Pastor Ed’s Blog

Health Update

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Since then, the response of love and support from the church has been overwhelming. So many of you have been faith-fully praying for me, and your words of encouragement have been greatly appreciated.

Concerned friends constantly ask me how I’m doing. Underlying this question are concerns such as: Is the disease progressing? Are you suffering? How are you coping, emotionally and physically? What does the future hold? So, I felt that it was time to update everyone on my health and to answer some of the questions you may have.

What exactly is PD? What are the symptoms?

PD is a progressive neurological disease that affects the motor control area of the brain. The neurons in this part of the brain produce the chemical neurotransmitter dopamine, which transmit messages from the brain to the muscles. In a Parkinson’s patient, for some unknown reason the dopamine-producing neurons begin to die off at an accelerated rate.

The hallmark symptoms of PD are tremors, slowness of movement, loss of fine motor skills, muscular rigidity, and problems with balance. Other symptoms can include fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, stooped posture and speech problems.

Fortunately, I don’t suffer from tremors much. My primary motor symptoms are slowness of movement and loss of fine motor skills. Ordinary tasks requiring fine motor skills become more difficult to do. It also takes longer to shower and dress. And writing and typing are becoming slower and more difficult. My primary non-motor symptom is fatigue (which hits me late afternoon). Sometimes I take a nap; sometimes I go running.

How are you coping with PD?

Because of my temperament, my emotional gauge seldom reaches the red zone. Generally, my intuitive response to crisis is not one of panic and fear, but rather a determination to tackle this challenge head on. And, because the symptoms are still relatively mild, there’s no immediate sense of urgency. PD is a serious illness, but not an urgent one. While fear of what the future holds constantly lurks just on the edge of consciousness, the lack of urgency helps to mitigate the immediate seriousness of the illness.

Is your PD getting worse?

Because PD is such a slowly progressing illness, I would still be classified as early stage PD. My symptoms are still relatively manageable—more annoying than debilitating. Only recently have I sensed a noticeable progression in the symptoms of PD. So, after consulting with my neurologist, I recently began taking medication to manage my PD. The fact that my PD has been largely held at bay for the past three years is, I believe, a testimony to prayer.

The medication I’m presently on is known as a dopamine agonist (Mirapex). A dopamine agonist does not increase the amount of dopamine in the brain, as levodopa (L-dopa) does. However, because it’s chemical structure is so similar to dopamine, a dopamine agonist can stimulate dopamine-producing neurons just as dopamine does. This medication should help alleviate the symptoms of PD that I’m experiencing.

How should I pray for you?

Well, let me share with you how I pray.

I believe that God does heal today. So, I pray for God’s healing power to heal me of PD. I’ll continue to seek God for healing unless God tells me that He isn’t going to heal me.

I also pray that God will accelerate medical advances to heal not only me, but millions of others who suffer from this disease.

Most importantly, I pray that through my weakness, God will all the more abundantly and powerfully express His supernatural power. The thing that keeps me going in spite of my thorn in the flesh is this: I feel that God has given me this assurance—“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness.” I will gladly rejoice in my weak-ness if, through my weakness, the supernatural power of God is being released.