Parkinality columnist Julie Walker’s A-Z of living with Parkinson’s: A is for animals, activites, age and – arguments

Parkinality columnist Julie Walker, 57, of Bishop’s Stortford, writes about living with Parkinson’s disease

This is the first column in a new Parkinality series: the A to Zee of Parkinson’s disease (PD), based on an idea by The Wise(ish) Man, aka my partner Andy Johnson. The letter A, in the words of Julie Andrews, would be a very good place to start.

ARGUMENTS

Sometimes we just need a good ol’ row, a barney or a heated debate.

Imagine you are reaching the crescendo of a meaty argument. Half listening to the other participant, you are ready to step in with a clever counter argument, drawing a line under the debate with an (even if you do say so yourself) intellectual retort. You are then preparing to bring the row to a dramatic end with a swish and a theatrical exit from the room.

Now imagine this same scenario whilst living with PD.

Stress brings out the worst in PD symptoms, often making walking stop, mouth seize up and voice become quiet. And arguments are stressful.

Whispering “I’m marching towards the door” whilst stationary, your feet welded to the floor, loses a lot of its flouncing-from-the-room drama.

Even worse is dragging your feet slowly across the room, whilst forcing your mouth open with your fingers, mumbling, in the style of Norman Collier and his microphone sketch (ask an over-55), “I -m lea-ing th- -oom dr-m-tical-y”.

Even people with walking sticks and mobility walkers air their dirty laundry in public from time to time. So if you do spot The Wise(ish) Man and me having a heated debate, please leave us to it.

ANIMALS

The Parkinality household has gained a new member. This next bit is written by guest columnist, three-month-old kitten Bluey Walker. He explains how having a pet appears to have both therapeutic and unintentional movement benefits for people living with PD.

“I have recently been lucky enough to be adopted by a lovely young lady. However, two of the older people I live with are prone to erratic movements, which is taking some getting used to. It has meant some hairy moments when I narrowly avoid a staggering foot.

“There is at least one benefit in living in a house with humans with dodgy dexterity: there is a continuous floor buffet.

“I also appear to have a calming influence on the humans when I finally settle down and allow them to stroke me.

“They seem to enjoy dangling a fish, which is quite obviously fake, on the end of a stick at me and find it hilarious when I jump up at it.

“Apparently, their pathetic attempts at being amusing, by stretching and bending, whilst playing with me, is good exercise.”

ACTIVITIES

If you are given a PD diagnosis, do not give up any activities – you are the same person as you were the day before.

It is important, for both body and mind, to keep challenging yourself. And why not try new activities?

Since being diagnosed with my PD at 44, I have taken up writing poetry and this column, painting and tennis (currently on hold as I have a dodgy, non-PD-related shoulder problem).

In fact, I will have a go at most activities, drawing the line at parachuting from an aeroplane.

AGE

People diagnosed with Parkinson’s under the age of 50 are in a niche group known as young onset.

It goes without saying that a PD diagnosis at any age is upsetting. Whether you are 65 or 35, seeing your peers enjoying life and showing off using their reliable arms and legs is frustrating to say the least. So why is there a need to divide people by age?

As a general rule, people reach different life stages at different ages. A PD diagnosis, therefore, means they require different support.

Generally, people under 50 are more likely to be applying for a mortgage and trying to hold down a job than having trouble holding a pen. The over-50s are more likely to be sorting out their pension and planning for their retirement.

There are always exceptions to the rules. After all, it is as likely that someone under 50 has a penchant for comfy slippers and staying in while someone over 50, like myself and The Wise(ish) Man, likes to go out and karaoke.

In my next column I’d better stick to tradition and follow the letter A with B.