Did you know that as many as 1 in 4 people who have Parkinson’s Disease are misdiagnosed? Even worse, those with the disease may have seen a doctor three or more times before receiving an accurate diagnosis. Too often it’s diagnosed as Alzheimer’s in older patients. We all need to be aware of this, for ourselves and those around us.
In this episode, our guest expert, Dr. Michael Okun, is a leading expert in the research and treatment of Parkinson’s disease (bio details at the end of these show notes).
Dr. Okun has a unique way of working with patients and lives by the mantra that “the medical profession should look at the patient as the sun: everything done to help patients should revolve around their needs, just like our entire solar system revolved around our sun.” This goes for doctors, hospitals, caregivers, therapists, families, and all their entire teams. He further states: “if we all work this way with each and every patient, then our abilities to work towards a cure and build a better quality of life for that person will prevail.” He believes that the greatest indicator of success is not how much money one raises for a cure, but how many lives can we all save!
You’ll find this discussion is rich with words of wisdom and advice for patients, families, caregivers, and everyone in the medical and healthcare community. Some (maybe) startling points worth noting include:
He shares the difference between the early symptoms of Parkinson’s vs. Alzheimer’s and why it’s more frequently misdiagnosed and mistreated. Including:
Some other points we discuss include :
Do listen to the full episode as this one is rich beyond expectations! Tune in and share with your family and friends.
Additional links of value:
