Thursday’s New York Times has a nice article about progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
The story is about a Filipina named Betty whose “unexplained falls” began at the age of 72. An eye test with a neurologist plus the falls led to a diagnosis of PSP.
The article mentions “Last Dance at the Savoy,” a beautiful new book about PSP by actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, whom I had the pleasure to meet at the February 2016 CurePSP conference in San Mateo. Kathryn Leigh Scott says about PSP: “The biggest takeaway is to have patience. PSP has no treatment, no cure. It’s important to enjoy every precious moment.”
The article describes PSP as follows:
“The condition can present with multiple symptoms: loss of balance, swallowing problems, slurred speech, an inability to walk or talk. Difficulty moving the eyes, especially up and down, and poor bladder control are also common. Depression, memory and thinking problems or loss of inhibition can also occur. All get worse with time.”
Five years later, Betty can no longer walk or talk.
Here’s a link to the article:
www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/well/live/after-a-fall-then-another-a-devastating-diagnosis.html
Well/Voices
The Falls Were Bad. The Diagnosis Was Worse.
By Sylvia Rupani-Smith
New York Times
Oct. 20, 2016
Robin