About My Parkinson’s Experience

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disease which causes
different symptoms and has varying rates of advance in each patient.  I am
relatively new to life as a “Parky� and yes, things have changed for
me.  I tire more easily, my balance is just a tad off and there is that pesky
tremor as well.  Modern medicine is a wonderful thing and I am very
grateful for the dedicated research that went into the development of the
drugs that I take for my symptoms.


The amazing thing about my Parkinson’s experience is this: it may be
a degenerative disease for my brain and body but it is a REgenerative
experience for my soul.  My spiritual life has never been this rich!  Because
I have slowed my pace a little, I am more likely to just be still, to take time
to contemplate, to pray and to open myself to inspiration.  I am more active
within my church’s congregation than I have been previously and I
have found great joy in writing devotional messages and collaborating on
praise songs.  My life is being blessed and I am banking all these
wonderful moments away for later reflection, when things get much, much
harder to bear as my health declines.

Currently I am the only Parkinson’s sufferer that I know.  I have yet to
seek a support group, mostly because I have no complaints about my life
right now but also because I am little afraid.  I hesitated to begin
medication after my diagnosis, because to be taking pills throughout the
day made the whole experience so REAL, complete with a very scary
future.  I think I’m dragging my feet about the support group for similar
reasons – only really sick people need support groups, says my fearful
self.

All in all, I am much more blessed than oppressed.  Please join me in
prayer that a cure will be found soon, or at least a way to halt the diseaseâ
€™s progress.  And in the meantime, I will stand ready to embark on
whatever adventure God has prepared for me.

Elizabeth

PS – I cherish hearing from you, all of you.  Emails sent to
ewilliamstemecula@ yahoo.com are joyfully read and re-read.