Amazing what you can do if you have to....

Some days the idea of planting my feet on the ground after waking in the morning makes me wince, and taking a shower exhausts me so much that I fall into bed for a short nap. Other days I take advantage of my sleeplessness and go to the gym at 7am, ride the stationary bike like a bat out of hell, lift weights and stretch leisurely. This disease turns me into a Jekyll and Hyde; no wonder people with PD have a difficult time proving disability, one day they're animated and energetic and the next they're close to catatonic, closely resembling a bowl of pudding. And, then there are the days that grab you by the back of the neck and throw you into the ring without asking how you're feeling. A day such as I had yesterday - I was up and showering at 4:30 am to get to the airport by 5:30 for a 6:30 flight. The outside temps were below freezing and there was a dusting of snow on the ground. I was due to fly to Atlanta, catch a connecting flight and be in Phoenix Arizona for lunch with my parents, sister and brother-in-law. Though in no mood to be upright with my eyes open and certainly not up for a rude awakening by a hot shower I nevertheless forced myself to go through the motions and arrived at the airport in plenty of time, only to find that just minutes before the Atlanta airport decided to close to incoming flights and mine was delayed until almost 9am. Of course, 9am eventually became 9:45am but I busied myself with a new book and just before the flight took off I met two interesting and friendly women, both on the same flight. Beverley lives in Charlottesville as do I and Sandy is recently moved here, we talked about our work, our connections to Charlottesville, the advantages to being in business for oneself (one of us was, one wished she was), divorce (2 of us were), salaries in the area (low) and the weather (of course). All 3 of us boarded the plane, finally, and we arrived in Atlanta where I learned that the connecting flight which I was sure I had missed was also delayed and, if I ran, I might just possibly (it was a long shot but still possible) make it. The flight attendant let me take the first seat up front so I could be the first off the plane and I changed my shoes from boots to running shoes to be best prepared. But, the pilot took forever docking the plane, the gate was not empty, and the clocked ticked away the minutes as it became clearer that I was not going to make it, especially with the by now huge and heavy backpack I was carrying; it started out manageable but add a new book and a pair of boots and it felt like a baby elephant. Nevertheless, I darted out of the plane and ran as best I could down an escalator, through terminal D heading for the train to terminal B for the connecting flight. I saw the train letting passengers on but the door slid shut just before I could jump in, and no amount of banging on the sliding door would make it open to let me in. I waited for the next train and a minute never seemed so long...then I ran up a huge escalator on the heels of another passenger also running, to terminal B, gate 28, which was not the furthest point but might as well have been. I was panting and coughing by this time, my backpack was open and boots spilling out though I didn't know it at the time, my chest was heaving and tight and the plane was just pulling away from the gate, I could see it from the windows, I had missed it my mere minutes! The funny thing was that I did it, I ran through the airport, up and down, in and out, and momentarily forgot completely that I had Parkinson's. It didn't take long for my memory to return, I wasn't as fast as I might have been a few years ago and I coughed for two hours after the fact, and never ate lunch because I couldn't move from the seat that I took at the gate for the next connecting flight. But, it didn't kill me and I certainly got my exercise for the day. It is amazing what we can do...and what we tell ourselves we can't do.