Life with
Parkie
I will try to
share with you my own experiences in a different way. I will tell you a true
story that happened a few years ago.
One morning
I had an unwelcome visitor. You know, the
kind of person who quickly changes mood and begins to complain and then loads
her problems on you and although you are trying to find a solution for her, she
herself does not try at all and continue to whine. I thought she would leave soon
but she had different plans. She never meant to leave and hospitality pretty
soon turned into cohabitation. Fortunately, the house is spacious and has room
for us all.
Of course,
as with any roommate, your life changes drastically. To survive you must adapt
to the whims of your roommate. In my case, I had to make major adjustments. My
family, frankly, do not understand how I tolerate her. They admire my patience.
I will explain why.
Sometimes,
she does not let me sleep at night. She likes to stay up late with no reason
whatsoever and wanders around the house dragging her slippers, so in the
morning I can’t help but feel tired and sleepy and can not take a single step.
And as if this
is not enough, she is also terribly lazy. Moving slowly, so slowly that
sometimes she reminds me of an astronaut living in space. She is a couch potato
who wanders from one couch to another watching TV or surfing the Internet.
Another friend has nicknamed her "the corpse" and asks me whether or
not she has stunk yet.
Ahh! Now I
said "stunk" I remembered about another one of her defects. One day she
almost set fire to the house. I had put dinner in the oven and had just started to tidy up the clutter
that she always leaves behind her when I realized that the house was filled
with smoke. Weird thing ... This girl has no sense of smell at all.
Her quirks are
endless. Such a slender young girl and I've never seen her in high heels. She
is always wearing flats or trainers. And although I beg her to wear some
feminine blouses or cute shirts, she claims that she is too clumsy to do the
buttons and opts for t-shirts and tights instead.
The worst
is that she is moody and unsociable. She does not want to hang out with friends.
She often gets irritated or complains that they do not understand her. She sulks and remains silent and when she
speaks her hoarse voice is barely heard. If you let her do her own thing and
keep you in the house, you are in trouble. You will feel blue and depressed in
no time.
Her
favorite game is ‘hide and seek’ and does not care about anything else. But ‘hide
and seek’ is not my favorite game. In fact, I think that it is boring. I like
other things. I enjoy going to work every day, travelling to unknown places, and
meeting people. I love the sun, the sea, the little fish tavern on the beach.
Paintbrushes and tube paints keep me company for hours. Pen and paper are my
best friends. My artistic and literary explorations never stop. The family
moments and meetings with friends are precious for me.
So, I do
not let her do what she wishes. I have other plans. Whether she likes it or
not, she has to wake up early, exercise and come with me to work. In the
afternoon she will help with other obligations. We may be a little slow, but so
we can enjoy a few more things that go unnoticed for those who are in a rush. I
have discovered corners in our town which I had no idea existed. The food, now,
is a pleasure that lasts far longer and getting dressed is now a whole ritual.
I never wear whatever I find in the closet as I used to. And when I sleep, she
falls asleep as well and we see the same dreams and the same nightmares.
When we go
shopping we are both extremely happy. We usually pay using a credit card. You
see, she gets upset handling coins. Sometimes they fall off her hand, sometimes
she does not have enough or cannot reach them down in the bottom of the bag.
The truth
is that I sometimes neglect her. When I start to paint or write I forget about
her completely. Then, I do not know where she disappears, where she hides herself... She
must be feeling terribly lonely.
I think
it's time to reveal her name if by now you haven’t guessed it. Parkinson's
disease (affectionately called Parkie) came into my life to stay, like an
unwanted friend who appears without notice, suddenly not for a visit but for permanent
cohabitation. Four years ago, I discovered that I suffer from this unique and
simultaneously increasingly common condition with multiple and different
symptoms and unknown cause, an unpredictable, progressive disease without
effective treatment. I hope everything and fear nothing. There are always ways
to facilitate our lives. From the special glass or cup that is designed not to
pour the drink to the wheelchair, everything is designed to restore our freedom
and movement and not to cripple us as many mistakenly believe.
Living with
Parkie is always a great challenge. Mainly, because things that are simple and
obvious now become a time consuming process. If you have such a roommate in
your life I understand perfectly.
Do not let
them, however, impose their own way of life and thinking. Above all do not play
hide and seek. Do not hide in the house, snuggled in a couch, in front of a
screen. Set goals and sail to new destinations and explorations. Develop new
interests and hobbies. Try things, meet people and make new friends. Love,
laugh, travel and enjoy life like never before.
And if you
notice that people stare at you, do not think that they do so out of curiosity
or pity. Chances are that they look at you with admiration.
