'People thought I was drunk but it was Parkinson's'

Sue McNally says she is "grateful" for her husband Francis, her family and the Parkinson's UK Peterborough branch for their support over the past 30 years

A woman who has lived with Parkinson's disease for nearly 30 years said she wanted to share her story to raise more awareness of the condition.

Sue McNally, 59, from Yaxley, near Peterborough, went to the doctors when she was 30 years old with a tremor in her arm.

Three doctors dismissed her for being “too young to have Parkinson’s”.

When she was finally diagnosed, it left her “shocked and angry”, and she shut herself inside the house for six months, but she has now learned to cope with it.

"First I had no clue what Parkinson’s was. But, I was relieved it had a name. It could have been worse. Maybe a brain tumour," she said.

"I was misunderstood for someone being drunk, or nervous or tremoring. Your first thought won’t be .. oh maybe she has Parkinson’s."

Mrs McNally lost her confidence but started attending a support group run by the charity Parkinson's UK with her mother, which "helped her cope", she said.

She worked as a secretary at the charity's Peterborough branch in Dogsthorpe, but had to give up work due to her condition.

"I have spent nearly half my life with it. I had a couple of treatments including an operation which gave me 10 good years of feeling normal," she said.

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's UK describes it as the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure.

It says anyone can get Parkinson's, young or old, and in the UK roughly 153,000 people are living with the condition, with two more people diagnosed every hour.

The three main symptoms are involuntary shaking, slow movement and stiff and inflexible muscles, but sufferers can experience a wide range of other problems, including depression and anxiety.

Mrs McNally said her father Alan Lamb has done several walks for the Parkinson's charity

Mrs McNally’s father Alan Lamb, 83, and brother Chris Lamb, 57, are doing a skydive on 21 September to raise funds for the Peterborough branch of the Parkinson's charity, which they described as a "lifeline".

"Fundraising has been a way of coping for Dad," she said. "He used to say 'I would take it off you if I could'.

"I am so proud of them and grateful for them all -my family, my husband and the charity."

Chris Lamb said: "My dad lost his wife, who was our mum, last year and I also lost my wife last year.

"I hope the skydive can be a distraction as we heal in our grief but also raise money for a cause so dear to us as a family."

Chris Lamb said he was "nervous" about the skydive but his father Alan Lamb is looking forward to it