Really sad news, poor Linda

[sawyerloggingon]

I have friends with this disease and it is devastating. It seems like it is getting more common and I have to wonder if it is something in our environment, pesticides maybe.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linda Ronstadt says she suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which has robbed her ability to sing.
The 67-year-old music legend tells AARP Magazine, in an article posted online Friday, that she was diagnosed eight months ago and “can’t sing a note.”
Ronstadt says she began to show symptoms as long as eight years ago, but attributed her inability to sing then to a tick disease. When her hands began to tremble, Ronstadt said she thought the shaking was the result of a shoulder operation.


Read more: Linda Ronstadt: Cannot Sing Because of Parkinson's Disease | TIME.com

 

[ChrisL]

I have friends with this disease and it is devastating. It seems like it is getting more common and I have to wonder if it is something in our environment, pesticides maybe.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linda Ronstadt says she suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which has robbed her ability to sing.
The 67-year-old music legend tells AARP Magazine, in an article posted online Friday, that she was diagnosed eight months ago and “can’t sing a note.”
Ronstadt says she began to show symptoms as long as eight years ago, but attributed her inability to sing then to a tick disease. When her hands began to tremble, Ronstadt said she thought the shaking was the result of a shoulder operation.


Read more: Linda Ronstadt: Cannot Sing Because of Parkinson's Disease | TIME.com

Terrible news. I'm not too familiar with her as an artist, but I've heard a few of her songs, and she's a talented woman. Stem cell therapy has shown promise and perhaps might even be able to cure it in the future.

You could be right about environmental factors playing a role too.

What Causes Parkinson's? Age, Genetics, Environment, and Other Factors

There is considerable controversy surrounding the possibility of a genetic cause of Parkinson's disease. In a small number of families, specific genetic abnormalities leading to the illness have been identified. However, the vast majority of people with Parkinson's disease do not have one of these identified genetic abnormalities. It is probable that in people who develop Parkinson's disease early in life (called young-onset Parkinson's disease) there is a genetic component. Because we don't understand very much at this point about how Parkinson's disease is inherited, the implications for children of people with Parkinson's disease are unclear.

There is also some evidence that certain toxins in the environment may cause Parkinson's disease. Scientists have suggested that external or internal toxins may selectively destroy the dopaminergic neurons, causing Parkinson's disease. Toxins that may be linked to Parkinson's include manganese, carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide, and some other pesticides.

Also, it is believed that oxidative stress can cause Parkinson's disease. Oxidation is a process in which free radicals (unstable molecules lacking one electron), in an attempt to replace the missing electron, react with other molecules (such as iron). Free radicals are normally formed in the brain and body, but usually the brain and body have mechanisms to get rid of them. In people with Parkinson's disease, the mechanisms may not be effective or they may produce too many free radicals. It is also possible that environmental toxins may contribute to abnormal free radical formation and lead to Parkinson's disease. Oxidation is thought to cause damage to tissues, including neurons. In most cases, antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I have friends with this disease and it is devastating. It seems like it is getting more common and I have to wonder if it is something in our environment, pesticides maybe.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linda Ronstadt says she suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which has robbed her ability to sing.
The 67-year-old music legend tells AARP Magazine, in an article posted online Friday, that she was diagnosed eight months ago and “can’t sing a note.”
Ronstadt says she began to show symptoms as long as eight years ago, but attributed her inability to sing then to a tick disease. When her hands began to tremble, Ronstadt said she thought the shaking was the result of a shoulder operation.


Read more: Linda Ronstadt: Cannot Sing Because of Parkinson's Disease | TIME.com

The simple fact remains that all people born will die, that leaves us only how (from what?) death will occur. As our life expectancy rises ever higher, largely due to modern medical miracles, that means that those still "incurable" diseases may appear to show up more often, yet still mainly in the elderly population.

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Terrible news. I'm not too familiar with her as an artist, but I've heard a few of her songs, and she's a talented woman. Stem cell therapy has shown promise and perhaps might even be able to cure it in the future.

You could be right about environmental factors playing a role too.

What Causes Parkinson's? Age, Genetics, Environment, and Other Factors

Good info. I had a fan crush on her when I was younger and have all her albums, she was a fantastic singer.

 

[sawyerloggingon]

The simple fact remains that all people born will die, that leaves us only how (from what?) death will occur. As our life expectancy rises ever higher, largely due to modern medical miracles, that means that those still "incurable" diseases may appear to show up more often, yet still mainly in the elderly population.

That's a good point really, the more people that live longer the more time for stuff to go wrong.

 

[ChrisL]

The simple fact remains that all people born will die, that leaves us only how (from what?) death will occur. As our life expectancy rises ever higher, largely due to modern medical miracles, that means that those still "incurable" diseases may appear to show up more often, yet still mainly in the elderly population.

I sometimes feel that medical technology, in some instances, is a curse, keeping us alive longer to suffer from more ailments.

 

[windowdressing]

Good info. I had a fan crush on her when I was younger and have all her albums, she was a fantastic singer.

her range in "Blue Bayou" was incredible ...

 

[ttwtt78640]

I sometimes feel that medical technology, in some instances, is a curse, keeping us alive longer to suffer from more ailments.

That is debatable, since many have passed "early" from now treatable conditions. I guess it is all in your own way of looking at it. Is it better to live longer, but be able to enjoy fewer (different?) things in life, or to live a "fuller", yet shorter, life?

 

[MaggieD]

That's a good point really, the more people that live longer the more time for stuff to go wrong.

People who would have died a hundred years ago don't. People who would have died at birth a hundred years ago don't.

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

 

[ChrisL]

That is debatable, since many have passed "early" from now treatable conditions. I guess it is all in your own way of looking at it. Is it better to live longer, but be able to enjoy fewer (different?) things in life, or to live a "fuller", yet shorter, life?

That's true, but personally I think that we keep people alive with medicines and other technologies when they would have normally already passed away. Of course, now that the medical technology exists, it would not be right to deny it to anyone. But honestly, I think a lot of people live a lot longer than they were meant to because of medical technology.

 

[ChrisL]

her range in "Blue Bayou" was incredible ...

Yes! That's one of the songs from her I really like. Her voice is beautiful in that song, just beautiful!

 

[windowdressing]

Yes! That's one of the songs from her I really like. Her voice is beautiful in that song, just beautiful!

and as a young man (yes, I was a young man once), I definitely had a crush on her (in my 20s at the time of Blue Bayou - 1977 - Can you believe it? 1977! Time is moving much too quickly) ... I'm heading to Youtube to hear it again ...

 

[ChrisL]

and as a young man (yes, I was a young man once), I definitely had a crush on her (in my 20s at the time of Blue Bayou - 1977 - Can you believe it? 1977! Time is moving much too quickly) ... I'm heading to Youtube to hear it again ...

I'm going to post it on the "What Are You Listening To" thread. It is a lovely song.

 

[windowdressing]

I'm going to post it on the "What Are You Listening To" thread. It is a lovely song.

just saw her doing it on youtube ... both she and the song are indeed lovely ... I hope the doctors can treat the illness well enough for her to live many more years with a decent quality of life ... gotta go, have a good one ...

 

[ChrisL]

just saw her doing it on youtube ... both she and the song are indeed lovely ... I hope the doctors can treat the illness well enough for her to live many more years with a decent quality of life ... gotta go, have a good one ...

I agree. Have a good day! :2wave:

 

[Morality Games]

People who would have died a hundred years ago don't. People who would have died at birth a hundred years ago don't.

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

People a hundred years ago died from splinters. Before that they were so malnourished they died from worms in their late 30s to early 40s.

 

[ChrisL]

People a hundred years ago died from splinters. Before that they were so malnourished they died from worms in their late 30s to early 40s.

I don't think anyone is referring to those types of maladies. We are talking more about chronic heart conditions in the elderly as an example.

 

[CanadaJohn]

That's a good point really, the more people that live longer the more time for stuff to go wrong.

This is very true - it's why prostate cancer screening and treatment is so controversial now because basically every man alive today will have some form of prostate cancer in his lifetime but less than 10% will have a serious issue with it and only a small percentage of those will actually die as a result of prostate cancer - most men will die of something else before prostate cancer gets them and the treatments for the illness are far more damaging, particularly when applied at a young age.

 

[Fisher]

My mom used to listen to her a lot. The only song I maybe remember some of went somethng like--"Love is a rose but you better not pick it" or something weird like that.

 

[ChrisL]

This is very true - it's why prostate cancer screening and treatment is so controversial now because basically every man alive today will have some form of prostate cancer in his lifetime but less than 10% will have a serious issue with it and only a small percentage of those will actually die as a result of prostate cancer - most men will die of something else before prostate cancer gets them and the treatments for the illness are far more damaging, particularly when applied at a young age.

Probably depends a lot on the type of prostate cancer too though. Some are much more malignant and aggressive than other types.

Prostate Cancer types, aldara and basal cell carcinoma

 

[joko104]

People a hundred years ago died from splinters. Before that they were so malnourished they died from worms in their late 30s to early 40s.

For some time, the average lifespan in Europe was about 25. The number of orphans was so great at one point they announced a "Children's Crusade" and marched them all off to go fight a Crusade just to get rid of some of them. Of course not ever returned.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Probably depends a lot on the type of prostate cancer too though. Some are much more malignant and aggressive than other types.

Prostate Cancer types, aldara and basal cell carcinoma

True enough - but those aren't the ones I'm concerned about - it's the minor ones that grow very slowly and had been until recently aggressively treated ruining the lives and lifestyles of many men unnecessarily.

 

[MaggieD]

I don't think anyone is referring to those types of maladies. We are talking more about chronic heart conditions in the elderly as an example.

Appendicitis...leukemia...infection...bowel obstruction...diabetes...a myriad ways our bodies can malfunction that are a piece of cake today and years ago would have been fatal.

 

[DiAnna]

That's true, but personally I think that we keep people alive with medicines and other technologies when they would have normally already passed away. Of course, now that the medical technology exists, it would not be right to deny it to anyone. But honestly, I think a lot of people live a lot longer than they were meant to because of medical technology.

I'm biased, but I think that's a good thing. Without modern medicine, it's extremely likely I would have died ten years ago. I can't do a lot of things any more, that's true, but I try to find enjoyment in the things I can still do to make the days worthwhile.

However, when I get to the point that I'm unable even to enjoy small things and every breath is a struggle, I wish my government thought I was entitled to as merciful a death as is allowed our beloved pets.

 

[ChrisL]

I'm biased, but I think that's a good thing. Without modern medicine, it's extremely likely I would have died ten years ago. I can't do a lot of things any more, that's true, but I try to find enjoyment in the things I can still do to make the days worthwhile.

However, when I get to the point that I'm unable even to enjoy small things and every breath is a struggle, I wish my government thought I was entitled to as merciful a death as is allowed our beloved pets.

Well I'm glad you're here to Di!