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Paxman: Putting up with Parkinson's

(41 Posts)
Callistemon21 Tue 04-Oct-22 21:56:22

ITV 9 pm today.

Well worth watching if you can access it on ITV Hub

It's not depressing, it's enlightening, optimistic and has flashes of outrageous humour, as we might expect from Jeremy Paxman.

MawtheMerrier Tue 04-Oct-22 21:59:57

Absolutely agree. Very moving.
Did you see one of his fellow “ballet therapy” dancers was a co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley?

Blossoming Tue 04-Oct-22 22:01:52

Thanks for the heads-up ladies.

merlotgran Tue 04-Oct-22 22:05:24

Very moving. Not depressing but still had me in tears. A giant cut down.

Grandma70s Tue 04-Oct-22 22:10:52

I found it depressing, or perhaps frightening would be a better word. Paxman looked completely different from the way he used to look. On University Challenge he doesn’t look very different to me, apart from the white hair. It’s when you see him move that his illness becomes obvious.

The only thing I knew about Parkinson’s was that it makes people shaky. I had no idea about the other symptoms, the falls and so on. Paxman didn’t seem to have shaking hands.

Callistemon21 Tue 04-Oct-22 22:25:24

It was frightening, yes, but there was also hope.

The fat that Parkinson's could be smelt by the woman whose husband had it was very interesting indeed. Years later, academics at the University of Manchester have made a breakthrough by developing a test that can identify people with Parkinson’s disease using a simple cotton bud run along the back of the neck
www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/07/woman-who-can-smell-parkinsons-helps-scientists-develop-test

Callistemon21 Tue 04-Oct-22 22:26:01

typo: fat = fact

JaneJudge Tue 04-Oct-22 22:28:47

It was interesting

I really laughed at Paul Sinha joke to the consultant smile

MayBee70 Tue 04-Oct-22 22:31:17

Grandma70s

I found it depressing, or perhaps frightening would be a better word. Paxman looked completely different from the way he used to look. On University Challenge he doesn’t look very different to me, apart from the white hair. It’s when you see him move that his illness becomes obvious.

The only thing I knew about Parkinson’s was that it makes people shaky. I had no idea about the other symptoms, the falls and so on. Paxman didn’t seem to have shaking hands.

I think there are two kinds of Parkinson’s and one doesn’t result in the shaking. My neighbour had it and she kept having falls so she’s now in a care home.

BlueBelle Tue 04-Oct-22 22:35:53

I didn’t find it moving or depressing I found it interesting and informative He s such a bullish man I think he would hate to think people found it sad
The meds he’s on would stop the shakes grandma70
My close friend was diagnosed about two years ago and she looks so much better since she’s been on medication she’s 77 same as me and says if the meds hold her for ten years (which the doctors have said they hope for) she ll be perfectly happy
Who knows there may be something new by then, before she was on the meds she had quite bad hand tremors in both hands She walked with a strange gait her knees going in and her ankles out sort of extremely knock kneed she had a lot of aches and pains in her muscles She has lost the tremors and now walks well and normally she has normal facial expressions she no longer looks dull and tired

Paxman could do with losing some weight

Lucca Tue 04-Oct-22 22:36:38

On UC you can see Paxman has that fixed look which Parkinson sufferers often have.

Callistemon21 Tue 04-Oct-22 22:43:01

He's recording the last episode of UC next week, Lucca after 29 years!

JaneJudge Tue 04-Oct-22 22:43:55

Lucca

On UC you can see Paxman has that fixed look which Parkinson sufferers often have.

apparently this is why he was dx so quickly as his consultant neurologist watched the program!

volver Tue 04-Oct-22 22:52:49

I believe Billy Connolly decided to get checked out because someone saw his shuffling gait on tv and made the effort to contact him about it.

tobyandsocks Tue 04-Oct-22 22:53:44

My husband has Parkinsons disease and I found it all very depressing. What is the point of being able to smell Parkinsons? It does not make the diagnoisis any quicker...my husband had all the typical symptons and he was not diagnoised for over 5 years. He was given excuse after excuse for his symptoms, frozen shoulder, trapped nerves, the list was endless...it was when I insisted he saw a specialist ( as I work with parkinsons disease patients) that he was referred....within 10minutes of being seen he was diagnoised... If we had told our GP that my husband had a parkinsons disease "smell" he would have laughed at us as he could not reconise the typical symptoms....Parkinsons UK stated that they spend millions on research but why is it that the drug recommended for Parkinsons which is meant to be the gold star treatment has been prescribed for over 50yrs....no advance on it...I feel that programmes like this give the public the idea that there is a cure on the horizon....which people like to tell us that my husband will be cured soon....sadly IF there ever is a cure it will be years and years away.....sorry if this sounds negative but when people have to live with someone with parkinsons disease and watch their loved being overcome by this cruel disease....these programmes do nothing to highlight what really goes on and in a way they give patients and the public false hope......hmm

Deedaa Tue 04-Oct-22 23:32:39

It was very sad seeing the struggle it is for him to do the University Challenge recordings - and I know he would hate to think that he was getting that reaction. It must be so frustrating for such a quick witted man to be so constrained now.

Callistemon21 Tue 04-Oct-22 23:43:59

What is the point of being able to smell Parkinsons? It does not make the diagnoisis any quicker
One hopes that this and other research will lead to better, earlier diagnosis and to better medicines which can at least slow down the progress of this debilitating disease.

GPs do need to have better training in diagnosis of this and other ailments.

Calendargirl Wed 05-Oct-22 06:37:53

I found it informative and rather sad.

I felt he took part in the dancing and other activities for the programme, but won’t keep going to them.

Also wise to finish doing UC, and to accept he can no longer do it properly, instead of having to be forced off, however much the producers want to keep him.

Very brave of famous faces such as Bill Turnbull, JP and many others to appear in such programmes and raise awareness.

Callistemon21 Wed 05-Oct-22 10:42:08

I think it said at the end that he has carried on with the bowling.

Ballet dancing wouldn't seem to be his thing!

bikergran Thu 06-Oct-22 10:09:27

My brother sent me a link about the programme he said watch it with dad next time you go over (which is today).

I thought I had better watch the programe first.

I found it quite depressing and the fixed expression on Jeremys face is the same as my dad's.

Although Jeremy seemed a little upbeat at times, he seemed to me quite down.

My dad takes cbd oil , he was diagnosed with Parkinsons must be around 10 yrs ago now. We think the cbd oil helps .

He doesnt shake anything like he used to but now his hands are starting to stiffen. He doesn't really shuffle as yet.he does struggle walking but he is ! 87 with other ailments.

Iv'e decided not to show my dad the programme as it wouldn't make my dad feel any better.

But for others maybe it was helpful.

Shinamae Thu 06-Oct-22 10:16:50

I work in a care home and two of our ladies have Parkinson’s and I can tell you it is the most awful,awful disease and their medication is not stopping the progression, it’s so sad..?

Callistemon21 Thu 06-Oct-22 12:05:28

Shinamae

I work in a care home and two of our ladies have Parkinson’s and I can tell you it is the most awful,awful disease and their medication is not stopping the progression, it’s so sad..?

I took my mother to see her youngest sister just before my aunt died with Parkinson's and it upset us both. I've never forgotten it and my mother never got over it.

GrandNanna Thu 06-Oct-22 12:16:49

Depressing. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 4 years ago and I shake and shuffle. I worry as it's getting worse even with medication and I live alone.

Deedaa Thu 06-Oct-22 12:19:25

bikergran I think programmes like this are probably more helpful for the families, giving them ideas about what is going on and how they can help.

GrannySomerset Thu 06-Oct-22 12:34:18

I feel much as toby describes. My late DH had Parkinson’s and nothing could stop the inexorable progress of the disease. They tell you that everyone’s experience is different which is partly why there is no magic bullet but the hope must be that early diagnosis will be important when something effective is found. Watching JP just reminded me how hard it was to see my clever and energetic husband become a sad shadow of himself, and how much he felt the degradation. In the end he wanted to die because life had become such a struggle, and I couldn’t blame him.