Shaky Foot Wisdom
XLIV.
Parkinson’s in the time of Pandemic
January 6, 2022 Only four months after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in August 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began. That means I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s during the entire pandemic. Thus, my early-stage Parkinson’s has been a journey of discovering what this diagnosis means for living my best life and doing what I can to avoid being another COVID-19 statistic.
Just this past week, I was exposed to someone who had been infected by COVID-19. Fortunately, I was able to successfully quarantine and receive a negative PCR test. Another bullet dodged!
The holidays have come and gone. Oddly, I actually looked forward to this holiday season a bit more than in the past. I envision already that next holiday season will find us all finally through this two-year pandemic and able to gather more easily with friends and family.
With medication having reduced any tremors, I am looking at where I am at since my diagnosis sixteen months ago. The problem that persists is frequent waking at night interrupting a good night’s sleep. And though there are yet days where I feel depressed and apathetic about engaging in outside activities, I am most of the time able to find enjoyment in my life.
All I need do is keep on being who I am and paying attention to frequently checking in with myself by asking, “what do I need right now?”
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