A UK dad who was told his shakes as a teenager were due to “drinking too much tea” was diagnosed with Parkinson’s aged 20 — and is still without a wheelchair 40 years on from his initial symptoms.
John Granahan, 54, knew something was wrong from age 13, after he began shaking uncontrollably in his English class.
He drank up to 10 cups of tea a day so doctors initially dismissed his symptoms as being due to his caffeine intake.
The IT technician, from Leeds, was finally diagnosed with Parkinson’s aged 20 after going to a private doctor — and was told he’d be in a wheelchair by age 25.
But 40 years after his symptoms arose, he still doesn’t need a wheelchair and hasn’t let his diagnosis stop him.
He has made adaptions, such as controlling his car with his hands, to allow him to live a normal and fulfilling life.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition in which parts of the brain gradually become damaged. Most people start to develop symptoms when they are over 50.
John, who first told his story to Talk to the Press, said: “I first noticed my symptoms when I was 13.”
“I’ll never forget it, I was in an English class, and my leg just wouldn’t stop shaking.”
“I knew it wasn’t right, but I didn’t know what it was.”
“Doctors told me I drank too much tea.”
“The day I finally got diagnosed was the happiest day of my life, as weird as it sounds.”
“When I didn’t know what was wrong, everything was going through my mind.”
“There was a lad in hospital with me who was 12 and had a stroke and died, so Parkinson’s didn’t seem that bad in the grand scheme of things.”
“I didn’t have a clue about Parkinson’s. In my mind, even now, it makes me think about an old person in an old people’s home, shaking in the corner.”
“I think the hardest part about living with Parkinson’s, is what people think of you.”
“I’ve been turned away from pubs before because of the way I walk.”
“People just assume I’m drunk.”
“People can’t believe that I’m 54 and I’ve had it 40 years. I’m still working, still driving, I’ve got a mortgage, a daughter, I’ve got all the same things as everybody else.”
“I wish I didn’t have Parkinson’s, but it’s made me who I am, and I think it’s made me a better person.”
At first, John didn’t think much of his symptoms, but then he noticed that he was slouching a lot, and walking on his tiptoes.
His shakes then got worse and at age 18, he went to the doctors, where he was told he “drank too much tea”, and the caffeine was what was making him shake.
He was put on beta blockers, but as his symptoms didn’t improve, his dad decided to use the private health insurance he got through work to get John tested, and he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, aged 20.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s include involuntary shaking, stiffness and slow movement.
There’s no cure for Parkinson’s, but after his diagnosis John was put on a variety of medication including amantadine to control his symptoms, and antidepressants (as Parkinson’s can strongly affect mood).
John’s symptoms initially improved thanks to the medication but have been up and down throughout his life.
“Parkinson’s is so unpredictable, you can be fine one minute and bad the next,” he said.
However, despite what doctors said, he has never been in a wheelchair, and only has a walker, that he uses occasionally.
John has had to adapt to living with Parkinson’s – he uses hand controls to drive, as he can’t control his legs.
“If I’m carrying a cup of tea I have to put a lid on it so it doesn’t spill”, he added.
“I just find ways around things, never give up, that’s my motto.”
Since 2016, John has been solo parenting his daughter Olivia, 16, after her mom sadly passed away.
John said that Olivia worries about him when he has to go into hospital for treatment, but that the pair are a “great team,” who work through things together.
In 2024, John had deep brain stimulation surgery, which is where a pulse generator is placed under the skin and connected by wires to the brain.
When the pulse generator is switched on, the electrodes deliver high-frequency stimulation to the targeted area, which can improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.
The treatment has helped with John’s tremors, but now affects his balance, causing him to have a lot of falls.
John has recently started attending a boxercise class for people with Parkinson’s and said that opening up about how he has lived with the condition for so long, is an inspiration to others with the condition.
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