Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.
Gilda Radnor
One thing that I have noticed in the Parkinson’s Community is that so many of us have used our diagnosis as a means to reinvent ourselves. No matter what your stage of life, change is possible. I have seen many with young onset change the course of their careers due to PD, often doing something related to Parkinson’s. Some have become Rock Steady Boxing coaches and personal trainers. There are others who have taken their professional skills and adapted them to be able to help others with PD. And there are some who have become world class athletes. We have all heard about people with PD who could not draw a straight line before and now have become accomplished artists. There is no stopping a Parkie when he/she decides to try something new.
From a previous post “Is there anything good about Parkinson’s“, I wrote:
“I think that having Parkinson’s allows us to see the world differently. It also gives us the chance to reinvent ourselves, over and over again, as the disease progresses. Many of us are doing things now that we never would have imagined doing. Why not try that boxing class and see what the buzz is all about? You have a sudden urge to play an instrument? Go ahead and do it. It is good for your brain. Same for learning a new language. Learning new skills can help reconnect some of the neural pathways in your brain that have been damaged by PD. The most interesting thing to me is that so many of us have found new interests, often showing creativity in the arts where there was none before. Is it the added dopamine that we are taking? Or the lack of dopamine?”
I have seen this phenomenon happen to people with Young Onset PD as well as those of us who are older, like myself. We are not content to sit around and do nothing. So we find something new to set our sights on. For me, at some point after my diagnosis, I realized that I could write about having Parkinson’s Disease to educate others about the disease. Imagine my surprise to find out that people actually read it and seemed to enjoy it. I had never considered myself a writer before, but now, apparently, I was.
In my previous incarnations, I had been an audiologist, mom, calligrapher, volunteer, museum docent and now a writer. When the pandemic hit 3 1/2 years ago, I once again reinvented myself, this time as the host of a bi-weekly webinar for women – which in turn led to greater advocacy on behalf of the Parkinson’s Community at large. So do we, like cats, have 9 lives? More? Maybe the possibilities are endless. I wonder what is next for me.
Have you had the opportunity to reinvent yourself since your diagnosis? Have you changed the focus of your career? Done something completely different? I would love to hear from you about this.
Some exciting news
Join me for this terrific program on October 29, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET
| In 2010 British comedy writer Mayhew-Archer was told he had PD and decided to find it funny. If you’re worried or in need of a laugh, join us. THIS PROGRAM IS OPEN TO EVERYONE Please note that there will be no recording allowed. You must be present on Zoom that day for the performance |
| REGISTER HERE for this free event |
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