Parkies....Carry On

                                                                                                                                                                             
April 11/2013

I belong to this incredible website for Parkies, which offers a forum where experience, research and knowledge is exchanged in a way in which only someone experiencing the same, really "gets" you.  They are young, old, from Europe, Australia, US, and Canada.  But the common denominator is that each is struggling with their diagnosis, Parkinson's Disease.

A member will discuss an issue of concern, and many will respond.  Some ideas are based on research, while the most beneficial, are based on experience.  At times it can be a warm spot to land, while other times you must distance yourself for a day or two.  These members become friends.   You feel this incredible connection as you struggle with, and help each other through  issues of the day.

Most recently, a member posted about the positive things he has experienced living with Parkinson's.  Following suit, other members added to the list, and before you knew it, we were all finding positive outcomes to our negative experiences.  The following day,. another member posted his song video that inspires him...and likewise, many followed with the links to their song of inspiration.

When I sat down to blog today, it was with the intention that I look at having Parkinson's from a positive perspective.  Until we went through this in our forum, it was a very hard thing to really contemplate.  But supporting each other and adding to the list...some ideas practical, others very humorous, made us look within ourselves and draw out positive, only, thoughts.  Don't people pay through their teeth to experience this exercise with a Psychologist????  My list begins as such:

*being a Parkie allows me to nap without excuse.
*see my future and be prepared for it
*take a forced, yet early, retirement
*be able to claim my own personal chair (my leather recliner!)
*have an excuse for forgetting
*someone else will always insist on pouring the drinks, or passing the gravy
*allows an excuse for me not to attend
*makes people think you look great because they expect the worst
*others volunteer to drive
*will eventually have the best parking spots (handicapped sticker)
*the only schedule I am bound to, is that of my medications
*if the weather outside is frightful, I can just look out at it

The list was not to make light of my disease, but to push my daily negative struggles aside and say, "hey, I've got it, make use of it".   The video, Carry On, just kind of sums it up for me.  Through all the struggles, there are the bits of light that I should allow to illuminate....however sporadic or small.  But always, always...Carry On.