My grandfather had Parkinson's. This awful disease truly depressed him. You can't walk or move very well, and in a lot of cases, you shake for no reason. He needed help doing everything, so this took up a lot of my grandmother's time. She was forced to stay in the house and care for him.
Unfortunately, there isn't really a cure, and you must learn to cope.

Parkinson's disease is an illness that is caused by damaged nerve cells in a section of the brain called the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra fails to do its job, which is make muscles move smoothly. If 80% of these cells are damaged or die, the result for the person is stiff movements that can be shaky. Parkinson's also affects the brain cells that produce dopamine.

Doctors aren't sure exactly how you develop Parkinson's, however they do know that it can be caused by the combination of patient's genes and the environment they live in. If the patient's family has a record of illness in their family, or the patient has head trauma, structural problems, like strokes, a virus, or is exposed to chemicals, Parkinson's may have an affect after.

There are 5 stages that range from minor to severe.

"Stage 1-symptoms are only on one side of the body

Stage 2-symptoms are on both sides of the body, but balance isn't impaired

Stage 3-there is some balance impairment and disability

Stage 4-disability is severe, but the person can still walk or stand without help

Stage 5-the person cannot stand or walk, and is wheelchair-bound or bedridden" -health.howstuffworks.com

In the more severe stages, patients "develop a shuffling walk, muffled speech, small and illegible handwriting, emotional changes, including depression, a blank stare, and difficulty chewing and swallowing."

The disease is different for every person. These stages can either slowly progress from stages 1-5 for years, or quickly go from one stage to the next relatively quickly.

To diagnose a patient with Parkinson's, they must take a series of neurological tests, MRIs, and a blood test, then check the patient's medical history, to rule out similar diseases, like Alzheimer's.

There are a few surgical ways to fix Parkinson's but they still have an effect on you after. For example ablative procedures use either cold or heat to get rid of an area of brain tissue that is unusually overactive in a Parkinson's patient, but surgery on one side of the brain affects the other side of the body.

Similar to a pacemaker for a heart, Parkinson's has a cure that involves implantation of an electrode, and attachment to a device called a neurostimulator or pulse generator. It sends impulses to correct abnormal activity in the brain.

Medication is helpful, too, but there are some lifestyle changes a Parkinson's patient can make to assist themselves without surgery. These alternatives include massages, yoga, and healthy eating. Speech therapy can help with speech and swallowing, and physical therapy can help with balance and movement. Vitamin E is also helpful because it fights cell membrane damage with antioxidants.

Stem cells have been in use in rats to help cure them of symptoms similar to Parkinson's. Scientists believe that by 2017, with a little more research, they can start injecting the undifferentiated cells into the brains of humans so that they turn into brain cells to replace the damaged ones.

The lady they have in the video has a Neurostimulator that really helps her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZCgWmose3c
4:29-5:38