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Vreni M.

Vreni M. has a husband who suffers from Parkinson's disease. Due to her husband's illness, she gives up her practice as a psychotherapist one year after the diagnosis, but continues to work on a limited basis for a longer period of time. Maintaining her "own" life is very important to her in the context of her role as a family carer. She goes to a support group for relatives of people with PD, which helps her a lot. Profession: Psychotherapist

TEXT

Immobility, tremors and changes of character

Vreni M. tells about how the first complaints appeared with her husband and that over time he also seemed to her to have changed in character.

TRANSCRIPT

So before he was diagnosed, he already had various complaints that he kept reporting to his GP. For example, he had bladder problems, I can't remember what else. But I remember the bladder thing. And then he once came home from work and said: "Now I've realised that I didn't swing my left arm when I was walking uphill." And that's part of normal walking, that we swing our arms when we walk. And his left arm was just hanging down. And he told the GP that too. The GP didn't react. The GP always said it was stress. And then he planned a six-week holiday because he thought I wanted to counteract this stress. And at the beginning of this holiday, his hand started to shake. And then the doctor finally intervened and said he needed to see a neurologist. And the neurologist then examined him thoroughly and made the diagnosis. He also called me at home to see if I had noticed any changes. Yes, he had simply become more complicated, I said. He was already a complicated person anyway. And that's what I had noticed above all, that he had simply become so complicated. And then he came home with the diagnosis. That was quite a blow, of course.

Other experiences by Vreni M.

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Vreni M.

Vreni M. has a husband who suffers from Parkinson's disease. Due to her husband's illness, she gives up her practice as a psychotherapist one year after the diagnosis, but continues to work on a limited basis for a longer period of time. Maintaining her "own" life is very important to her in the context of her role as a family carer. She goes to a support group for relatives of people with PD, which helps her a lot. Profession: Psychotherapist

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Vreni M.

Immobility, tremors and changes of character

Vreni M. tells about how the first complaints appeared with her husband and that over time he also seemed to her to have changed in character.

Diagnosis

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Lack of empathy

Vreni M. does not like the way the diagnosis is communicated to her husband and what follows.

Diagnosis

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Initiative and humour

Vreni M. perceives her husband as less active and humorous.

Living with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

From partner to caregiver

Vreni M. now feels more like a carer.

Family and society

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Talk about it too much

Vreni M.'s husband also often talked to the neighbours about his illness, which became too much for them.

Family and society

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Accompaniment to medical appointments

Vreni M. would like to accompany her husband to the doctor in future.

Family and society

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Additional indirect effect

Vreni M. reports that the relief of the Parkinson's symptoms also reduced her depression.

Medication

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Personality changes

Vreni M. feared that her husband might become aggressive after the operation.

Treatment with Deep Brain Stimulation

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Up and down

Vreni M. reports about the fluctuations in her husband's condition.

Treatment with Deep Brain Stimulation

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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Vreni M.

Self-help for relatives

For Vreni M., the exchange in the self-help group is valuable.

Further therapies and support

Parkinson's disease: deep brain stimulation and duodopa pump

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