Keaton, 37 years old

I felt as if I’d been told that I now belong to an exclusive little club I’d never planned to join, a club that I had barely known about, and the little I did know about it was very daunting.  Surely I don’t belong...?  This was my reaction on the day I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease.

It all started with a strange little tremble in my right hand that just wouldn’t go away.  It would quiver and shake for hours at a time, doing a little jitterbug as if it had a mind of its own.  And once it started, nothing I did seemed to stop that tiny yet seemingly inexhaustible little back-and-forth movement.  How could I not be able to control my own body ...?

That was 12 months ago, and while the tremoring is much less frequent, my hand is even less under my direct control.  The little traitor!  It’s stiff and awkward and so, so slow.  Whisking eggs, chopping food, using keys, knocking on doors, even waving goodbye – my still trusty but less able left hand has had to pick up the slack. But my writing is almost illegible, my typing is slow, ...  and eating my favourite pho noodles is not a pretty sight!

I now accept I belong to this select club of early onset Parkinson’s, and have been lucky enough to receive enormous support and encouragement from some extremely generous, kind-hearted, and awe-inspiring individuals.  I’m still coming to terms with all the implications of “membership”, and often feel scared about the future.  What new treachery does my body have in store for me, and when will it take place?  But, however tempting, I’ve decided that it’s no good trying to run away from reality.  Having Parkinson’s doesn’t mean the end, but instead the start of a new kind of life, and I’m determined to make the most of it.  And thank goodness for other “members” willing to show me just how much is still possible, with hard work, courage and a sense of humour.