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Dr. David Cram, both a physician and a patient with Parkinson's Disease, will discuss a wide rangeof topics in his monthly AgeNet column on the subject of how to improve your life if you haveParkinson's Disease. For the second installment in Dr. Cram's series, (below) My Parkinson's Disease The Story Behind The Story - Part 2 Accepting my disease and doing something with my life. Learning you have Parkinson's disease can turn your world upside down. It can jeopardize your financial future, alienate your friends, and destroy your marriage. It results in a cascade of emotional reactions often starting with disbelief and sadness, followed by anger and resentment, denial, fear, depression and finally acceptance. All Parkinson's disease sufferers have experienced some or all of these emotions during the course of their illness. They are the natural stages of grieving. From the very beginning I made a resolution that I would not be a complainer no matter how badly I felt. When someone would ask me how I felt I always answered that I was fine, even though that was far from the truth. I was depressed and wallowing in self pity. I felt my condition was hopeless and that I was headed for a life of uselessness with my spirit broken and my body eventually bedridden. These feelings lasted several years but few people around me were aware of my emotional torment. As time passed I became more and more restless. Because of my prior busy professional life I had developed no hobbies and I could no longer play tennis, a sport I was very good at. I felt I was wasting my life away contributing little. I had been a caregiver all of my professional life and now I would become a care recipient and I did not like that role. I refused to attend Parkinson's disease support groups fearing I would have to face reality and see my future in people much worse off than myself. And then something happened. Perhaps it was the sudden realization that I was doing well; my medications were working and the disease was progressing more slowly than I had feared. It was at this moment in time I suddenly decided I wanted to reclaim my life from this dreadful disease. I also realized I needed a purpose in my life and a logical idea came to me. Why not write a book about medicine, something I knew a lot about? I had for several years thought of writing a book on "bedside manner" and here was my chance. The research for the book began immediately and from that day forward I again felt productive. I had finally taken control of my life and I was enjoying it. The next installment: The challenges of writing and the benefits of exercise. http://www.agenet.com/cram/cram_parkinsons_2.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Read about the Understanding Parkinson's Disease and how to order. | Part 1 | Part 2 |