My journey with Parkinson's

I love sharing recipes with friends and family, knowing they are good because we have tasted them and we want to have that recipe so we can make it and share with others too. So too, with Parkinson's sharing our recipe of how we manage this life with Parkinson's and knowing it works for others gives me the confidence to try to make my life better.

The game of bowls is a good comparison to a life with Parkinson's we all have our own way of doing things and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't!

My UK trip has taught me that what I might wish to do and what I am able to do, may have to come to a bit of a compromise. It's better to have some experiences than push ourselves beyond the level we are at and have to miss out completely as a consequence.

Don't wait too long to travel and tick off your bucket list. While some may discourage with some compromises and adaptations travel can still be possible and enjoyed.

Just a few thoughts about listening to my body, especially when travelling.

The loss of bank branches and the risks this entails for vulnerable people.

Nearly five years in and we are currently on holiday in the UK. This episode is part of a travelogue that I like to do when I travel to the UK and other places and the challenges I am faced with and strategies I use.

This is a rather gravelly voiced me first thing in the morning, with my first recording of our eight week trip away to the UK. First time using my little travelling mic, so all in all some little adjustments so I am not out of touch for such a long time.

I had a crash in my car today, but luckily I was the only one with injuries and they were minor. It left me feeling vulnerable to judgements based on my age.

Today is World Parkinson's Day. I won't say "Happy World Parkinson's Day" but I acknowledge the place that it has in my life. In the shadows, in the background and definitely not centre stage.

A diagnosis such as Parkinson's is bound to affect how you think and what you do. For me, it has created many positives.

What will you be remembered for|? What would you like to be remembered for?

A bit of a theme going on... this was actually the first poem I wrote.

I wrote this silly poem after finding myself in rather a tricky position at bowls recently. It is me laughing at myself, which happens quite frequently. It has nothing at all to do with Parkinson's, but we all need to step away from it sometimes don't we! I hope you like it.

Sometimes it seems the planners and builders of today's homes just pay lip service to the issue of accessibility. The access can be limited and not as well thought out as they could be.

I'd like to acknowledge Donna Parkhurst a fellow person with Parkinson's who I follow. She was talking about this topic and it made a lot of sense to me. We all live with uncertainty in life and it is hard not to go into the "What if's" but I try to avoid it as much as possible.

It's easy to be with a friend when things are going well, it's when you hit the rough spots, the potholes in life that is Parkinson's that you know who is someone you can count on. What is a friend to you?

Continence is not something you would discuss over coffee, but it is an important thing to talk about as a symptom of Parkinson's.

Swimming three times a week now and just some thoughts about swimming and Parkinson's.

One of the side-effects for some of the Parkinson's medication is lack of - or reduction in impulse control. I see that in myself with internet shopping and am trying to be more aware.

As someone who has a number of comorbidities, I hav always found having certainty about what each health issue is, has always been helpful. Even if there is no cure, we can seek advice and support better when we know what we are faced with.

For those of us who have parented, life goes through many changes. As we age and our hair turns to grey, it often seems that we are the ones one the receiving end of our childrens' ideas of what we should or shouldn't do. How do we go from being the parent to our child/ren seemingly trying to parent us?

So you've got Parkinson's. Does that mean that everything else in your life must take a back seat and let this beast of a condition take over? No way, I say! Parkinson's is like the freebee you get with something you wanted to buy. You take it, cos maybe you feel you ought to, but you probably have no use for it and it just adds to the clutter in your life. Don't let Parkinson'...

A Health Passport can be a useful document to have when you have complex health issues. It is a way to record a person's needs and wishes for a time when they may not be able to speak for themselves. I recommend this and that it be done early so that it is available for whenever it may be needed.

I'm not one for crystal ball gazing. For trying to guess what will happen in the future. I choose to focus on the here and now. But, with all the information that is directed to me relating to Parkinson's it is hard to ignore. But, I can choose what I look at and when.