Wendell, I was the sole caregiver to my beloved husband before Parkinson’s took him from life.
He had several episodes when he lost complete control of his muscles, and needed several strong men to get him up from a complete collapse. He would have totally rigid muscles at times, and couldn’t get up from a chair without help.
I had to call the EMTs twice when he was unable to move, but he never lost consciousness. His body just wouldn’t get signals from his brain, and it was so distressing for this brilliant man to be unable to move.
He also hated my constant request that he keep drinking water to keep hydrated. He insisted that he wasn’t thirsty, and that he couldn’t drink more than a sip or two of water.
Hillary shows many of the symptoms that I noticed in my husband, bur I am not qualified to diagnose her. I hope that isn’t what her underlying health issue is, but it is must be more than we are being told.
She didn’t stumble off that curb. She wasn’t in control of her muscles, and seemed to my eye to be having an episode of total loss of muscular control.
My husband also has major problems with feeling either way too hot or way too cold, in spite of a normal room temperature. He could be burning up in a cool room, or freezing in a warm room. His Parkinson’s affected his autonomic nervous system as well has his ability to move.
I feel sorry for those who are around her, and have to manage her symptoms. If she has the beginnings of Parkinson’s dementia, she may be losing executive function, but only a loved one close to her would recognize this.
It could explain her poor judgement in her calling half of those who support Trump “deplorable”. Those with Parkinson’s dementia can be very emphatic, and appear logical to those who do not know them well, but they make very poor decisions about reality, as they slowly lose all executive function.
They seem lucid, can give apparently reasonable explanations for inexplicable behavior, and can rise to the occasion when required, fooling those around them to think they are “just fine”, and it is those around them who just do not understand , or who have let them down in accomplishing some goal.
It all depends on what portion of the brain is being affected the most. Rationalizing with the better parts of the brain can cover a lot of the faltering parts of the brain, sadly.
First. God bless you for your wonderful caring love of your husband. I am sorry.
Now, let me confide that my father died of end stage Parkinson’s.I was very close. As you undoubtedly know, Parkinson’s is insidious and different in its symptom. Just typing this makes me emotional. . My dad was a very wonderful and successful man. He was brilliant and articulate. I ,like you, watched my loved one become unable to even talk or eat. . He has non tremor Parkinson’s but long onset motor skill deterioration. I never saw a seizure but I had forgotten that it is so different for other types of the disease. I generalized from my experience with him.
You bring to light that Seizures do occur with many Parkinson’s sufferers. I now accept that.
Thank you for sharing. a year after Dad died I had such great dreams where he was strong and young and talking to me again. I cherish those memories. God Bless . Enjoy this day.