That line from the Wizard of Oz keeps echoing in my head. Although Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow only met up with the Cowardly Lion, the unseen threat of Tigers and Bears was always there. Nevermind that all three live in different habitats and the likelyhood of seeing them altogether in the wild is just about zero.
So I started thinking what Parkinson’s symptoms could be substituted for Lions and Tigers and Bears. What are the threats lurking in the background for us. Hmmmm. Tremors, Fatigue and Constipation, oh my! No – that does’t work. It just doesn’t sound right. Besides, these are three of the most common symptoms of PD and often show up at the same time.
How about: Tremors, Insomnia and Balance? Loss of smell, soft voice and gait? Falls, Dyskinesia and Rigidity? Off-time, Dystonia and Stiffness? We could make up a whole song just using our symptoms.
Ok, I may have gone off the deep end with this one. There are so many symptoms and each of us seems to have a different combination. See how many of the symptoms on this drawing by Jonny Acheson, MD, who has PD, describe you. Which ones can other people see in you? Which ones are hiding in the background like the Tigers and Bears were in Oz. Parkinson’s is complicated. There are no clear answers for any of us.
Back to Reality
This week, I have been trying to fix some glitches in my website, so you may have received a couple of blank emails from me. I think it is fixed and things should go smoothly for now. At least until I try to change something and mess it up again!
We are really excited about the upcoming comedy show for Twitchy Woman on November 9 at The Crow comedy club in Santa Monica, CA. This is a fundraiser to provide scholarships for women attending the World Parkinson Congress for the first time next May, in Phoenix. We sponsored 9 women who joined us in Barcelona 2 years ago. It was an amazing learning experince for all of them and they are all doing great things in their local PD communities. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, the deadline is October 16. Click here to access the Travel Grant applications. You will be asked which WPC’s you have attended before. If you have not gone before, you will be taken to the Twitchy Woman grant page. Contact me if you have any questions.
Here is the invitation to the Comedy Event. If you can’t make it to Santa Monica to attend in person, don’t despair. An online option will be available in a couple of weeks.
Or click here to get your tickets on Eventbrite
Have a great week!
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