Why it’s a good thing that a doctor doesn’t talk like a plumber. 

Right, love, let’s get this brain into the MRI….NOOO! Can’t believe you still know your own name. My goodness, whoever did your veins did not have the first idea what he was doing… Quack! Wow, I’ve seen a lot in my time…but honestly. You came by in the nick of time. Better get this sorted. It might take a few months to get you back on track, but hey, you want to function somewhat reasonably, right, love?

Gimme Hope

I was the undercover patient at the ParkinsonNet Jubileum Conference in the Netherlands, browsing the respective exhibition stands from the various providers of tools, applications, therapies, medicines and medical know-how. I spoke to health care professionals, listened attentively to Bas Bloem and other scientists, watched videos of patient testimonials, and read about the latest promising research and innovations. All the time looking for that one particular exhibition stand. As little/much/long/short as possible The conference focused on remaining as healthy as possible, for as long as possible, with as little help as possible. All to soften the inevitable. For parkinson's is a destructive disease - your suffering increases, your need for care increases over the years, decades even. It’s a costly affair, parkinson’s. Costly for the care provider and taxing on the patient. The day’s theme was: The Future of Health Care. "And they keep telling me to live in the…

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Movie

What do other people know, that I don’t? Everybody appears to have seen the movie, all of it, every scene. Even the parts that were later cut. And the bloopers. Ah, and the bonus material about what might happen if…. the audience shivers, brrrr, imagine having that condition! Can you pass the popcorn please, come on, let’s watch another movie, this one’s not cool. The thing is, I’m the only one who’s not in the audience. Even though the movie is all about me and the 60,000 other parkinson’s patients in the Netherlands. Even though it’s about the scenarios already laid out for us. I never ever ask myself who wrote that scenario. Never. But I do continually wonder: what did all those people see, that I haven’t seen yet? I mean, they must have seen more than I have, or why else would they keep saying: stay strong, live…

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⭐︎ Afraid

Afraid. Wim Rozenberg Photography.I thought that I was scared, but it seems that others are every bit as scared as me. Scared of me, my Parkinson’s, my fear, my tears. How you notice exactly, I can’t quite put my finger on, but you do notice. An imperceptible, almost reverent expectation. And then comes the inevitable question, the question that I too would still dearly love to answer: how did you first spot it? There’s always another hidden question within, a sort of self-check. (more…)

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