When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s nearly nine years ago, I had no idea what my future would look like. I consider myself lucky to have access to brilliant NHS services for Parkinson’s and also great support from friends and family. Without both of these, my Parkinson’s journey would have been a much more difficult…
Tag: Young onset Parkinson’s
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…
My new normal: Recharging my battery, being reunited with my orange frog and playing Scrabble with a missing tile
Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s changed me in lots of ways. At the time, I never thought I would feel ‘normal’ again, but it’s surprising how quickly we can adapt sometimes. What’s ‘normal’ anyway? I guess in this context, it’s what feels normal to each of us as individuals. Prior to my Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)…
Self Care Week – Round up and practical tips for self care
During this Self Care Week, I have been sharing some insights into self care when you have a long term condition from some friends who inspire me. We all have different conditions, but we also have a lot in common, I think most importantly, our determination to live as well as we can with our…
Rolling back the tears
After I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it was several months before I could say “I have Parkinson’s” without fighting back the tears. Three years after my diagnosis, I shared my first blog about living with Parkinson’s and I was overwhelmed (teary even) at the positive response and support that I received from friends, family, colleagues…
My DBS journey: Feeling afraid, holding onto hope and practising patience
For me, one of the worst things about living with Parkinson’s is knowing that it’s not going to get better. But the prospect of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery gave me hope that my symptoms could be eased and my quality of life could be improved. This summer after struggling for so long with the…
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…
Writing: A Creative Challenge
Last month, I entered the first Let’s Combat Micrographia writing competition for people with Parkinson’s – submitting a story which included over 25 words from a list of 50 words. My story was over 360 words, it was handwritten and my writing was actually legible! And it was much bigger than it used to be….
Handwriting, hope and homework
Handwriting:Today (23 January) is National Handwriting Day. The aim is to encourage us to put pen to paper and write down our thoughts. I’m not quite putting pen to paper as I write this blog, but I did put pen to paper this morning as I started my homework for this week. Yes, that’s ‘homework’…
Waiting and hoping, but not drowning
I began my DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) journey a couple of months ago. I’ve now been through the assessment process to see if I am suitable for this brain surgery – which although not a cure for Parkinson’s, has the potential to greatly improve my quality of life. The assessments involved an MRI scan, cognitive…
Living with Parkinson's 