Man with Parkinson's Takes Generic Form of Mirapex, Remains Optimistic

Fall River, MAA United Way director in Fall River, Massachusetts, takes a generic form of the drug Mirapex to treat his Parkinson's disease and remains optimistic, even calling himself fortunate, WickedLocal.com reports.

Mirapex, which is a popular drug used to treat the disease, has been linked to a number of serious side effects, including compulsive gambling.

But while Bob Horne is no longer able to play softball or tennis, he still plays an occasional squash game and even climbs a ladder to clear the gutters at his house, according to the news provider.

Despite the diagnosis of Parkinson's, the 56-year-old Horne prefers to remain optimistic.

"My sister-in-law has multiple sclerosis," Horne told the news source. "She's in tougher shape than I am. I've had several members of my high school class pass away. Three good friends have had cancer and I have a niece who has cancer right now. Looking at all that, I'm lucky."

Horne added that one of the reasons he wanted to come forward about his disease was to give his support to anyone struggling from the symptoms of the illness, according to the news provider.