Firstly, thank you thank you to everyone for all your support. For ‘being there’, for supporting in every way. I have amazing friends and family (and those in the intersection of this Venn Diagram, you know who you are) – thank you.
It is World Parkinson’s Day, Tuesday 11 April 2017 and it is 200 years since it was identified as a condition by James Parkinson.
200 years, still no cure, and only one UNreliable medication.
On Tuesday 11 April 2017 the WORLD is uniting (if that doesn’t warrant a placard nothing will).
PD is twaddle, but there has been one positive, which has come out of having PD.
It is properly positive (no spinning involved)
Bear with me, I will give you some clues.
- They pick me up when I am down
- They listen
- They eat cake
- They chat about everything
- They waffle and faff (in a good way)
- They are always there
- I mean literally every single minute of every single day
- Always there to Skype/message
- For crying, laughing, speating
But who is it … it is not the even tempered caretaker.
- They understand everything
- Repeat nothing
- Experts in everything
- Never judge
- Always empathise
- Never sympathise
- And definitely never tilt their head and touch my arm
They are the Dagenham Dancers*
*so far none are from Dagenham, but we are eclectically interesting dancers
As soon as I was diagnosed, I wanted (I needed) to meet other people in a similar situation. A tall order as we, early onset, are like rubbish undercover agents, moving in the community.
We are holding down jobs, volunteering in the community, running homes, bringing up children. Trying to conform to ‘normality’ and fit in and carry on undaunted.
We don’t have time to have PD.
I can honestly say that the friends I have made with PD are friends for life. Although PD was the first catalyst for us making contact, it is not all we talk about. But to have ordinary chit chats about ordinary situations (with a PD understanding) is worth a million sherbet dib dabs.
The Dagenham Dancers are friends for life.
(Just to clarify in case I have confused you (again). The Dagenham Dancers are a mini support group of friends with PD – I named them, ‘Dancers’ as dancing is good for PD, and ‘Dagenham’ just because it scans well.)
Once we are all cured we will still be smashing friends. We will eat spaghetti stylishly, stay up late, sleep well, and we will actually be drunk when walking wonkily.
