1st year

Officially I have been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease for 14 months now. For the most part I can’t really say much has changed. My gait and ‘funny’ walk is probably more noticeable , my physical strength is weaker, and I have had some apathy and examples, of what I would describe as out of the ordinary levels of anxiety. I am still in a better position than I was before taking my medicine though. In fact missing my prescription recently led to a few days without, which was largely OK (probably due to an accumulative effect of the drug continuing) but something which will obviously be a major problem in the future. I couldn’t have gone much further than a few days though.

I carry on my day to day life near normal. For the most part I feel I have let go , by which I mean, I have just stopped worrying about things. I leave work at work and take the attitude there is always another day tomorrow. Fortunately, I feel we have enough financially already , and my wife earns way more than me. So I am blessed to be able to go to work with more an objective of enjoying the challenge and interactions rather than having to conform to what the corporation expects. I can afford to be much more ‘take me for what I am and can give’. This luxury, of not worrying about such stuff anymore, is I believe my key to a slow progression so far. In fact I would go so far to say, as I was the complete opposite, that it was such stress in myself that caused the disease or at least its early progression in the first place. Excito-toxicity in the brain, perhaps, which is now under-control.

A theory at least! Red wine is my other one for slowing progression! I love my Red wine!

Now I need to get physical and train like hell, and perhaps I can resist going onto Dopamine Agonists for another year or so. I realise I have said that in my last update, but work has got in the way, which I can’t let continue for much longer.

I have not been so fanatical about updating this blog as I set out to be , my objective for it has probably changed. Originally it was cathartic, perhaps a way of reaching out and trying to come terms with my diagnosis, of which I still wobble about, but each day I get used to it more. I had a plan to fill in the medical gaps from a patient point of view but there are others doing that fantastically well.

Parkinson’s is something I constantly face and, for now, I face it only myself, for it is largely invisible to my family and others. I have to choose how I face it; partly by strategically and sensibly ignoring it as far and for as long as possible! In short getting on and living my life.