Today marks my one year anniversary of being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. You may not know what this really means, but you sure know people who have it, like Mohammed Ali, the best boxer of all times, or actor Michael J. Fox, best known from the "Back to the Future" movies.
The severity of my form of Parkinson's is rather mild and mostly affects my right hand (my writing hand). I am fortunately on excellent medication that allows me to function mostly normal, but I vividly remember the times when I was only on a very low dosage or not on meds yet at all. Every move was a strain and tiring, and some were outright impossible, for example when my right hand went numb and I couldn't even hold onto a pen.
The biggest change though was the revelation that I am vulnerable and mortal. Up to the day when I found out that I have Parkinson’s an illness was something to overcome. But now, well, “Mr. Parkinson’s” will always be with me, till the day I die. And although my wonderful Dr. assures me that I still have a long life to live, and that I will not die of this illness per se, I nevertheless will never feel being whole again!
And in case you wonder how I deal with it, let’s say that for the most part a song title from one of my favorite bands describes it very appropriately; it is called “Suffer Well.”
But fortunately there is my wife and my children, my family at large, friends, coworkers, and doctors, all of them in one way or another are helping me with reducing that suffering.
Ingo
