ONCE UPON MY TIME - A STORY ~ A JOURNEY - A PHILOSOPHY TO FOLLOW

It all began when … Who knows when ...Time does march on! ... So many questions … too many people, so few answers. My search for information like … When playing must I use my tennis racket as a cane to prevent falling? I can run … I cover the court … Return the ball. But …?  Days are challenging, changes occur … my demeanor is? … what’s up?

            Oops, my handwriting gets smaller, face stiff like a mask … smile? Sometimes? In my beginning: doc’s asked? What’s wrong … showoff demonstration of my balance problem. (lean forward and ask ... catch me?) 

            Now. After five years of doctor visits … a complaint … after a night out ... Hey, Doc, “I can’t dance” ... Doc says,” try these pills it may tell us your story. And yes, they did ! … Parkinson Disease … my Death sentence? Shock and awe and disbelief … for all the reasons, … you know them now … but then, why me?

            There are many avenues we follow. Each road taken has its own purpose. We choose school, learn, teams and work. A choice made based on who we met, and what we did ... Along our road. Circumstances may become a positive pathway with lasting effect on our Being.

            Call them pillars. We build, learn and enjoy their efforts  and the effect on our future. As we go by sand, pebbles and even chunks drop from these pillars, onto our garments, attaching us forever to their strength. Thus, departing with the knowledge gained will influence our decisions and become part of our makeup.

            A bundling of these encounters builds our philosophy of life. Mine includes living by some of the values of the Greek-Delphic Oracle “Know thyself”, respect for others,

“Hubris “… its ultimate lesson to “keep all in balance”.

            Life is a balancing act … Avoid the extremes. Stay with what is known. Conjecture is another road of beliefs that must be proven. A Must ... Travel with people who are always around to help. But the help comes from Caregivers ... who bring their own baggage … more questions … different ones from their perspective.

            So here are we starting down a road with a full tank of body-produced homemade Dopamine body energy to keep our road straight and flat as possible. We need this fuel to accomplish our goal … but Dopa is a meanie (our villain) … Runs down slowly at first ... and we may shake, become stiff and feet feel glued to the floor … and more! …The tank must be refilled and controlled … for life. Lack of Dopamine does to us what rain, snow do to roads … potholes you know … many holes to repair keep it straight and flat. In fact, as time goes by, the same daily activity will always require fuel increases. Our body produced all the Dopamine but now needs help keeping a full tank.

The single Latin word in my vocabulary ... “Disce”, with multiple meanings “teach or learn.“

            Parkinson’s is with me forever. I am always seeking answers ... travelling, listened and told stories, always learning and searching how to fix the potholes and keep my road as balanced as possible.

            Dopamine is no dope … Forever making changes to the road. Life is a challenge. So, seek those answers from others who have traveled a similar road.

            Ask and tell your stories, maybe.an answer to someone and maybe your answer … they had and have the experience.

            Now you know that how to ... but where are the stops? Seek and ultimately you come to a resource that “Working so that no one is isolated because of Parkinson’s.” The Parkinson Resource Organization … Join it and “Disce”.