There have been times over the last few years when I’ve felt like I was slowly shrinking and Parkinson’s was taking over my life.
Shrinking writing… My handwriting – which has always been small – has got smaller. It’s one of the many lesser known symptoms of Parkinson’s. I’ve recently discovered it even has a name… micrographia (for anyone who might be interested).
Shrinking voice… Again, I’ve always been naturally quiet, and fairly softly spoken, but another symptom of Parkinson’s is my voice getting quieter. So I need to consciously make an effort to speak louder – which requires a lot of effort for me.
Sometimes everything in my life seems to revolve around Parkinson’s. It does pretty much affect everything I do to some extent. My ability to swallow effortlessly, to think clearly, to walk effortlessly… the list goes on. All of these things I can do mostly, but not without some effort at times.
Parkinson’s is a very individual condition and as such symptoms and treatments vary immensely from person to person. In my case, I count myself as fortunate that with my meds, my symptoms are not so bad, which means that my life doesn’t need to revolve around the fact that I have Parkinson’s. So recently I’ve made a conscious decision not to let my life revolve around my condition. I’m determined not to shrink any more, but to grow. And shake off (apologies for the pun – yes a tremor is one of my symptoms) that shrinking feeling.
Thank you to my friend Angela for letting me share the photo below of her lovely first mosaic (made during our creative ‘summer learning‘ holiday).
Living with Parkinson's 
Such lovely writing. Thank you for sharing
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