I have been fortunate to have had many enriching experiences in this life, and my expectation is that I will have many more before my time here is done. I learned very early on the secret to having good opportunities and fortune was to work hard for them. I slogged newspaper routes from as early as 8 years old. I started my own lawn care and odd job service company at 14. I worked in a meat room in a grocery store at 16 that eventually led me into leadership roles of the company. Working two jobs while an undergraduate student I would eventually have four college and graduate degrees earned at various stages of my life that opened doors to jobs I was qualified for because of the education I received. In my accounting and finance career I worked very hard and wove my way up the ladder and left the best job I ever had for the best job I ever had. Switching careers to high school education was tough financially but far more rewarding. I loved teaching high school math and loved my students. All of them. While learning we worked hard, overcame obstacles, failed, triumphed and had a whole lot of fun on the way, I still communicate once in awhile with some of my students, even play golf with them from time to time. So when my Parkinson’s progressed to the point that I could no longer do my job I was completely devastated.
Pick a Hobby!
When I faced the end of my career, I made quite a nuisance of myself. I went around the neighborhood and did things like mowing lawns and picking up their leaves even though they didn’t ask me too. I took my lawn tractor on the main road near me and picked up all the trash and bottles which had some neighbors asking me if I needed the deposit money on the bottles. I would hear about someone painting an inside room or repairing their deck and would show up with a tool belt in hand.
Making a long story short, I needed to find something to do. In both my business and education careers I especially enjoyed professional discussion. Whether it was being part of a merger/acquisition team or leading a process re-engineering effort, or working with students to use math to solve a real world problem I craved and loved intellectual thinking. With my cognitive deficits from Parkinson’s and concussions, I found myself isolated from all of this. And I mourned the loss of my career.
While I was in the hospital rehab for one of my concussions, they had a program where former patients came in to talk with us one on one. I don’t remember his name but we talked about seeing our career end because of illness. “So what’s your problem with this?” he asked. I told him “Once I became a teacher that was who I was. It took over my persona, and it was the first thing in my life that I knew I was good at. Really good.”
“Well then, you did it. For 13 years you were a good teacher whose students benefited from what you brought to the classroom. So you did it and have something to be proud of. So now find something else to do.” It took me a while to take that advice.
I’ll pass the rest of this story over to my depression page (link here). In taking the advice to find something else to do I now find myself quite busy. First knowing I needed to address my physical health I worked extensively with PT and OT and learned exercises and established exercise regimens to follow. My OT sessions addressed my ability to read and make smart choices when it came to keeping safe. This included getting our home set up in a way that both made it safe (i.e handrails in the shower) and organized everything in a way that addressed my cognitive problems. Speech therapy worked on my swallowing problems, talking difficulties and cognitive improvement. I am very grateful to all my therapists and am lucky to have them on my team. I have found going in for tune up therapy every so often a big help. I plan to have a page on these experiences and the importance of exercise in this website soon
As I looked for other activities to occupy my time I kept in mind that they should challenge my cognitive function, physical abilities, be safe to do and above all be FUN.
So before I get to my activities let me challenge you:
How do you fill your day? Are you still working and if so how do you keep safe? How much of your day is spent on activities that involve movement, dexterity and cognitive reasoning? What are the roadblocks that are keeping you from doing things you like to do? More importantly, how do you overcome them? Or do you use them as an excuse?
Now every Parkinson’s Patient’s experience is unique to themselves. But we can categorize them into bundles, and these bundles will become the pages of this website over time. You may not be physically or cognitively able to do things that I am still able to do. The same is true the other way around. You also may have no interest in something I find enjoyable. Again, true the other way around. The point is to find your own passions and do them.
Positive Living with Parkinson's When Everything Sucks 