The Beginning: How I first noticed the signs

Hello everyone,

In my last blog, I introduced myself and shared a little about my journey with Parkinson’s. Today, I want to take you back to the beginning – when I first realized that something wasn’t quite right.

I happened to know about Parkinson’s disease. A family friend had it, and I also suspect that my mother may have had it, too. She was never diagnosed, but I remember her hand shaking slightly. Even at work, I had a colleague who was open about his own Parkinson’s diagnosis. But despite all of this, it never crossed my mind that I could one day be facing the same reality.

The first sign came unexpectedly. After a meeting with a customer, he casually pointed out, “Did you notice that your hand is shaking?” I hadn’t. But once I started paying attention, I realized that my hand would occasionally shake – especially in stressful situations, like presenting something in front of an audience. At the time, I was in a leading position within the company, and my job was rather stressful. Thus, at first, I brushed it off, thinking maybe it was just nerves or too much coffee. But then I decided to contact my company’s healthcare provider.

When I visited the general practitioner and explained my symptoms, I was sent for a brain scan. Luckily, no tumors or other issues were found, and I was referred to a neurologist.

My first symptom – the shaking hand – was manageable. It would tremble when at rest but stop when I grabbed something. I didn’t have any other symptoms at the time. Looking back, I now realize that my ability to handle stress had started to decline, both for positive and negative stress. But at that time, I was too caught up in my demanding job to notice, and because the symptoms did not affect me too much, I did not spend too much time thinking about it either.

When our family friend was diagnosed with Parkinson’s years back, we received a book called Matkakumppanina Parkinson (Travel Companion Parkinson’s), written by neurologist Kari Aho, who himself was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. As I was already quite informed about Parkinson’s at the time, I consulted the book, where I found hints that my own symptoms might be pointing in the same direction. Of course, I hoped it was something else.

I didn’t allow myself to worry too much, rather approaching the situation practically. I went to the neurologist and followed the process. I focused on what I could do, concentrated on finding answers, and exploring my options.

In my next post, I’ll share more about my diagnosis – how I received it, the changes it made, and how I found ways to keep moving forward.

Yours,
Riaz

Riaz Zabihian

Riaz is Adamant Health's patient voice. He has been living with Parkinson’s disease for over a decade. In his blog, Riaz will share his personal experience of life with Parkinson's disease to provide support, inspiration, and practical advice for others affected by the condition.