BJ Billings - Parkinson's......What is that?
I was a classic case!
Hopefully, I could get some relief for the “little” things that were happening to me.
When did I first notice something was wrong? I thought the tremors were an old baseball injury. My handwriting, never the best even after 30 years of teaching, diminished from left to right until it was a squiggle. My vocabulary, in which I took great pride, was leaving me, and sometimes, no words were forthcoming.
And my fitness? Well, it deserted me completely. (or did I desert it?) I was in denial for a long time. I needed help with the most common things, someone to cut my meat, definitely hard on the pride.
I think I’m on the right track now. Once the right medications were found and balanced, I felt better, and my attitude towards life changed. My family is supportive and willing to help in any way, and I am once again able to do things for myself. My friends are patient with me when I can’t always say the things I mean. I’m working hard on my fitness and starting to run again. I’ll never be the runner I once was, but it doesn’t matter – just running is a bonus.
I do have to work on the feelings of guilt that I have for sticking my wife with a “potential” invalid. She is my right hand person, and her work may be cut out for her, but she makes it easy to be “normal”. We are still able to travel long distances and enjoy life together, and that’s what it’s all about.
The Parkinson's Society of Southern Alberta is important to us too, and our friends have often joined us in the Annual Walk for Parkinson’s fundraising event or have given donations to them, on my behalf.
I am not a regular attendee at the scheduled meetings or seminars, but know that there is help and support at my fingertips whenever I might need it. In the meantime, I try to lead an ordinary life, and can only hope that I can grow old gracefully.
I sat there, stunned, feeling suddenly lost. I really did not know what it was! I was in the prime of my life – running regularly, feeling great! I knew there were some things that were a bit different happening to me, but I chalked most of it up to age and the rest, well, I just ignored! But my Doctor brought it all into reality -
|
Face stiff - it sometimes felt as though my face would crack |
|||||
Hopefully, I could get some relief for the “little” things that were happening to me.
When did I first notice something was wrong? I thought the tremors were an old baseball injury. My handwriting, never the best even after 30 years of teaching, diminished from left to right until it was a squiggle. My vocabulary, in which I took great pride, was leaving me, and sometimes, no words were forthcoming.
And my fitness? Well, it deserted me completely. (or did I desert it?) I was in denial for a long time. I needed help with the most common things, someone to cut my meat, definitely hard on the pride.
I think I’m on the right track now. Once the right medications were found and balanced, I felt better, and my attitude towards life changed. My family is supportive and willing to help in any way, and I am once again able to do things for myself. My friends are patient with me when I can’t always say the things I mean. I’m working hard on my fitness and starting to run again. I’ll never be the runner I once was, but it doesn’t matter – just running is a bonus.
I do have to work on the feelings of guilt that I have for sticking my wife with a “potential” invalid. She is my right hand person, and her work may be cut out for her, but she makes it easy to be “normal”. We are still able to travel long distances and enjoy life together, and that’s what it’s all about.
The Parkinson's Society of Southern Alberta is important to us too, and our friends have often joined us in the Annual Walk for Parkinson’s fundraising event or have given donations to them, on my behalf.
I am not a regular attendee at the scheduled meetings or seminars, but know that there is help and support at my fingertips whenever I might need it. In the meantime, I try to lead an ordinary life, and can only hope that I can grow old gracefully.
BJ
© 2010 teamparkinsons.ca
