I am a 36 year old man who was diagnosed with PD 1 month ago. I am worried about how quickly my symptoms will progress. I went to a Young sufferers group last night but I was still the youngest by around 20 years. They were all very welcoming and supportive but I felt so very young. Are there any other PD sufferers out there around my age?
I am married with 3 boys and I am worried about the effect my PD will have on my family and how quickly it will progress.
So far my symptoms are loss of feeling and movement down my right arm and more recently some jerking and twitching down my left side.

hiya 37cricket,welcome to puk forum,im ali been dx for 11 half years im 43 years old.i can realate to you,as im young on set also,when i was dx the nearest young pd group was hour drive away ,so i went to the older group just down the road.i was welcomed with open arms,i felt awkard first cus i was only 31 ,but i then thought wot am i thinkin of,age dunna mater at all.there is 19 years between me mom and dad,and i thought nothin of that,and these people were so nice to me,so i did wot i could i started doin fundraisin for erm,organizin days out for erm etc,and its blossomed from there.with symtoms parkinsons is nown as a progressive disease,but a slow one,and i asure you 37 cricket please dont worry,you have just been dx,ino it a shock etc,and i symerthize with that ,i really do,x but you have lot time to live your life with your family,it depends on the age of your boys and how you bring them up,as if you are goin to sit erm down and expalin,there s books that can help them ,for children,very helpful.these will would able to be purchassed from the pd group,or if you ring the helpline for puk,number top of this page,they will be able to tell you were else to purchase them from.im guess you have aneuroligist if you been dx,have you been put on any meds yet,and if so wot are they,im on sinemet and mirpexon,for my pd.also a idea ,is you say is there anyone out there your age,if you are able to put wot county you live in,community members here on the forum will be able to contact you by pm,or on the thread and then be able to make some friends may be closer to home.i live in shropshirethere is alot of surport on here and nice people to meet,hope to see you around x

Hi ali j

Thanks for your response. I live in the North Hampshire area. Hopefully there will be someone out there closer to my age more locally to me.

Hi 37cricket, I'm sorry you have had this diagnosis so young. But try and stay positive. I'm a lot older than you but I'm b...ered if it's going to get me down! I know that's easier said than done, but it's no use giving in to this crappy thing. I notice you have three children, don't know their ages, but I'm sure they keep you busy! and that's a great thing. I haven't been on this forum for long, but there seem to be a lot of good people on here, and when you post something, it seems that someone will almost certainly have some kind of answer for you. So chin up and feel free to chat anytime.

Hello 37cricket,

Welcome to the forum where you will find many people of different ages, perhaps some will also come from your area who may not be a member of a group but also have PD.
My husband was diagnosed at 39 yrs and is now 68 almost 69 so we have lived with it for a very long time. My husband managed to work until he was 46 and we had all the worries of how we would manage but we have always been careful with our money and with the help of benefits we have managed quite well.
We had a article in our local paper about us and asked if anyone would like to get in touch if they or a relative had pd and from that we made several friends who we would have pub lunches with. After a few years we started a branch and although I have now retired the branch has about 170 members which just goes to show how many people are out there with this condition. We have made very many friends through the years and have had some fun as well as promoting PDUK.
I hope someone will get in touch with you as it helps to be able to share and compare life with pd.
best wishes
vivian

Hi 37cricket,
I had symptoms for 4 years before being diagnosed age 37 and am now 40. No-one can predict how fast your symptoms will change. Mine seemed gradual but progressive until I got onto a dose of meds that suited me and I have been well, stable and regained much functioning in my left side, for the last 18 months i have felt much more confident. Medication can be great and you also need to take control as much as you can, keep active and fit, and try all sorts of alternative therapies to help your symptoms. I know it's hard at our age. It makes you look at life in a way you never have before. But it is possible to live with this and keep on with your life as normal as possible, I believe. If you have specific queries people on here are very good. What you are experiencing is individual to you but I can only say, there is a therapy out there for every symptom, and you don't think about it all the time forever. It is life changing though, so talk to people, here or face to face. Be nice to hear more from you. Early days are hard and adjustment is an ongoing process.

Hi there Cricket, i was diagnosed at 32 at Dr. Weisers Neurology clinic down here at Swansea,i know exactly where u are coming from mate, i went thru the exact same problem as you and still going through it lol and im now 51. Yep almost 20 years have gone by, having this nightmare they call parkinsons grrrr and i hate to tell you my friend but its a hard task ahead. THere is alot of helpful people in these pd communiies, clinics, etc etc but the age gap i found in my area, quite frankly frightening, theres not many who talk the same speak lol the same decade dialogue language as myself, but i will say this, i didnt go to my area pd society , main reason was there was nobody my age using the facilities, and to meet and talk to the older generation and be told and see what i had to go through, well it scared the pants off me. im still alive n kicking tho lol sooooooo anytime u wud like a chat about anything at all, im hear ok mate, i also have 3 children , 2 boys 21 & 20 and an older daughter 24
be safe, contact me anytime
the shakey parkinsonian !!

btw cricket how old are your boys ??

Hi Cricket 37, i am 29 years old and i got diagnosed last week!!! I am in complete shock and cannot believe it. My mum is 59 and she was diagnosed 2 years ago and we all though that was bad and now me, my whole family is in devastation.
I have a 12 year old son and cannot bring myself to tell him.

regards

Hi, I have too have only recently been DX'd with PD - I am a little older at 45. I have gone along to my local working age group once and my second meeting is tonight (Chatham) - like this forum, its just good to know and talk with others with PD. Phil B