“I’ll Do It in a Minute” — When Parkinson’s Looks Like Procrastination

The letter has been sitting on the table for three days.

You know it needs answering.

You haven’t forgotten about it.

In fact, you’ve thought about it at least fifteen times.

Each time, the same thought:

Parkinson’s and Putting Things Off: It Isn’t Always Procrastination - PCUK“I’ll do it in a minute.”

Then something happens.

Perhaps you become tired.

Perhaps another task takes longer than expected.

Perhaps you can’t quite decide what to write.

Perhaps the right moment simply never seems to arrive.

Tomorrow comes.

The letter is still there.

From the outside, this can look very familiar.

Procrastination.

We all do it.

But for somebody living with Parkinson’s, there can sometimes be much more happening behind that apparently simple delay.

Read more ““I’ll Do It in a Minute” — When Parkinson’s Looks Like Procrastination”

The Hardest Part Can Be Starting: Parkinson’s and That First Step

You know you need to get up.

You want to get up.

You are perfectly capable of getting up.

But for some reason, you are still sitting there.

Or perhaps you’re standing at the bottom of the stairs.

You know where you’re going.

Yet beginning feels disproportionately difficult.

Maybe the washing needs putting away, you need to get dressed, make lunch, go outside or start getting ready for an appointment.

Once you’re doing it, you may be fine.

It is that first movement — that transition from not doing to doing — that can sometimes feel like the biggest hurdle.

For people living with Parkinson’s, this can be a very real part of everyday life.

And from the outside, it can be easily misunderstood.

Read more “The Hardest Part Can Be Starting: Parkinson’s and That First Step”

“Don’t Watch Me!” — Why Parkinson’s Can Make Things Harder When Someone Is Waiting

You know how to do it.

You have done it hundreds — perhaps thousands — of times before.

Then somebody stands there watching you.

And suddenly it becomes much harder.

You are trying to put your PIN into a card machine while people wait behind you.

Your fingers don’t seem to cooperate.

You are fastening a button while your partner stands ready to help.

The button suddenly feels impossible.

You are signing your name while somebody watches from the other side of the counter.

Your handwriting becomes worse.

You are trying to get out of a chair while everybody else is already standing.

Now your body seems even less willing to move.

For some people living with Parkinson’s, there can be an enormous difference between doing something in their own time and doing exactly the same thing while somebody is watching, waiting or urging them to hurry.

Read more ““Don’t Watch Me!” — Why Parkinson’s Can Make Things Harder When Someone Is Waiting”

Don’t Give Up the Things You Love Because of Parkinson’s

When you’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it’s natural to think about the things that might become more difficult.

Walking.

Writing.

Travelling.

Sport.

Hobbies you’ve enjoyed for years.

But becoming more difficult doesn’t necessarily mean becoming impossible.

Sometimes it simply means finding a different way.

Read more “Don’t Give Up the Things You Love Because of Parkinson’s”