Jan. 9/2014
Oh, sometimes you just have to look back and laugh. And laugh, and laugh.
Living with Parkinson's can be tricky at best. But when you are trying to look natural, or look intelligent, or classy, or some other thing that is totally, unparkinson's, is when the Parkinson's symptoms will rear their ugly heads. Funny how that works.
It was just your ordinary day in Parkie Land. We were sitting down at the table with my Father to have a nice dinner. But my Dad, as usual, felt cold in our dining room, so I suggested we switch seats, as possibly it was the drafty window behind him. Enough said, we changed seats. Settled down once again, we began to eat. Now eating a meal can be a task in itself. Things like corn, or rice tend to fall off the sides of my fork leaving me two to three tiny morsels on each fork full that actually make it to my mouth. I just cover it up as becoming a dainty eater. Nonetheless, the family have come to terms with my messy, shaky eating methods.
I don't always tell my family when I have hit some new roadblock. But most recently, I have had some struggles with swallowing. Not often, but sometimes, the swallowing muscles decide to take a nap. So far, having a drink on hand will help. So, here we sit, now comfortably in our new seats. I am directly across from my Dad. All of a sudden that swallowing mechanism decides to shut down. I quickly, nonchalantly, I may add, grab for my bottle of water. As I pour the water down my throat decides to unleash its grip, opens up the swallowing mechanism, ...to make way for a choking cough. Of all things. Now this happens in a matter of seconds, but as I rewind it in my head, it was as if in slow motions...N o o o ooooo!
I quickly, and tightly pucker my lips to the point of looking like a fish. But I can not hold back the flood waters....nope...I can't. Out sprays my water, like a sprinkler system, directly at my dad! O H .....n o o o o o o o o o o oo .....right into his face and down onto his plate. With utter embarrassment, the stunned look on his face, and thinking to myself, "why didn't you turn away?", all added up to a fit of hysterical laughter and coughing combination. One I am not proud of but still split a gut thinking about.
My dad calmly looked at me with this unpleasant scrunched up look, and while wiping his face, took his plate and moved it, announcing how gross that event had been, and he was finished with his meal. As I started to laugh, he said, "What is wrong with you...couldn't you have turned away?" By this time I was howling....literally splitting a gut laughing so hard! After that I couldn't eat any more either.
I continued to laugh throughout the night, every time I pictured that shocked look on his face. And I relived in my mind the fight I had within my mouth to keep my lips closed, not to choke, and try to contain this explosion that was about to erupt. Why I didn't turn my head, I'll never know. But dad was directly in the line of fire, and thank God that man has a sense of humour himself.
If I had to say one good thing about Parkinson's....and there are really none....I would say that it is good for a laugh every now and then. Whether if be at my expense, or one of my victim's...laughing about it is definitely better than crying. Just beware of this is and recall to mind this story, hence you have the glorious opportunity to dine with a Parkie. You could be in for the laugh of your life!
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