in five stages. In the first stage symptoms appear only on one side of the body, with minimal or no functional impairment. The second stage shows symptoms on both sides of the body without impairing balance. During the third, posture may be off-balance, restricting some activities. In the fourth stage, there is an inability to walk or stand unassisted. In the fifth stage, those with Parkinson's may be restricted to bed or a wheelchair unless aided.

Parkinson's-related macular degeneration (PMD) is a disease that affects your central vision. It is a common cause of vision loss among sufferer's of Parkinson's Disease. Only the center of your vision is usually affected, and luckily people rarely go blind from the disease. Unlike age-related macular degeneration (AMD), PMD is accompanied by severe dry eyes. PD sufferer's with PMD must use copious amounts of eye drops and in severe cases must use eye grease to be comfortable. PMD often requires the lower tear ducts to be surgically closed in order for the eyes to remain moist.

Watching my grandfather progress from one stage to the next has been the hardest things I've ever done. I cherish each chance I get to go see him. Though each time I see him, I leave almost in depression myself. Over the past six years his lifestyle and mine have had to change in order to cope with this disease. Joe is currently in stage three, he suffers from severe "restless feet" syndrome and has had eye surgery twice to try and correct his PMD and dry eyes. He and my grandmother (Sam) have a fifth-wheel trailer that they like to take vacations in. Since Joe's PMD is so far advanced he is unable to drive and even has a hard time being in bright sunlight.

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Approximate Word count = 1957
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)