Smurf - Down Under

Hi I am a new member. I became member of the Parkinsons Club 7yr ago, but others had noticed little things earlier but had not said anything. A year prior to diagnosis I had just started teaching, and was still new, keen and enthusiatic. One of my student would often ask if I had a big weekend, not being a drinker, it took me a long time to realise he must have seen my tremours.

I also started to learn to horse ride, I was told it takes 100 falls to make a good rider, I was going to be fantastic at the rate I was having unplanned dismounts. I went to GP who referred me to neurologist with maybe a touch of Parkinson's. In the intervening 4 weeks I was riding my wifes horse and came off at a canter onto a rock wall, breaking my arm.

The neuro suggested i dont ride anymore, I didn't listen to that bit, and with the aid of some good drugs, I have come of my horse less in the last 7 yr than that year before diagnosis, I certainly have not gone any slower riding, in fact I am jumping. The neuro said riding was good exercise, but didn't like the jumping.

I will never look elegant riding, but it has given me a lot of pleasure through some very difficult years. My horse Zac is a very naughty boy when I am on the ground, he has bitten me and many others and he can be just plain difficult, pulling back etc. But when I am riding he looks after me, like when I slip to the left he will often bounce me back to the center of the saddle. If I m not sitting correct coming t a jump he will just slow to a walk and not go over.But for an old Appy he has a turn of speed and has been clocked by GPS doing 44 kmh.

As with many of the men with early onset Parkinson's my wife left me, but after a couple of years she has become a good friend. I have remarried a lovely lady from Thailand.

I finnished teaching a year ago, teaching electronics became very difficult, fine soldering and everything had to be typed, which was taking me forever, plus by te afternoon I was so tired I felt like I was a zombie, finding it hard to lift one foot in front of another.

I am still involved on the board of DattaVic, Design and Technology Teachers Assoc. And provide some professional development. I also tinker about my house, it just takes lot longer these days.

I live in Geelong, Victoria,Australia

Smurf