DRY MOUTH and Lost a Parkinson's Friend to Cancer

        Last year when I got diagnosed with PD I was nervous because I never knew anyone who had had it. Then my friend told me that her good friend had PD and she was also someone I knew.  Dianne had been my department head at a college where I had taught many years ago and she was also my sister's neighbor. When she found out that I also had PD, she invited me over and gave me so much valuable information.  She invited me to the Rock Steady boxing class that she had joined. I went a few times but had to stop due to my extremely painful Sciatica!  Sadly, Dianne passed away last night due to pancreatic cancer.  I think that she most likely attributed some of her cancer symptoms to PD, such as indigestion, etc. I originally thought all of my PD symptoms were only Sciatica symptoms.  There are no definitive answers when we get diagnosed. We don't know exactly how our disease will progress.  I will never forget how kind Dianne was to me and how she shared all the info she had.  She made a scary diagnosis a little less scary.
         I am so grateful to all of my online friends who share information with me and with others.  I wrote a blog post about my eye closing involuntarily a few days ago. And one of my blog readers sent me online links to more info about PD and vision and droopy/closing eyes. I just love when others share info because we are all in this boat together in a sense, or at the least, we are all rowing on the same ocean. I have not been to a PD support group. I just totally forget about trying to go to a meeting!  I don't really like to drive at night. I would be more than willing to start a daytime support group but I don't know any people in this area that have PD. Maybe I could post on MeetUp.


        The meds I take make my mouth so, so dry. I have to use Refresh liquid gel and dry mouth lozenges. These  XyliMelts lozenges do not taste good at all but at least I don't have to drink as much water if I use them.
        It is so annoying. I am always carrying a bottle of water because my mouth is so dry!I don't like to drink too much water because then I will be in the bathroom all day!
   





  Here are the  links, I have read a few and they are quite informative.

Here are some more eye articles sent to me by an ophthalmologist when asked, “How is Dopamine loss seen in the eyes for instance? “


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180816114433.htm


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350946217300101


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3891954/


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3400466


https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540-77343-6_23

        The only people who really understand how it feels to have PD are the people who have been diagnosed with PD!

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