Do you recognise this title? Do you know where it’s from? What about: “...in Africa…where nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow”, does that make it easier? Band Aid’s ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ came out on December 3 1984, and I found myself reflecting on it, in connection to Parkinson’s, just this week. … Continue reading “…it’s a world of dread and fear”
“Is that map upside down?”
As we’ve gone through this year of Zooming, for work and social reasons, it’s been common for someone, peering out of the screen and past my right shoulder to ask “Is that map upside down?”. My stock reply is “No, it’s a different way up! It’s another way of looking at the world.” I am … Continue reading “Is that map upside down?”
Looking at lockdown through the Parkinson’s lens
Kerry rang me, distressed, early on the morning of Tuesday March 17: “You’re in a ‘high risk category’!”. Eight months after being diagnosed, during which nothing much had happened, this was one of the moments that made my Parkinson’s real. But what did ‘high risk’ mean, and what would it mean for me and others … Continue reading Looking at lockdown through the Parkinson’s lens
The slow movement
I’ve never been someone who people would label as dynamic and fast-moving. For most of my life I’ve been happy with that. I appreciate ‘slow’ food. I love long train journeys. I enjoy spending hours preparing a meal for friends, then hours more eating it. I’ll take the nuances of 4 or 5 day cricket, … Continue reading The slow movement
Coming out of the Parkinson’s closet
My new wardrobe under construction I’ve had two projects going on recently: constructing several items of flatpack bedroom furniture, and building ParkyBoy, alternating between the two. Writing ParkyBoy I realised there was a connection. I was creating a way out of the Parkinson’s closet, just as I was building a physical wardrobe! What do I … Continue reading Coming out of the Parkinson’s closet
“We’ll put you on medication”
At the point of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s my neurologist said: “We’ll put you on medication…”. I was still stunned by the diagnosis, and now it felt like I would have something done to me, that I had no choice about. This was clearly a major decision with important consequences, which I needed to think … Continue reading “We’ll put you on medication”
“Yes, you’ve got Parkinson’s”
Leeds General Infirmary Like many other people with a significant diagnosis I know exactly when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s - July 16 2019. I didn’t know quite what it would mean, but I did know that it was a life-changing moment! And like many others with Parkinson’s that wasn’t the first step on the … Continue reading “Yes, you’ve got Parkinson’s”
