Things are not always as they seem

“I can wave!” I can wave my hand! I remember feeling excited about being able to wave again, shortly after I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and started taking medication. It may seem like a little thing, but for me it was a really big deal. I had that excited feeling again, eight years later, last…

Living with Parkinson’s: Memorable Moments

The theme of this year’s Parkinson’s Awareness Week (11-17 April 2021) is mental health in Parkinson’s. So I thought I would share a few memorable moments which have impacted on my mental health… The letter – I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in October 2013. I remember the day, a few months later, when I received…

Parkinson’s is…

Parkinson’s is… Unwanted. Something I can’t escape from. Currently incurable. Degenerative. Relying on medication. A long term condition. A constant cycle of ups and downs. Struggling with everyday tasks. Constantly slowing me down. One of life’s challenges that I – and millions of others worldwide – have to face every day. No longer being able…

1 in 20 – Just a number or something more?

70. 7-10 million. 1 in 20. These numbers represent me and my life… This is my 70th blog about living with Parkinson’s. I am one of the estimated 7-10 million people worldwide with Parkinson’s. I am also one of the 1 in 20 people with Parkinson’s who was diagnosed under the age of 40. This…

Life challenges, Parkinson’s and My Favourite Things

Sometimes life just seems to throw constant challenges at us. I imagine many people have had that feeling. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s four and a half years ago. This means that not only do I have to deal with these constant life challenges, but the everyday challenges of living with Parkinson’s – and the…

525,600 moments in time flash by

Time can be a funny thing. It’s measured in units such as minutes and years. There are 525,600 minutes in a year. Sometimes it feels like each year passes by in a flash. And yet sometimes a minute feels like hours. Even though I’ve only been diagnosed with Parkinson’s for four and a half years,…

The power of pills

I’m grateful that for most of my life I’ve been relatively healthy. Because of this I rarely took medication so it wasn’t something I had given much thought to… until I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The day I was diagnosed my consultant prescribed me medication straight away. I remember being really excited about the fact…

Slow down, you move too fast

I sing in an acapella choir and there are some songs where we have a tendency to speed up. If that happens we either all stay together and all speed up, or we stop listening to each other and sing at different timings which just doesn’t work! I’m learning that rushing ahead doesn’t always achieve…

Shining a spotlight on what’s important

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. For Christians worldwide, Lent – which began on Ash Wednesday – is a period of preparation for the most important part of the church’s year – Easter. People associate Lent with giving things up (chocolate for example), but it’s also a time for self-reflection. A time to think…

Hope and fear

None of us know what the future will bring. Sometimes the future seems exciting, sometimes it looks bleak. I have hopes and fears for the future like most people. I also have Parkinson’s – a progressive, neurological condition. I hope a cure will be found in my lifetime. I fear my condition will get worse…