A prominent neurologist who led a healthy, active life received a shocking diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease when he was forty years old.
Knowing that exercise was the key to maintaining good neurological health, Dr David Blacker, from Perth, was an enthusiastic marathon runner until he began to experience a strange pain in his leg that was progressively worsening.
The father told FEMAIL he attributed the problem to a muscle strain, but when he began to notice tremors and problems with his dexterity, he knew something more sinister was going on.
In 2018, Dr. Blacker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and while he said the news was a “kick in the gut,” he didn’t let it stop him from leading an active life.
The 55-year-old wants Australians to know that Parkinson’s does not mean a gradual, painful decline and that symptoms can be alleviated with regular exercise and healthy lifestyle choices.
Neurologist Dr David Blacker (pictured), 55, from Perth, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in his forties despite leading an active and healthy life.
In his forties, Dr. Blacker prioritized staying fit and exercising regularly, knowing its impact on neurological health.
‘I had been working with stroke patients for a long time and realized the benefits of exercise. It’s one of the reasons I was really trying to keep up the exercise,” she said.
“I was actively trying to do that and if I hadn’t maybe I would have had my symptoms sooner.”
The doctor began to notice pain in his leg that he thought was due to exercise-induced dystonia that caused his muscles to contract uncontrollably.
“At first I thought it was because I had been doing too much, that I had pushed myself too hard without resting or stretching enough,” she said.
“It got to a point where my foot started to twist and tense up and then it got worse down the whole leg – it was like running in quicksand.”
Over the next three years, Dr. Blacker’s pain progressively worsened. He then began to notice more “classic” signs of Parkinson’s disease.
“They would shake my right hand and at first it was only when I was stressed or speaking in public or something like that,” he recalled.
“Everyone criticizes doctors’ handwriting, but my writing became very difficult and I was having trouble filling out forms, it was becoming very difficult.”
Dr. Blacker was an avid golfer and noticed that he had trouble with his fine motor skills when trying to get a ball out of his pocket or put it on a tee.
“The real surprise was when I saw patients who had Parkinson’s disease and they performed better than me.”
“I started thinking, ‘Could it be something else? Is it too much coffee? “I’m a little young for Parkinson’s.” Then I started thinking, “Oh God, it really seems like it,” but I didn’t want to be a hypochondriac,” he said.
In 2018, he “plucked up the courage” to see a neurologist colleague and was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, at just 49 years old.
‘I was very personally prepared and knew what it was. To some extent, I was relieved that it was Parkinson’s and not something that was going to be faster,” he said.
“Still, it was an incredible kick in the gut and a grieving process certainly occurs.
“You have a certain image of what your life will be like and what you’re going to do in the future, and when something like this happens, you have to reconfigure it.”
Dr. Blacker was as determined as ever to not let his Parkinson’s get in the way of his active life.
He began taking medication that relieved his symptoms, began practicing boxing and yoga, and switched from running to brisk walking.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have had a good response to medication, but more importantly, exercise has been my savior,” he said.
“We have the opportunity to change the course of Parkinson’s disease and develop enough muscle strength and fitness that will hopefully prevent its decline in the future.”
After his diagnosis, Dr. Blacker continued to exercise. He took up boxing, started doing yoga and swapped running for brisk walks.
He also adopted a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, olive oil, nuts and berries and low in red meat and dairy.
The Mediterranean diet is said to be one of the healthiest in the world, as people living in that part of the world live longer, healthier lives with a low rate of chronic diseases.
Dr. Blacker said his diagnosis has helped him with his Parkinson’s patients at work.
‘It is a stressful time, for many people receiving the diagnosis is the worst moment of their life and it really sticks in their brain. “If the doctor delivering the baby doesn’t do a good job, that can have a negative effect,” he said.
‘I have this incredible opportunity to be able to deliver the diagnosis with authenticity and empathy and understand it. “I can choose him with much more confidence than before.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to have had a good response to the medications, but most importantly, exercise has been my salvation,” he said.
People often picture a “shaky old white guy” when they think of Parkinson’s disease, but Dr. Blacker said it can affect people of any age, gender and race.
The stereotype also leads people to believe that a person will be immobile after a diagnosis.
Dr Blacker said people were surprised to see him feeling and looking fit after his diagnosis.
“One of the things I found frustrating was that when I started getting fitter and stronger, people would say, ‘Wow, you look great!’ but no one sees that you’ve taken all these pills or that you’ve had a bad night’s sleep.” night, so.” You feel very tired. There are all these non-motor symptoms that people can’t see,” he said.
‘People are just trying to cheer you up, but you feel a little invalidated and you think, “They don’t believe me?” It is a difficult psychological question. I warn a lot of people.’
Dr. Blacker wants to dispel the myth that a Parkinson’s diagnosis involves a gradual, linear decline.
“I think it’s a misrepresentation of what’s really happening. If you really focus on exercise and eat a good diet, that, in combination with medication, can have amazing results,” he said.
‘One of my crusades is to offer a much more positive image to people. Especially at the beginning, when you’ve given them a diagnosis.