The Swiss neurologist Filippo Donati has initiated a special book project and sheds light on Parkinson's disease from very different angles. The result is a highly readable and recommendable book that provides a deep insight into the disease and the soul of Parkinson's patients.
Filippo Donati has Parkinson's himself. This gives him the opportunity to get to know both sides - that of those affected and that of the doctors. The book is therefore an overall view of the disease.
«Die kommenden Tage» is a mixture between non-fiction, diary and art project.
The diary – In the first-person perspective, the life of a Parkinson's patient is followed from the onset of symptoms over more than a decade. First of all, there is the long, long suppression of the disease, despite clear symptoms. Every person affected by Parkinson's has their own individual course of the disease and their own way of dealing with it. However, the moment inevitably comes when the first clear signs of the disease become visible to everyone. The shame of those affected and the taboo surrounding the disease prevent them from dealing openly with the diagnosis. It takes a long time before family, friends or acquaintances are informed. Parkinson's is an incurable diagnosis and it is correspondingly difficult to learn to deal with the new certainty in life. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The diary shows how doctors focus primarily on motor symptoms such as tremor or slowness of movement. Patients tend to focus more on non-motor symptoms, such as depression, fatigue or memory problems.
The reader accompanies the Parkinson's patient on his journey through life and experiences the pain, insomnia, irritability, obsessive-compulsive disorder and problems with digestion (constipation). The author describes the symptoms of his illness and at the same time shows how he deals with the disease and what tips help him, such as sport or specific life goals.
The art project – In the book, seven contemporary Swiss artists have explored aspects of Parkinson's disease. The result is impressive images that convey the inner world of the patients to the outside world: pain, tremor, impulse control problems, quality of life, functional disorders of the brain, sleep disorders. All of this is expressed in catchy, impressive illustrations.
The compendium – The doctor Filippo Donati enhances the artistic illustrations and the diary with a series of short, easy-to-understand scientific essays on the subject of Parkinson's disease. This part of the book rounds off the work and provides a complete initial overview of the disease.
Conclusion: «Die kommenden Tage» is highly recommended, both for patients and their families and caregivers. The book is printed on extra thick pages so that Parkinson's patients can turn the pages more easily. The large font and the strong contrast between the font and the bright white pages make reading even easier.
The book «Die kommenden Tage: Mein Leben mit Parkinson» can be purchased online for CHF 28 from the publisher Armando Dado – www.editore.ch
