Inside Parkinson's

Last week I attended an online educational summit sponsored by the Davis Phinney Foundation.  It was inspiring, and I received a great deal of information to work with and ponder.    

In this post, I am focusing on one person who impressed me the most.  Her name is Amy Carlson and she is an Ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation.  She spoke about her philosophy on Parkinson’s, which is pretty simple but profound.

Embrace Parkinson’s, make it your friend, and squeeze every last good thing out of it that you can.

Amy Carlson, Amy Carlson Squeezes all the Good out of Parkinson’s

I was inspired by that phrase.  Squeeze every last good thing out of Parkinson’s. Amy Carlson says that Parkinson’s is a way to try something new and stop doing things that are obligatory. Dance is a creative outlet and is one of the wonderful things she discovered since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Her mantra is live for today and feel the very best you can.

I have been living with Parkinson’s since 2014. Living with my body feels very different than before the diagnosis. It feels like the body is separate from the mind. That is contradictory because the mind is what controls the body. The Parkinson’s mind decides what direction the body will go. It’s like navigating a mine field. You are not in control of your body. You never know where to step and when the symptoms will blow up. The videos below expose the insider view of living inside a Parkinson’s body. The poems are written by Wayne A. Gilbert, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2005. These poems flow together to reveal the mystery of living in a Parkinson’s body.  Both are profound and soul-stirring.  If you are so moved, please share your thoughts in the comment section.