When I was feeling more ambitious I designed a web site for women with Parkinson's Disease but it's been about a year and I still haven't published the site. Recently I decided that a blog was more manageable. Though I hate the idea of "what are you doing now?". As I am fond of opining, "don't people have better things to do?!". But, cynicism aside, I do think that people who share similar problems need to communicate with each other, or at least I feel that need. And why women?
Because ….When you’ve spent 16+ years out of the work force raising children and finally get back on a career track, and shortly thereafter find out you’ve got PD….you want to talk to other women.
Because …When you have children and can no longer do the fun things you used to do, the hiking, biking, running around, because your PD exhausts you and leaves you in pain all the time, how do you make them understand? You need a woman to talk to…
Because ….When you finally get the nerve to leave your unhappy marriage and find a new relationship, only to get a PD diagnosis one year later….you want a woman to cry with you.
Because ….When you have to give away your favorite shoes because your right foot drags and you trip over heels and walk out of slides and can’t find anything that will meet your physical as well as fashion needs, only a woman will understand.
Because ….When you’ve waited years to please yourself, your children came first, and finally the time arrives when you have some freedom, and you are handed a PD diagnosis…you want to talk to other women.
Because …..It’s hard enough to cope with natural aging changes, menopause, wrinkles, sagging, loss of ability…but add the symptoms of PD and it’s doubly hard to feel attractive and comfortable with your new self. Only a woman will understand how you feel.
Because…. in times of emotional pain we need to talk, or cry, or rant, or commiserate with our sisters.
Because….as important as a good cry is a good laugh, and who else but the company of women can deliver those goods?
So I hope not to bore you with too many unnecessary and uninteresting details. I would love to hear your story.
Until next time.
Yep. Girlfriends saved my butt the six months after diagnosis. One in particular. She is a nurse and crying rarely happens to her, so I made up for that. But, I tried to have my meltdowns with different close friends so I didn't become a downer to be around. They were brief, the meltdowns, but I needed to have them, apparently. Part of the grieving process.
ReplyDeleteAfter having symptoms for 3 years, upon which I blamed on all the hard, physical work I did in my nursery business, I saw a doctor about something pretty minor, and said, "by the way, I seem to be losing some fine motor skills in my right (dominant) hand." He sent me to a neurologist the next day.
Long story short, I was dx'd with PD and flipped out a little for those first six months, then I began resuming my normal attitude toward life and figured I was living with it, not dying with it.