World Parkinson’s Day takes place this Tuesday, April 11, 2023. On this occasion, Midi Libre gives the floor to the Gardois Anthony Desjardins, 38, affected by the disease.
Received ideas have a hard tooth. In the collective imagination, Parkinson’s disease only affects seniors. However, it can also occur in young people. 20% of patients in France are under 60 years oldrecalls the JDD.
Anthony Desjardins, is the proof. At 38, the adopted Gardois fights a daily battle once morest the disease. A disease that was diagnosed to him in July 2021. In January of this year, he confided to us: “I was in shock but not surprised, it explained so many things…”.
After shock often comes anger, then acceptance. What regarding Anthony? What does his life look like today? Midi Libre interviewed the young man on the occasion of World Parkinson’s Day on Tuesday.
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Suffering from Parkinson’s disease at the age of 38, he recounts his daily life: the videos of this Gardois are a hit
Everything not to do with my illness, it was part of my job
On sick leave for a year and a half, this father of two children and former tennis teacher explains to us that he has worked for 9 years in mass distribution, in Castelnau-Le-Lez. A job with staggered hours, handling, carrying loads… so many constraints that no longer match his illness. “Everything not to do with my illness was part of my job,” explains the 30-year-old. “There are things with my hand that I mightn’t do anymore, I lost in dexterity, in balance”he continues.
This sick leave does not prevent Anthony from having busy days: he goes twice a week at the physiotherapist, with an extra sports session and shares his daily life on his social networks. “I want to explain the disease and its difficulties”. This sharing, these exchanges with his community seem to hit the mark. “Thank you for representing us“. Regularly, Anthony receives messages of thanks from other patients, which pushes him to continue his activity as a content creator.
I’m not a doctor, I’m sick
However, Anthony wishes to recall that “each case is unique“, and that it is preferable to complete the viewing of his videos with a consultation with a doctor. It is for this reason that he created the “JPP: Le journal du Parki positive”, where he talks regarding illness, treatments, side effects and advances in research surrounded by experts.
The Gardois has also set up “Ciel mon parki”, a weekly meeting (Tuesday evening) where he gives the floor to other people with this disease.
Finally, he posts immersion videos in professional sports clubs in the region, in order to show what he is capable of but also to expose his limits.
If Anthony speaks freely regarding his illness on social networks, what regarding at home? “I explained to my children that I have a little problem in the brain, which makes me walk more slowly than the others, that I have a little trouble using my arm… They see me taking pills in the morning, hook up at the pump, but they live it rather well. My videos even amuse them!”, reassures the father of the family.
On this subject, the France Parkinson association gives some advice intended for the entourage of patients, which you will find ici.
What are the symptoms of early Parkinson’s disease?
The symptoms of early Parkinson’s disease are essentially the same as for Parkinson’s disease contracted in the sixties, as follows:
- A slowness of gestures
- Limb stiffness
- A tremor at rest
- A motor symptom is however more seen in young people: it is dystonia, an abnormal position of a limb. “The foot can twist painfully when running, for example”.
Parkinson’s disease also causes non-motor symptoms such as:
- Disorders of smell
- Sleep disturbances (nightmares)
- A change in character
- anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of motivation in daily activities.
As a reminder, Parkinson’s disease affects more than 270,000 French people and ranks second among neurodegenerative pathologies in France, just behind Alzheimer’s. Since 2012, it has been classified as an occupational disease for farmers confronted with the use of certain pesticides. For now, there is no control plan or treatment to cure or slow its progression.