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When singer Linda Ronstadt found herself struggling to sing, she thought the headphones she was using at the time were defective.
"I couldn't hear the top end of my voice. I couldn't hear the part that I used to get in tune," she said in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. "My throat would clutch up. It would just be like I had a cramp or something," she added, noting that this was the moment she realized something was off with her health.
It’s difficult – almost heartbreaking - to watch anyone suffer from the tremors and “shakes” of Parkinson’s disease. It’s especially difficult knowing that they have absolutely no control over what is happening to their bodies at those times. An attempt is being made on their part for their hands and mouths and eyes to do one thing while at the very same time the disease is forcing those body parts to do another.
The winner of 11 Grammys during a 40-year career that produced more than 30 albums, Ronstadt recorded her final CD (Adieu, False Heart, with Cajun musician Ann Savoy) in 2006. Three years later — on Nov. 7, 2009 — she gave what she calls her last concert at the Brady Memorial Auditorium in San Antonio.
In 2013, Ronstadt (and her doctors) believed she was suffering from Parkinson’s disease that, they thought, may have been brought on by a tick bite.
“I can’t sing. I have Parkinson’s disease, which may be a result of that tick bite,” she told writer Alanna Nash in AARP’s newsletter. “They’re saying now they think there’s a relationship between tick bites and Parkinson’s disease — that a virus can switch on a gene, or cause neurodegeneration. So, I can’t sing at all.
“In fact, I couldn’t sing for the last five or six years I appeared on stage, but I kept trying. I kept thinking, ‘What if I tried singing upside down? Or standing on my head? Or while juggling? [Laughs] Maybe I’d be able to sing better then.’
For someone whose career depended on performance, it had to have been a terrible blow to come to the conclusion that she would no longer be able to live by her heart’s desire.
“I’ve just accepted it. There’s absolutely nothing I can do,” she said.
Ronstadt has a form of Parkinsonism - P.S.P. - Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - that doesn’t respond to standard Parkinson’s meds and has no known cure.
The biggest challenge that comes with the brain disorder is losing autonomy as motor control diminishes, she explained. "Everything becomes a challenge. Brushing your teeth, taking a shower," Ronstadt told Cooper.
Individuals with this movement disorder have difficulty maintaining balance and controlling speech, eye movement and mood, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
They also often experience frequent falls due to the progressive loss of mobility.
When asked how she handles such a heartbreaking disease, she told AARP, “There’s nothing you can do about it except inform yourself. And I’m learning from other Parkinson’s patients that there are different treatments besides the drugs they give you.”
One of the newer treatments available to those suffering from Parkinson’s disease is Deep Brain Stimulation.
In Deep Brain Stimulation electrodes are implanted within certain areas of the brain. These electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses.
The amount of stimulation in deep brain stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in the upper chest. A wire that travels under the skin connects this device to the electrodes in the brain.
A few weeks after surgery, the pulse generator in the chest is activated in the doctor's office. The doctor can easily program the pulse generator from outside the body using a special remote control.
The amount of stimulation is customized to the condition and may take as long as four to six months to find the best setting. If deep brain stimulation works, the symptoms will improve significantly, but they usually don't go away completely. In some cases, medications may still be needed for certain conditions.
In any event, continuing research is desperately needed to find a cure or to at least assist those inflicted with the disease to cope with it.
Instead Parkinson patients may need a range of different therapies that can be used in combination to meet the needs of the individual and their specific form of the condition.
Currently, this mix may include treatments, therapies and strategies that mean hopefully:
slow or stop the progression of the condition
replace or repair lost or damaged brain cells
control and manage particular symptoms
diagnose Parkinson's at the earliest possible stage
And this could involve both medical treatments such as drugs and surgical approaches, coupled with lifestyle changes, for example to diet and exercise.
In 2020, the bottom line is because Parkinson's varies so much from person to person, there may not be a single 'cure'.
Be we need to keep hoping!
(1) Focus on Parkinson's Disease Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Focus-Disorders/Parkinsons-Disease
For more information about our Dementia Care in North NJ call Applause Home Care at (201) 326-8051.
Applause Home Care – Your Trusted Provider for Dementia Care in North NJ.
When singer Linda Ronstadt found herself struggling to sing, she thought the headphones she was using at the time were defective.
"I couldn't hear the top end of my voice. I couldn't hear the part that I used to get in tune," she said in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. "My throat would clutch up. It would just be like I had a cramp or something," she added, noting that this was the moment she realized something was off with her health.
It’s difficult – almost heartbreaking - to watch anyone suffer from the tremors and “shakes” of Parkinson’s disease. It’s especially difficult knowing that they have absolutely no control over what is happening to their bodies at those times. An attempt is being made on their part for their hands and mouths and eyes to do one thing while at the very same time the disease is forcing those body parts to do another.
The winner of 11 Grammys during a 40-year career that produced more than 30 albums, Ronstadt recorded her final CD (Adieu, False Heart, with Cajun musician Ann Savoy) in 2006. Three years later — on Nov. 7, 2009 — she gave what she calls her last concert at the Brady Memorial Auditorium in San Antonio.
In 2013, Ronstadt (and her doctors) believed she was suffering from Parkinson’s disease that, they thought, may have been brought on by a tick bite.
“I can’t sing. I have Parkinson’s disease, which may be a result of that tick bite,” she told writer Alanna Nash in AARP’s newsletter. “They’re saying now they think there’s a relationship between tick bites and Parkinson’s disease — that a virus can switch on a gene, or cause neurodegeneration. So, I can’t sing at all.
“In fact, I couldn’t sing for the last five or six years I appeared on stage, but I kept trying. I kept thinking, ‘What if I tried singing upside down? Or standing on my head? Or while juggling? [Laughs] Maybe I’d be able to sing better then.’
For someone whose career depended on performance, it had to have been a terrible blow to come to the conclusion that she would no longer be able to live by her heart’s desire.
“I’ve just accepted it. There’s absolutely nothing I can do,” she said.
Ronstadt has a form of Parkinsonism - P.S.P. - Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - that doesn’t respond to standard Parkinson’s meds and has no known cure.
The biggest challenge that comes with the brain disorder is losing autonomy as motor control diminishes, she explained. "Everything becomes a challenge. Brushing your teeth, taking a shower," Ronstadt told Cooper.
Individuals with this movement disorder have difficulty maintaining balance and controlling speech, eye movement and mood, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
They also often experience frequent falls due to the progressive loss of mobility.
When asked how she handles such a heartbreaking disease, she told AARP, “There’s nothing you can do about it except inform yourself. And I’m learning from other Parkinson’s patients that there are different treatments besides the drugs they give you.”
One of the newer treatments available to those suffering from Parkinson’s disease is Deep Brain Stimulation.
In Deep Brain Stimulation electrodes are implanted within certain areas of the brain. These electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses.
The amount of stimulation in deep brain stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in the upper chest. A wire that travels under the skin connects this device to the electrodes in the brain.
A few weeks after surgery, the pulse generator in the chest is activated in the doctor's office. The doctor can easily program the pulse generator from outside the body using a special remote control.
The amount of stimulation is customized to the condition and may take as long as four to six months to find the best setting. If deep brain stimulation works, the symptoms will improve significantly, but they usually don't go away completely. In some cases, medications may still be needed for certain conditions.
In any event, continuing research is desperately needed to find a cure or to at least assist those inflicted with the disease to cope with it.
Instead Parkinson patients may need a range of different therapies that can be used in combination to meet the needs of the individual and their specific form of the condition.
Currently, this mix may include treatments, therapies and strategies that mean hopefully:
And this could involve both medical treatments such as drugs and surgical approaches, coupled with lifestyle changes, for example to diet and exercise.
In 2020, the bottom line is because Parkinson's varies so much from person to person, there may not be a single 'cure'.
Be we need to keep hoping!
(1) Focus on Parkinson's Disease Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Focus-Disorders/Parkinsons-Disease
For more information about our Dementia Care in North NJ call Applause Home Care at (201) 326-8051.
Applause Home Care – Your Trusted Provider for Dementia Care in North NJ.
What a wonderful piece!
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