There was an article in our local paper recently about happiness. It seems the French fared badly last year in a happiness league of all countries – this despite the wine and the welfare state. It also went on to say that it’s only relatively recently that people have expected happiness out of life. Only 50 or so years ago people were more into concepts like duty. It made me think about happiness in relation to my Parkinson’s. I am happy with my life now despite it whereas occasionally in the past I have been unhappy due to circumstances even though I was fit and healthy and still producing a good supply of dopamine.
Lately my knee has been playing me up more than the Parkinson’s. The diagnosis is ‘a bit of arthritis’. My partner’s sister has the same in England but what a difference in the treatment. Her doctor said ‘It’s a bit of Parkinson’s. Bye bye.’ Mine sent me for a set of X-rays a few days later to confirm his thoughts and gave me a prescription for a carrier bag full of pain killers and aerosol rubs. The doctor at the X-ray clinic gave his instant report and I took his letter and the X-rays back to my doctor. It confirmed his diagnosis but he thought I should seek out the best course of treatment so he sent me to see a knee consultant the next day and now I await 3 Hyaluronate injections starting next week. Phew … And all for ‘a bit of Parkinson’s’.
Since having Parkinson’s I have become a bit of an exercise addict and I am delighted that all three doctors say cycling and gym are really good for both Parkinson’s and arthritis.
Parkinson's Disease and me 