How I deal with Parkinson’s by Neil A. Silvert

 I am a little selfish in that I want to have most of my time to myself. I appreciate every minute of each twenty four hours, and I want to do what I enjoy. What I enjoy most are activities that are mentally and emotionally stimulating. I learned to exercise vigorously at an early age, and I continue doing that every day if I can. I used to be a long distance runner, and I learned that exerting myself for extended periods of time made me feel good. As I grew more self aware, I started to recognize that I was self medicating by running. I was taming my anxiety. When I stopped running hard on a regular basis due to leg injuries, I started drinking to tame my worries. Did that for several years till I woke up at thirty.

 I realized that my feelings and thoughts didn’t equate to my value as a human being. How does that relate to how I face my Parkinson’s disease? Well, it does, because as I grow older I understand that compassion for everyone and every living thing is my goal. If I always pursue that intention, I am happier. When I am happier, I feel better emotionally and physically. Being able to be kind to others is a lot easier when I treat myself well. I’m doing that pretty well I believe. I hike up a hill in the woods with my dog every morning.

Breathing heavily when I get to the top, I shadow box, do high stepping and slow motion kicking before a stretching routine. I look at the trees and breathe in nature. I ride my bike and use resistance bands for strength. I’m married to a loving woman, and my dog is my best buddy. I joyfully train dogs on a part-time basis, do some writing of essays. I eat healthily and am lucky enough that I can stay in bed in the morning to get enough sleep. With my illness, which I was diagnosed with in 2020, sleep is crucial. Of course, I take medication as advised by my neurologist and I participate in my Dancing with Parkinson’s group every Wednesday, but otherwise I’m not committing to any other therapeutic programs as of yet. Practicing on my own what I have learned helps my Parkinson’s. Every day in the car with the windows closed tight, I sing and make noises to exercise my swallowing muscles while making exaggerated facial expressions so I avoid having a bland affect. I meditate daily to work on acceptance. I have a degenerative disease, but I believe my routine is keeping this neurological imposter at arms length. One last thing I do that’s crucial- I gravitate to peaceful, loving energy. My friends in the Wednesday group help motivate me to keep working hard. Working hard to be a happy, healthy and fruitful human being. My dog training and my writing are vehicles I try to use to help others. That’s my recipe to deal with my Parkinson’s. I’m not opposed to eventually getting more involved with scheduled therapies. For now this is enough.