Fitness Files: Word is getting out about unusual illness that has sufferers laughing

Teaching elementary school in the 1980s I admired Teri, an experienced teacher. We younger teachers celebrated her romantic courtship and second marriage to Bud. Teri retired to travel the world with her new husband, play doubles tennis and start a radio station in their retirement community. Then Bud had a stroke.

“Bud’s recovered from the stroke, but, we’ve become shut-ins,” Teri said. “You know he’s a man’s man — he’s embarrassed because he sobs for no reason. Maybe it’s the medicine.”

It was not the medicine. Bud’s problem has a name and a diagnosis.

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This week I met Dyanna, a lively, can-do kind of a women with short gray hair and a power-packed personality.

Dyanna lives in Orange County but did not want to share her last name and city of residence.

Lately she has devoted herself to a documentary that could have helped Bud — she’s one of five people interviewed for the film. It is a devotion that began after a dramatic change in her health.

Until 2012, Dyanna, an R.N, worked full time making sure patients, discharged from the hospital, had the caregivers and equipment needed to return home. Dyanna got a lot done in a day. At night she danced, ballroom style. In keeping with her go-for-the gold personality, she specialized in dance competitions, winning her share of first-place ribbons.

Dyanna radiated good health, neither missing a day of work, nor taking prescription medication.

Then everything changed. On Dec.18, 2012, a blood clot caused a heart attack and stroke. She never returned to nursing.

“It’s the strangest thing to be disabled,” Dyanna told me. “I’m still the same person. I can do anything…almost. My right hand is weak, so I taught myself to write and word-process with my left hand. I walk easily, but use a cane for stability. Today I passed my driving test with a score of 100%.”

Here Dyanna paused.

“Every day, I look for work, just part time. Haven’t found anything so I’m trying an agency tomorrow.”

Ballroom dancing, good for stroke rehab, is too expensive for Dyanna since she lost her full-time occupation.

But there’s another problem that affects her job search, her friendships and her family. At times, Dyanna cries uncontrollably. The diagnosis is Pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary crying or uncontrollable laughing. PBA occurs in patients secondary to other neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Dyanna’s story will be one of those told in a documentary about PBA co-directed by Doug Blush and Lisa Klein.

Dyanna explained her motivation for speaking out about her diagnosis starting with the story of a recent lunch date with a friend: “We sat down and I broke out in a PBA episode. Everyone in the restaurant stared. The waitress came over to ask if I was all right. I told her, ‘Give me a moment, I’ll be fine.’

“I want people to know about PBA for two reasons. First, to educate the public that crying or laughing at odd moments can be a neurological condition. If I’m having a spell, people who’d heard of PBA would understand. I’d wipe my eyes, blow my nose and go on.”

“I’ll illustrate my second reason with a story. After my stroke, I had a doctor’s appointment. My doctor was off duty, so I got a new guy. In the midst of the exam, I started crying.”

“‘You’re depressed,’ he said, scribbling on a prescription pad.”

“‘No, I’m not,’ I told him.”

“‘Yes, you are. Take this anti-depressant,’ he said, handing me the prescription.”

“I ripped it up,” she said. “I’m a nurse but other people accept what doctors say as gospel. Besides, people who come down with PBA after a stroke have reason to be depressed. They’d be inclined to believe doctors.”

That is why Dyanna is working so hard on the upcoming documentary described at PBAFilm.com.

“I will do anything to help people who may have PBA,” she said.

Documentarians Blush and Klein said the film has two sides.

“We’re getting the PBA word out, but really, we’re telling stories of fascinating human beings who happen to have PBA.”

Newport Beach resident CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK is a retired teacher who ran the Los Angeles Marathon at age 70, winning first place in her age group. Her blog is [email protected].