Living with Parkinsons is kind of like being a butterfly or moth always transforming. Changing your way of living all the time. As an artist I always dreamed about staying in my studio and painting not being interupted by going to work. I dreamed of retiring but had no work pension having had many different jobs over the years as an artist. Till one day I realized I could no longer cope working as my energy was dropping and my co-ordination was failing. Thus I realized you get what you wish for but I didn't imagine it that way in my wildest dreams. Over the past few years I have learned to cope and yes I still can draw and paint (sculpture is too hard). I just have to continuously pace myself. My brain is working much faster than my body. I still have tons of crazy ideas in my head of adventures and art projects but I have to slow them down. I long to be healthy to take a really long walk, go on a wilderness canoe trip, visit South America again, run outside with my grandchildren. Sadly along with the shaking arm and foot I have developed anxiety, back and neck pain, head aches, aversion to the sun which forces me indoors when the uv levels are high.
These are all obstacles in my way that I am working on changing. Life gives you these gifts in order to learn something. These gifts have caused me to really look deep inside of myself and visit the scarry places that I have locked away. I have experimented with accupuncture, network chiropractics, crystal chakra therapy, and meditation to name a few. I have used my mind to create many things in this life and this is a large obstacle but not one I am giving up on soon. So I may have dark cloudy days but I will rise up on the other side of them.
If you read this blog and know other people with Parkinsons I would like to set up a support group to talk about the things we have all learned to cope. I will also like to have comments and I will continue to blog about how I cope.
