How walking to ameliorate Parkinson’s disease turned into an Everest hike

Sandy Gerschwitz woke up in the middle of the night to a “burning smell”, fearing that her house was on fire.

She would often check outside for police and paramedics, and roam the house looking for smoke and flames. But she found nothing.

Hairdressers at that time began to have problems with their hands when cutting hair and hanging laundry.

She also began to limp occasionally.

But it took Gerschwitz about four years of doctor visits in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland (where she lived at various times) before she got answers to her symptoms. .

The 48-year-old, who has since given up haircuts, had Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder.

Anyone diagnosed under the age of 50 is considered to have juvenile-onset Parkinson’s disease.

come to a diagnosis

Far from being shocked or devastated by the progression of the disease, she said her 2019 diagnosis came as a relief that someone finally believed in her.

Last year, Gershwitz began taking long walks, including the 30-kilometer trek from Mudjimba on the Sunshine Coast to Noosa.

She trains at Mount Ngungan, part of the Glass House Mountains National Park.

Tony Tampiyappa, a Sunshine Coast exercise expert and Gershwitz’s treating doctor, says exercise can help with all neurodegenerative diseases.

“It’s a use-or-lose case, especially with Parkinson’s disease,” he said.

“Most people get pretty apathetic. The disease itself is what makes them want to just sit.

“Forcing yourself to move is the most important thing you can do to slow the progression of this disease. It’s very important.”

Eager to have a goal to focus on, she prepares for a 12-day, 125 km hike from Lukla to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. shake it up foundationis a US-based Parkinson’s disease charity affiliated with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

She also wants to change people’s perceptions of Parkinson’s disease, citing instances in which people she met thought she was drunk or taking recreational drugs.

The confusion is due to Gerschwitz’s condition, which is characterized by degeneration of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra.

understand the state

Decreased dopamine levels impair mobility, including tremors, stiffness in the arms and legs, slowed movement, poor balance, and altered coordination.

Other symptoms include olfactory disturbances, sleep disturbances, anxiety, fatigue, bowel problems, and changes in speech.

Miguel Renteria, a geneticist at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, said: Researching the genetics of Parkinson’s disease Funded by Shake It Up and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

According to him, patients with the condition, which affects between 100,000 and 150,000 Australians, have an abnormal number of Lewy bodies (sticky, sticky bodies made up of a protein called alpha-synuclein) that disrupt normal brain function. lumps) are known to exist.

The course of the disease varies greatly between individuals.

“Some people start with tremors, some people with stiffness, others with slow movements.

“Some people start having trouble speaking, and others suffer from something called micrographia, where their handwriting starts to shrink.”

Gerschwitz remembers being haunted by a phantom burning smell, but Parkinson’s patients often report complete loss of smell before diagnosis, Renteria said.

He said diagnosing Parkinson’s disease is difficult without a family history because the symptoms are so variable.

Dr. Renteria says dozens of Parkinson’s disease genes have already been identified, but he hopes the QIMR genetics study will reveal many more.

By identifying different molecular triggers for this condition, the researchers hope to help physicians tailor existing treatments to different patient groups and identify potential new drugs.

Travel with medical assistance

Phil Salidakis, a retired physiotherapist based in South Australia, where Gershwitz used to live, will accompany him on the trip to the Himalayas.

“She is tenacious,” he said.

“I’ve walked with her a few times, and while she’s very impressive, I’ve never experienced the thin air, sub-zero temperatures, and obviously terrain we can encounter.

“The reality of this is that no one knows how they will react until they actually do it.

“But she definitely put it in the hard yard.”

Salidakis uses hydrotherapy to treat Parkinson’s patients and teach them different ways to walk.

“I have no doubt she can continuously put one leg forward and just keep moving,” he said.

“Her mental strength and determination to accomplish this… is commendable.

Salidakis said neither knew whether he would be affected by altitude sickness during the hike from Lukla, about 3,000 meters above sea level, to Everest Base Camp, about 5,400 meters above sea level.

“That will be the main enemy,” he said.

“It’s very random who gets it.

“If you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it.”

Salidakis and Gershwitz, who are taking medication to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, will leave Australia for Nepal today.