Parkinson's Awareness Week 2015 547 words

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By Denzella

Thu, 23 Apr 2015
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9 comments
 

Parkinson's Awareness Week 2015

 

It's that time of the year again. Yes, the good old Shakers and Shufflers of which I am one, refuse to be ignored. We will raise awareness one way or another. Why do we need to do that? Because there are still people out there who tut-tut when there's a bit of a queue in the supermarket, and someone is slow getting their money out at the till.  For example, my friend and I were in Lidls and just before reaching the till there was an announcement. 'If you require assistance any one of our staff will be happy to help you.'   When my friend reached the till, she struggled to get her shopping out of the trolley. The stony-faced assistant tossed my friend's shopping through the checkout while she fumbled to get her card out to pay. So now it was
my turn, and I started to load my shopping but I am not as quick as my friend so you can imagine stony face now looked like she was sucking a lemon. I ignored her and went at the only pace I could which I readily admit is dead slow but as far as I am aware that is not a capital offense. It just requires patience, something that the shop assistant was lacking. So, remembering the tannoy announcement I called to my friend 'I think to be deaf must be worse than being a bit slow because of Parkinson's. Look how miserable it makes some people.' The cashier's facial expression never changed; it just went a little pinker, so I was relieved to see the poor woman wasn't deaf after all!

 

Often when I'm in a queue at the checkout, someone starts tut-tutting because I am slow.
I usually turn around and say 'Yes Parkinson's is a nuisance but it only irritates you whereas I have to live with it twenty-four seven.' You would be surprised at how many people stop tut-tutting after that. They have no idea how I envy them their quickness of movement that once I had. If they get irritated for a short while because someone is a bit slow, how would they manage if it took them twenty minutes to get out of bed. Or half an hour to get dressed because buttons and jewelry can be a nightmare. But that is only half the story because beside the slowness comes the pain and the falls and the fatigue and then to top it off many suffer from dyskinesia a side
effect of the drugs. There is a lady in our group who comes to my house for rehearsals whose dyskinesia is so bad she shakes herself out of one of my large deep leather chairs despite being surrounded by cushions. That is no joke! She cannot have a speaking part
because her speech has almost gone, and only her husband can make sense of what she is saying. How frustrating must that be? But she tries to do everything we do, bowling, drama, meetings, lunches, in fact, any social occasion, and she's right there. Now that takes
guts!

 

I've had my say now, and if what I have written raises awareness in some small way then
my work is done...for this year!

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Comments

Submitted by Denzella on

 

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

Moya, have you got Notepad on your laptop

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello Ray,

Notepad?  How would I check to see if I have?  And I don't use my laptop because still getting familiar with Windows 8.1.  Nightmare!

Moya

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

Nicely put with your dry sense of humour, Moya, and good food for thought in the supermarket queue. 

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Thank you Richard.  It does seem to be supermarkets where it happens most.  

Moya

 

Submitted by Bee on

Your writing really does raise awareness, Moya. If it weren't for such a general lack of patience, it shouldn't need to. And people who need patience, wouldn't  need 'guts' just to socialize. Still, awareness cancels out ignorance - I liked your reply about the difference between momentary irritation and living with the condition. That must stop tutters in their tracks. 

Well written and moving piece. 

X

Bee

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello Bea,

Thanks for the read.  I really do appreciate it.  I haven't put in much commitment to ABC lately but I'm still dealing with the official paperwork. Before I lost my Derek I never opened brown envelopes, he always dealt with that side of things.  I only ever opened cards.  He never complained though.  He should have done.

Moya 

 

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

Your work is done!

Well written and to the point, as your comments in the supermarket.

My husband was queuing for some food at a cafe yesterday, he was behind a woman ordering food for a group of disabled people, it did take a long time. The man behind my husband kept tutting and then queue jumped.

If only we could walk in others shoes occasionally, I think you have helped us to do this.

Lindy

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello LIndy,

 

Thank you for your kind comments.  I do  appreciate the feedback  I get from all my ABC friends and I will reciprocate at some point although I'm never the same two days in a row.  Some days I feel I'm getting there and others I don't feel I have a reason to get up in the morning.  People say it gets easier and I hope they are right because I don't think I would want to survive if feeling like I do now is what I can look forward to for the rest of my days..

You never met my Derek but I know you would have liked him.  Everyone did.

 The typing has changed  because I've hit the wrong button not the bottle.

Moya