I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in March 2000. I was 46.
It was a major turning point in my life. My mind was filled with questions as to how my body and soul would respond to living with this chronic neurological condition. I was a banking executive, career driven and now my attention was focused elsewhere.
During the first year, I tried to find out as much as I could about how Parkinson’s would actually affect me. After that, I experienced severe discomfort as it became obvious that there was something wrong with me. I noticed a weakness in my left side and I could no longer flick my fingers. I became increasingly unfocused and had difficulty in dealing with stress and commitments. In the fourth year, I had to acknowledge that I could no longer remain in my high-ranking position and resigned in the summer of 2004.
The combination of becoming ill and having to resign from my job was very tough. In addition, after 27 years, my marriage came to an end resulting in the sale of the family home and summer cabin and my moving into a new apartment, on my own. The added stress made Parkinson’s worse.
Nevertheless, I learned a great deal from these experiences and realised that I could not rely too much on other people; I had to take care of myself.
I realised that acceptance is a key factor to personal positivity and physical exercise is essential for people with Parkinson’s. I discovered that golf suited me very well; my hands did not shake when using the golf club. In May 2004, I received my Green Card and I am proud to say that today my handicap is 23.
It took time to accept that I had Parkinson’s. During a normal day I would experience periods of feeling well and unwell. When feeling well I had a tendency to carry out activities that I later regretted. But one day I made an important discovery; it was simply that I had to acknowledge I had Parkinson’s and in a nutshell, Parkinson’s was me. Once I acknowledged this, it became easier to become more optimistic and to continue living my life, accepting the limitations.
This change in attitude enabled me to participate in various activities for the Norwegian Parkinson’s Disease Organisation. Amongst others I have been a key initiator for the group PAPAYA that is tailored for the younger generation of people at work who have Parkinson’s. The underlying ethos of this group is that younger people can benefit when they mingle with people in similar situations, such as the workplace and relationships. Children, insurance and retirement funds are important topics for this group.
Increased social activity had another benefit; I was lucky to find a new girlfriend. We met in the spring of 2006 and four months into the relationship we decided to move into a new apartment together. Given that we both enjoy playing golf; we found an apartment near to the golf course in Drøbak and close to the Oslo Fjord. My golf performance has been surprisingly steady even though the illness has become worse.
Today, I can take up to 20 tablets whilst in the past I barely needed one and this autumn I will undergo Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) that hopefully will help limit the uncontrollable movements and stiffness that I constantly experience.
Finally, I consider that I am very fortunate in many ways. I am far richer than I was before because Parkinson’s is not deadly and there is medication, as well as alternative treatments available to help manage its effects. Besides which, there are worse diseases one can get. I am lucky to have a new perspective on life, a new life partner, new friends and a greater life experience.
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