Before Parkinson’s I had always been fit and healthy. When I was young I played a lot of sports and I competed in athletics. I have always been very competitive. I was a young mother and I wanted to be a young and trendy granny playing football and chasing my grandchildren around. My son delayed having children until his thirties but I could still do all the things that I had hoped for with my grandsons. Then this summer Parkinson’s arrived and I am slower and stiffer, more tired and feeling very saddened by no longer fitting my self image. Then something happens to make me smile and think ……A couple of months ago my five year old Star Wars obsessed grandson asked me to knit him a stuffed toy. I didn’t really think much about it except to think that he really wouldn’t want such an ‘uncool’ item. Then a fortnight ago we visited again and the first thing he asked for was his soft toy. I felt mortified! I managed to put things right and he climbed in to my knee as we surfed on the ipad for a knitting pattern. He decided on Yoda from Star Wars. Here is the result which I am just about to send to him. It’s not the best example so I hope he likes it! It took me hours to make. My doctor suggested that I knit to help with the fine motor skills and I actually enjoy doing it although I don’t normally mention it to people as it doesn’t fit in too much with my silly self image. The important thing is the five year old likes having a traditional, knitting granny upon whose knee he can climb even if it is to surf the Internet and he likes the idea of having a granny who can knit him soft toys to cuddle ….. and me? I like this image too!
Parkinson's Disease and me 