Dear Fellow Subscribers to the PD Info Exchange Network,
My first message, and I already goofed. Here I go again.
I've been a subscriber now for almost a month. I've read everyone's
notes, letters, comments, etc., voraciously; I've even searched the archives
a few times for topics of interest; but until now I haven't sent a message
of my own.
FIRST! I have to tell you that the POETRY fascinates me, and my
desire to read more is what finally prompted me to write.
Here's a smattering of background info. My Daddy has Parkinson's.
His 76th birthday is next Saturday, September 2nd. He was diagnosed about 9
years ago, and had gotten along reasonably well with his medication until
this past year, when he began to experience severe (maybe violent would be a
better description), totally incapacitating dyskinesias when the Sinemet
began to wear off. He has since been to a new neurosurgeon at Duke Medical
Center, who adjusted his medication in an attempt to curtail the dyskinesia
attacks. I think the doctor took him off Sinemet-CR completely, and
substituted regular Sinemet 3 times a day. Although the dyskinesia has
abated, my Daddy's "on" times are less frequent and of shorter duration.
With regard to my POETRY interest: My Daddy has written short
stories, poetry, and all types of literary "creations" all of his life. A
year or two after he was diagnosed with PD, he wrote this poem:
The Discoverer
by Mack Hobson
James Parkinson traveled to numerous places,
Searching for tremors and mask-like faces
Whose owners, he found, were prone to incline
Rather forward (to guard against falling, supine);
And, though walking swiftly without much assistance,
Were confined by each step to a minimal distance.
He discovered all this with such consummate ease,
Everybody soon mixed up the name and disease.
Now, he would have liked it much better, I'm sure,
If he could have heard the words: "Parkinson's Cure."
A "Parkinson's Cure" would indeed be a blessing--not just for my Daddy, but
for all those who suffer from PD, their caregivers, families, and friends.
Now, I'll get to the point of all this rambling. As I said before,
my Daddy's birthday is September 2nd. I've been thinking about compiling
for him a volume of poems, humorous sayings, words of hope and
encouragement, etc., that I have found on the PD Info Exchange Network since
I joined around the 1st of August. I am sure there are many poets out there
who shared their poems with the Network before I joined. Could I, in turn,
share your words with my Daddy on his birthday? If so, please send me
POEMS, POEMS, POEMS! And if any of you folks would like to send my Daddy a
personal birthday message (to my e-mail address), I know that he would be
touched, and so would I. His name is Mack. And he's quite a fellow!
My thanks to you all!
Lucy Hartley
Buies Creek, North Carolina
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