bourke white & edward Weston & Parkinsons disease

jtk

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They both had Parkinson's Disease as did my most important teacher, Conrad Forbes, a Minor White personal student. .
I have it too ... recently diagnosed, early stage at age 78.

https://www.life.com/lifestyle/parkinsons-disease-life-magazine/

What about you?

Do you have Parkinson's, do you know photographers who have or had it?

White, Weston, myself, and Forbes had good photo careers. Luck?
 

Peter Schrager

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Chemical toxicity?? Exposure to them??
No gloves,; masks??
 

Dismayed

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I hope that the progression of your Parkinson's Disease is slow, and that medications prove helpful.

There have been a number of observational studies that attempt to link profession to PD, but observational studies don't prove causality. Here's a quote from one that's interesting:

"Occupational pesticide exposure emerges as the most consistent etiologic association with parkinsonism. The 3 specific pesticides identified (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, paraquat, and permethrin) all have effects on dopaminergic neurons in experimental settings. This convergence of epidemiologic and laboratory data from experimental models of PD lends credence to a causative role of certain pesticides in the neurodegenerative process. Other pesticide exposures such as hobby gardening, residential exposure, wearing treated garments, or dietary intake were not assessed. Because these exposures may affect many more subjects, future attention is warranted."

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/797977
 

Arthurwg

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Yes, it's been said that fingers in the chemicals have contributed to this.
 

lecarp

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Do you take Statins? They have been linked to Parkinson.
 
OP
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jtk

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Sorry to have poorly communicated the matter. I'm mostly interested in Photrio participants who are personally close to this issue.

It does appear that DDT (e.g Paraquat) plays a role sometimes...but so many of us were doused with that until very recently (especially in the 50s and in agriculture) that I expect genetics and old age itself will remain the prime factors forever.

Everything has been "linked to statins"... this is a political issue...literally most middle aged white American males ( good physicians) take them due to their effectiveness Vs heart disease/blood pressure.

Again, about photographers:

https://www.life.com/lifestyle/parkinsons-disease-life-magazine/

What about you?

Do you have Parkinson's, do you know photographers who have or had it?

White, Weston, myself, and Forbes had good photo careers. Luck?
 

warden

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lecarp said:
Do you take Statins? They have been linked to Parkinson.
Click to expand...
No. There is no known cause of PD. Wouldn't it be great if photographic chemistry, or statins, or deodorant, or whatever thing, were shown scientifically to lead to Parkinson's? Then we could just avoid them. That hasn't happened yet, unlike smoking leading to lung cancer for instance. Maybe one day.

Read the studies, and the responses to the studies, on statins. The best conclusion that can be made is that more, and better, studies are needed.
 

VinceInMT

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I recently made contact with one of my college photography professors from over 30-years ago and he is dealing with the disease.
 

warden

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Damnit, I'm so sorry to hear of this jtk.

Do you have a Parkinson's boxing club near you? I imagine your doc has already prescribed one or more types of strenuous exercise for you, and there is anecdotal evidence that workouts that involve punching, heavy lifting, etc are beneficial, hence the popularity of these PD boxing clubs.
 

Old_Dick

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A close friend was just diagnosed with it. The same day I was diagnosed with small and large fiber neuropathy. BTW he is a digital &#$%.
 

AgX

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jtk said:
do you know photographers who have or had it?
Click to expand...

Let's imagine you get replies of even 50 Apuggers who know a photographer who has/had it. The same 50 Apuggers all also may know someone with it that is/was an office clerk.
Well, you then might argue that photographer was a rare profession in relation to office clerk. So that profession seems to stand out. But just for Apuggers chances are greater that they know photographers better, including their health development.
 
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jtk

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Yep...I'm working productively with a different PD therapy workout but they recommend boxing clinics/workouts as well. Only a certain amount of free time in a day, even when "retired."
 

Arthurwg

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Obviously many things may contribute to Parkinson's. My advice? Keep your fingers out of the chemicals. Use gloves or tongs. Those chemicals may contribute to other ailments as well. And don't pour your old developer into the carrot patch.
 

lecarp

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Nearly 50 years in the soup, no Parkinsons.
 

Fujicaman1957

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Okay, Bourke-White had a darkroom guy. She didn't do her own processing. Weston-maybe it was the pyro-MAYBE. The only other photographer I know of that died of Parkinsons was Rene Gelpi. And he only used it for about 7 years at the start of his career.
 

DREW WILEY

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Dipping unprotected hands and fingers into chemicals like pyro, especially year after year, is going to lead to inevitable health issues. Pyrogallol is a suspect in way more than just a few famous photographers. It has or had numerous industrial applications with similar outcomes; and in ongoing volume applications, is now tightly regulated, health and disposal-wise. There's far far more research literature on it than just photographic hearsay. I'll no doubt offend someone, but anyone in this day and age of highly affordable disposable nitrile gloves who deliberately gets their skin in direct contact with a chemical like that, well, I can't outright say it, so I'll spell it, is a F...O...O...L.

Parkinson's is basically a symptomatic classification of disease with numerous possible sources. One of them is unquestionably certain kinds of chemical exposure ... and if you can't accept that, well, is long-term build-up poisoning per se any better?
 

halfaman

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DREW WILEY said:
Parkinson's is basically a symptomatic classification of disease with numerous possible sources.
Click to expand...

That is wrong, PD is not a "constructo" (like some mental disorders). It is a neurodegenerative disease very clearly defined as the abnormal death of some specific neurons that leads to a dopamine deficit. The cause of this cell death is what remains unsolved.

Parkinson's disease - Wikipedia
 
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DREW WILEY

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Oh my - another link to Wickipedia, the encyclopedic beginning and end of all hearsay truth. Why am I NOT impressed?
 
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