Medicated For Life

As anyone who reads my blog might know, back in October 2012 I was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. At the time I was told I’d probably need medication within six months. Six months later I was told my condition was advancing very slowly and it could be up to a decade before I needed medication, but when I started would be entirely up to me, based on my needs.

Over the summer, a few people had suggested I should start, but I thought I was doing okay and that I was only extra shaky at the time due to flying home to Ireland with two small kids. The holiday was amazing, but I hardly had time to stop and relax for the whole three weeks. I was definitely feeling it, and this time it wasn’t just from coffee. But I still thought I’d be okay once I got back to Vancouver. 

As it happened, I had my regularly scheduled check up with my neurologist just a week after getting back from Ireland. After talking to him for a bit, we both agreed that it might be worth starting medication, even at a low dose. And so, towards the end of August, I started, a little reluctantly, to take the medication that I will be on for the rest of my life. Of course, science advances every day, so that might change, but for now, the rest of my life. 

And the effect was immediate. 

My tremor noticeably subsided. It didn’t go away, but it did become significantly lessened. My speech improved. My reaction times improved. I just felt better, and, I realize now, my mood improved, not because the medication has mood altering properties, but because I could do things easier and with less hassle, removing a lot of passive, low level anxiety from my life. 

I’m taking levodopa, the most widely used medication for Parkinson’s. I take one tablet three times a day, morning, afternoon and early evening. That seems to be plenty enough for now, and hopefully for some time. As an added bonus, I’m not suffering from any of the side effects associated with my medication. They include nausea and nightmares. So, you know. Happy with that.

I’ve never had to take medication longer than a month before. The strongest I’ve had to take before now is a antibiotic for a few weeks. Taking something three times a day is completely new to me, and in my experience, I’ve been bad at doing similar in the past with things that were far less important. Which is why I got the app Round Health on my phone.

Round tracks what I take, and when I take it, and pings me with reminders for each dose. I set the time I want to take it and it builds a window for that dose. My morning tablet is set for 8am, I get a soft reminder at 7am, a banner reminder at 8am and a final reminder at 8:50, asking if I’ve taken the tablet if I haven’t marked it as taken by then. It keeps it all in a calendar so I can track the days I missed one, or when I was late taking one. Very, very helpful.

All in all this has been a big change to my life that I’m doing well adapting too. It’s still not easy. I have to remember to have a small pillbox with some tablets in it in my bag at all times because I’m often out with the kids midday. I’m terrible at dry swallowing pills, so I need water to take them, which isn’t often an issue, but has come up once or twice.

We live in a wonderful, modern society, and medicine is one of the biggest benefits of that. I’m lucky I can enjoy a relatively normal life because of medication, and I look forward to a future where it just gets better and better for me and those like me.