Dear Stan and list members,
Stan R. Houston wrote:
> I was inspired to bring all of you up to date on a significant turn of events in my
> life.
> Yesterday, I became a statistic.
> I now proudly (what other way is there) wear the badge proclaiming me DISABLED.
Welcome to the club. Eighteen years ago, at age 38, PD put me in the
same situation. And although you may be "statistically" an unproductive
person, that doesn't necessarily make it a fact.
> Yes, I am disabled. I can still dress myself, run up and down the spiral
> staircase in our home, type about 80 wpm when the Sinemet is working, drive
> (most of the time), make love, pay our bills, take care of my dog Garp, and
> perform hundreds of other day-to-day tasks we all take for granted.
Sounds familiar too, just change the type of staircase, the typing speed
and the dog's name.....Sugar, our Lab/Brittany mix, and I became even
better friends. She loved having company all day rather than being
alone.
> But I can't work. Why? I hear you ask.
> Because Parkinson's apparently has robbed me of............(insert your story)
In my case the ability to 1)cope with the on the job stress (which still
makes all of my symptoms much worse, along with fatigue) and 2)maintain
the productivity level necessary. Not to mention the fact that it was
impossible to work a regular schedule, even with flex-time. I never
knew/know from day to day, or even hour to hour, whether or not my body
will cooperate with the plans my mind has made. Not many businesses can
accommodate you with a schedule to fit that situation.
> Luckily, I'm married to a woman who understands emotional
> crises and knows how to deal with them.
Thank God for faithful, loving, patient, understanding mates. Mine is an
angel too. Half of our 36 years together I've been disabled. She's been
there, "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health", always
smiling, encouraging and supporting me as well as being a wonderful
mother to our three sons.
> Then, my wife and I celebrated the start of my new life with lunch at one of Houston's
> finest cafeterias (see "flinging butter" incident earlier in letter).
I once shot a wedge of lemon across a restaurant, directly onto the
table of another couple, while trying to squeeze it onto my fish. Maybe
we should compile the "PWP's Funniest Experiencees with PD" for our
mutual entertainment.
> Actually, I plan to do a lot. Parkinson's activism. Household duties (my wife
> works). And write fiction. Novels. Short stories. Anything to exercise my
> mind and hands. Anything to keep my creative brain cells from croaking.
> Anything to prevent me from falling into that dark pit of depression.
Good for you! Adjusting to, and accepting, my new circumstances was as
difficult as my PD. I still struggle with it at times. When I feel
reasonably well I tend to overdo, rather than pace myself, and then pay
the price for my "manly ego" for several days afterward.
My doctors advised that a warmer climate could be beneficial. Ohio
winters did limit my activities. After a year or so we moved,
reluctantly, to Florida. I have to admit we haven't missed shoveling
snow and I believe the warmer winters have helped.
I could, and maybe I should, write a book about some of the ventures and
adventures of the last eighteen years. But, one of the more recent, and
possibly most significant, began four or five years ago when I bought a
used Tandy 286 computer. It seemed to me it might be possible to make a
few extra dollars to supplement Social Security if I could use the
computer to work from home, at my own pace, on my schedule. I didn't
quite know how, but began the learning process anyway. It's been great
mental excercise.
Then, about 2 1/2 years ago, we began to do probate court research for a
firm that does international genealogical searches to locate missing or
unknown heirs who are entitled to assets of an estate. It's been
exciting and pleasantly rewarding both personally and financially.
> Wish me luck.
Stan, I wish you, and all that read this, all the best. Always remember
that on the other side of every valley there's a mountain peak, keep
pushing on!
> Thanks for listening.
Thank you for sharing your experience and stirring up memories that life
with PD has been different, and more difficult, than I would have
planned, if given the choice. But, I have found great comfort in these
four little words: "God is in control".
SOON!
Gaylon 56/18
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Facing an impossibility
gives us the opportunity to trust God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[log in to unmask]
><> <><
"On the Suncoast of Florida"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
