Download or read book A Life Shaken written by Joel Havemann and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2003-04-30 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I'm flat on my back on a couch that's too short in a windowless room in the bureau. I can't even sit at a computer, much less make a keyboard work. My arms and legs are shaking uncontrollably. Although I am only 53 years old, I have already been struggling with Parkinson's disease for seven years. And right now the disease is winning." So begins Joel Havemann's account of the insidious disease that is Parkinson's. Into his own story, Havemann weaves accessible explanations of how Parkinson's disrupts the brain's circuitry, how symptoms are managed through drugs and surgery, and how people cope with the disease's psychological challenges. The updated paperback edition brings the discussion of treatment options and research thoroughly up to date.