concordtom said:Cal88 said:HearstMining said:Cal88 said:
RIP.
Jesse Jackson had Progressive Supranuclear Palsy or PSP, a relatively rare and often misdiagnosed neural degenerative disease. There is no cure for PSP, and once diagnosed, the typical lifespan of a patient is less than 5 years. I am very familiar with this disease having had a very close relative recently struck with it.
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/article/understanding-psp-in-light-of-jesse-jacksons-diagnosis/Quote:
PSP vs. PD
While there are some similarities between Parkinson's disease (PD) and PSP, they are distinct conditions with distinct symptoms, pathologies and rates of decline. PSP is a much less common diagnosis than PD. Both diseases can start with slowness of movement and stiffness. However, people with PSP tend not to have the classic rest tremor that can be very characteristic of PD and people with PSP often develop specific eye movement abnormalities that people with PD do not have. In addition, people with PSP tend not to respond to Parkinson's medications as well as people with PD.
One of the hallmarks of PSP is early, unprovoked falls. People with PSP often retropulse or fall backward without the ability to catch themselves. Poor balance and falling in PD on the other hand, typically occurs in more advanced stages.
Both diseases show neurodegeneration, or nerve cell death, in specific brain cells involved in motor control. However, whereas the protein alpha-synuclein tends to accumulate in the brains of people with PD, the protein tau is present in the brains of people with PSP.
Unfortunately, in addition to the fact that PSP typically shows a more limited response to medications, it also tends to progress more quickly.
Linda Ronstadt has Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. That's what forced her to retire from performing. One of the great voices in American pop music.
Sad. PSP also affects the voice, she was apparently no longer able to sing just one year after her diagnosis. More importantly, the parasympathetic system that allows you to swallow properly is also affected. PSP patients in more advanced stages can no longer swallow water or eat solid food, they need thickeners in their liquids and will eat mostly mashed foods or thick soups. A liquid will go right through their trachea and into their lungs.
Dudley Moore also had PSP, in the early stages people thought he was just drunk or tipsy, as it affects your gait and makes you look groggy.
I've been thinking lately that euthanasia (or suicide) isn't the worst thing in the world. I've put down two dogs, and it ducks, but….
As I've reported, I'm caring for my mom in the early stages of Alzheimer's and it eventually gets to can't talk, can't toilet, can't bathe….. worse than where my dogs were at.
It's makes you wonder.
You wouldn't euthanize a baby because it can't talk, toilet or bathe...
It would have to be a lot further than that before you even start thinking about euthanasia. The only case this subject could come out in a family that cares about their elders is that if the person in question was suffering from tremendous pain that is only going to get worse, not because a son is inconvenienced because his parent can't bathe by himself.
