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The Leonard Lopate Show

Life with Parkinson’s Disease

Dr. Thomas Graboys is a physician battling a particularly aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease and progressive dementia. His new memoir about dealing with his illness is Life in the Balance: A Physician's Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss with Parkinson's Disease and Dementia.

Weigh in: We'd like to hear from other people with Parkinson's. Tell us about your experiences with the disease, and whether you've been able to continue to live a relatively normal life.


Listener Comments Comment | Refresh | Back to Episode
[1]
Posted by: chestinee
April 10, 2008 - 12:50PM
Midtown

I wonder if the doctor is familiar with Continuum's protocols, (Emilie Conrad) which were presented for the first time last year at Harvard's first faschia conference (ergo the discoveries are not so easy to dismiss any more). Maybe very very interesting to him. Some amazing recoveries have come about - this is an outgrowth of the artform she was pursuing in the 50s. No need to ask on air - he just might be interested in finding out about this.

[2]
Posted by: Chris O
April 10, 2008 - 12:56PM
New York

I appreciate this conversation. It is very real, very intense. I respect your guest a great deal.

[3]
Posted by: thomas mccoy
April 10, 2008 - 12:57PM
cold spring, ny

I wonder if the good doctor is aware of the work of the parkinson's recovery project at http://pdrecovery.org/. There it is pointed out that the uncontrolable body movements of parkinson's sufferers are primarily side-effects of parkinson's drugs, not symptoms of parkinson's itself. This is suggested by Leonard's comments about Michael J. Fox.

[4]
Posted by: Jeff
April 10, 2008 - 12:59PM
ny

I've worked with many late-stage Parkinson's patients, and from this experience I found that the desire to end one's life is a common one among them. The inability, in a truly late-stage individual, to move one's body at all, coupled with dementia, must be akin to a vegetative state, or worse, trapped in one's own body. I understand this desire, and I think the government should consider the option as a sanctioned one.

[5]
Posted by: Dawn Gavin
April 10, 2008 - 01:12PM
Mohegan Lake, NY

I just wanted to say how much respect I have for you for your extremely sensitive handling of the author during the interview. You don't often hear such kindness and humanity in radio interviews.

[6]
Posted by: chestinee
April 10, 2008 - 01:38PM
Midtown

yes, ditto to Dawn Gavin's observation and thanks for both that sensitivity and the comment.

[7]
Posted by: Ken
April 10, 2008 - 11:35PM
Upper West Side

My favorite uncle died of Parkinson's a few years ago. It was difficult to listen, but one had to because of Dr. Graboys' great courage and Lenny's sensitivity, compassion and courage as well. It was a riveting interview.

[8]
Posted by: Larry
April 11, 2008 - 08:17AM
Brooklyn, NY

I appreciated this interview and have great

respect and sympathy for the doctor. I tried

to e-mail Dr. Graboys with some info I thought

promising, but the e-mail addresses were

apparently broken. If you do some web research

on URIDINE, especially in combination with

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, it points to a

possibly promising direction for treatment.

The show has my e-mail address above if the

doctor would like to receive my note.

[9]
Posted by: Maggie Lissy
April 11, 2008 - 11:49AM
White Plain, NY

I was heartbroken to listen to your interview yesterday. Dr. Graboys was my father's cardiologist for 7 years. He was a wonderful physician - warm, caring, compassionate and brilliant. This is a tragedy - personal and professional.

[10]
Posted by: Suzannah
April 12, 2008 - 12:13PM
Brooklyn, NY

This was a very powerful segment, for lack of a better word. My mother has Parkinson's and the honesty of the Doctor made me realize some feelings that probably reside behind my Mom's tough "life goes on" exterior. Thank you for the amazing interview!

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