It's true: Parkinson's stinks!

Copied from The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation Weekly News Updae

Daily Press

Ann Miner Heimback - It happened again last night. I was snoozing peacefully when I was awakened by the stench of the local skunk. Since I was having trouble falling back to sleep, with eau de skunk fragrance lingering in my nostrils, I began to think about what to write in this week’s column, and

how I could relate the skunk incident to Parkinson’s. Then it hit me. Parkinson’s stinks!

Its stench permeates the patient through and through with denial, then acceptance, then with questions about what, when, why, how? What happened? What is Parkinson’s? What can I expect for my future?

Why did it happen to me? Why do I feel this way? Why don’t others understand?

How long will I feel good? How long before I lose my abilities to do daily tasks? How long will I live?

Most of these questions can be answered like your mother used to answer you: Just because, and I don’t know, it just is.

Yes, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is a shock. It is devastating and scary. However, it isn’t the end of your world. You can go on, and you can have a quality life.

Are you feeling angry with your situation? That is not uncommon. Part of the anger probably comes from loss of control in our lives – not that we really ever had control –but so it seemed.

God is always in control, and when we let go, life is much easier. We spend so much time anticipating what will happen next that we forget to participate in what is happening now.

Did you happen to catch that magnificent sunrise this morning? In my back yard in Apple Valley, dozens of Goldfinch nibbled on the sweet seeds of Nyjer, as four others danced around the rim of the birdbath, looking for a drink and a dip.

The squeals of baby squirrels, romping and tumbling on the lawn, caught my attention, while five baby bunnies, with white powder-puff tails, leapt in the air and ran around the greasewood playing tag.

I watched a lizard dig a hole. Its little front legs moved almost too fast to see.

There was a fuss when a scrub jay couple fought to help their fledgling, fallen to the ground — but they couldn’t get past Papa Quail, who threatened to attack in order to protect his fuzzy little babies. Finally, the baby jay hopped into the bushes, the Mama Quail herded the little quail covey into the brush, and peace returned.

A hummingbird sipped sweet water while I held the feeder in my hand. And it dropped teeny tiny poop on my arm. Wow! What a treat!

All this, and a coyote, too, which loped across the front property after her morning hunt.

Look around your life and find away to participate in it. Take the stench out of Parkinson’s , if only for a few minutes. Happy hunting.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/skunk-35873-fragrance-trouble.html