Life with Parkinson's Post #1

I am a 47 year old woman, born in the United States of America, my parents are divorced, I've been divorced, raised a family, live a middle class life. I am remarried, very happy with my husband. We now have a grandaughter. We work, recreate, take pride in our family and home. We attend church, drive cars with a lot of miles on them, pinch pennies, go on dates. We have two aging cats, outrageous energy bills, and cell phones. It sounds like a typical American life. It isn't for my husband and me. I have Parkinson's Disease; I have for 8 years.

At first I tried very hard to hide it. Eventually it was impossible. I found that people, even close acquaintances didn't know how to talk to me about it; very uncomfortable for them. Every day had become a mission for survival; survival of my personality and God given talents, survival of my feelings, of my dreams, survival of my body, face and hands.

Early on a neurologist told me I would never get better and to accept the reality of my situation. There was no way I could accept something so ludicrous. I never have, to this day, seriously resigned myself to a life of disability called 'Parkinson's'!

However, every day it still hits me like a ton of bricks. They tell me I have Parkinson's.......not me? Then I feel my slow moving fingers and stiff body. Yet, every day these symptoms leave my body and go to some unknown place. And I experience life like most everyone else; at least for a few hours. You can bet I make the most of those few hours!

My purpose here is sharing with anyone interested how I do what I do...live a mostly 'normal' life and maintain a diagnosis of Parkinson's. It might surprise you. So as my days go forward I will be sharing my daily efforts, failures, triumphs, and most importantly my glorious hours of freedom of movement.