Deb's new friends

It seems quite difficult to start this on a positive note, but what I feel most is that PD (Parkinson’s Disease) has not destroyed my life. It has made it different, and difficult, at times, but I still get a thrill out of life. I feel much more positive and alive now than I did when diagnosed in March 2003.

2003 was an awful year. In March I was diagnosed with PD, and in April I was having surgery for breast cancer, followed by chemo and radiotherapy. So 2003 was basically a write off. I became depressed, isolated myself from friends and life was very, very difficult. I went back to work in 2004, although only part time, and eventually stopped working in 2006, when I could no longer cope with it. That was another period for adjustment, and for starting to take PD medication.

What has turned my life around since diagnosis, is the friends I have made through forums on the internet. I have actually met and spent time with many of them. Some have come to stay with me, and some I have gone to stay with. Others I meet up with for days out, and some I talk to on the phone. They are incredibly valuable to me.

There is no denying the fact that there are bad days with PD, but there are also good days, and I think that happens in life generally. I know that I’d still have bad days without PD.

So, I’d like to say that I have not allowed PD to dominate my life, but I have adjusted my life to accommodate PD. I believe there is always a way of accomplishing what you’d like to achieve, even if it’s more difficult. It’s about being creative to overcome the problems, and that gives me great joy and a sense of achievement when I manage to do so.

One last thing – it’s still o.k. to blow your top when you’re having a hard time – because it’s not always a good day.

There’s a lot more to say, but I could go on for ever, so I think this is enough for now.

Deb