Shared from brainandlife.org.
Soania Mathur, a retired family physician in Toronto, says her disease has made her a passionate advocate and better parent.
You were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease [PD] just after you finished your residency in family medicine. You were 28 and expecting your first child. That must have been a shock.
I first noticed a tremor in my right pinkie finger, which I ignored until it became concerning. That day I went to see the neurologist in my clinic, who did a physical examination and said he thought I had Parkinson’s. I sought a second opinion from a neurologist in downtown Toronto, who confirmed the diagnosis. For a long time, I was in denial. I didn’t want to deal with it. I had a baby and then two more. My husband and I were building a house and making social connections. I wasn’t emotionally ready to accept my diagnosis. I was doing the bare minimum to take care of myself.
