A 53-year-old Fife man with Parkinson’s disease is sharing his experiences of the condition to show it is not just an “old person’s disease”.
David Rigg from Cairneyhill in Dunfermline was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2016 – at the age of 46.
Parkinson’s disease is a condition which sees parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.
It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain.
It is estimated there are 1,752 people with Parkinson’s under the age of 50, in the UK.
And around 1.2% of people diagnosed are under the age of 50.
What were David’s symptoms?
David had one of the main symptoms of the condition which is a tremor in his right hand.
He said: “I had the traditional tremor in my right hand which was worrying me.
“I went to the doctor who suspected it was Parkinson’s and he referred me to a specialist neurologist.
“My work had a private scheme so I was seen by a specialist in Edinburgh within two weeks.
“These specialists can tell instantly.
“If you aren’t swinging your arm, which I never noticed before, this is a pretty good sign there is something wrong.”
The application engineer continued: “Other symptoms which I didn’t know about is tiny handwriting and a bad sense of smell.
“I had both of these.”
He continued: “I knew there was something wrong but it still came as a shock.
“I didn’t know if it would be worse for me because I was younger or if you could make plans to try and counteract it.
“46 is fairly young and Parkinson’s is still considered an old person’s disease.”
Young people in Fife with Parkinson’s disease
A few months after he was diagnosed, the Fife branch, which is affiliated to Parkinson’s UK, was setting up a young persons’ group – for people of working age in the Kingdom with the condition.
David’s doctor recommended the Parkinson’s UK website for further information and it featured a young persons’ group based in Edinburgh.
He joined this group initially, as it was closer to his home, but when the Fife branch set up its own young persons’ group, David joined that instead.
“It was good and a few years later I took over the running of the group,” he said.
“It is really helpful and provides support not only for people who have been living with the condition, but also for those who have been newly diagnosed.”
The group has online meetings in the evenings and it also runs activities for members locally.
Activities include chair-dancing, Nordic walking, Tai Chi and other exercise sessions and ten-pin bowling.
He said: “One of the real thoughts about Parkinson’s is that keeping fit and active is just the most important thing.
“It’s when you slow down and seize up you can start having falls.”
This summer David is hoping to attend the World Parkinson’s Congress in Barcelona.
The event is being held over four days in July.
It features talks, seminars and work groups as well as looking at research into Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s Awareness Week
David believes Parkinson’s Awareness Week (April 10-16) is important.
He said: “It raises awareness for people who may have symptoms but not know what it is.
“There is a huge number of people who are diagnosed by others like Billy Connolly and Jeremy Paxman.”
David said there have been some positives he has found since his diagnosis, particularly the support he has had through the young person’s group.
He added: “It makes you take time to re-think about your life and what is important.
“I tended to work hard and had very little time for anything else, but this makes you realise that is not the most important thing.”
Conversation