I Hit The Wall

Last weekend I wrote a couple of pieces about The Beatles. They are part of a series that ends this coming weekend. They have also been my most read stories.

For those who have come back to read some more, I'll give you a quick recap of how and why this blog started.

About two years ago I started having these strange symptoms. For me, the worst of them was a terrible balance problem. After a lot of testing, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

Last April, I decided I was going to write about it all. I talk about all kinds of things that are interrelated....falls, injuries, doctors, nurses, insurance and disability claims. Good day, bad days..you know I've had a few!!

At ChicagoNow, we aren't limited in what topics we have to write about. Just because this is mainly a health/wellness blog doesn't mean I have to write about it all the time. I'd want to kill myself after awhile.

I decided I'd write about music every weekend. That led to the Beatles series. It's fun and takes my mind off of PD for a couple of days.

Now that you're caught up, thanks for the weekend readings and I hope you'll stick around for the personal adventures. If not, that's cool, too. Come back for the music pieces.

Now on to the adventures of my life! OY!

If you've been here for awhile you know I have big time balance problems. I veer to the left. If you're walking with me, always stay to my right side!! Usually I can handle it. Sometimes I can't. Yesterday was one of those sometimes.

I'm in downtown Evanston, a Chicago suburb, and heading for the library. The sidewalks are a little icy so I'm being very careful. I haven't had a fall this winter so apparently the cautious approach is working.

Then I hit the wall. Not the type where you just can't go any further, I literally hit a wall. Your question is the same as mine...how the fuck does that happen?

Well....I was looking down at the sidewalk for ice and didn't realize I was veering to the left. Next thing I know it's me and a wall.

The good news is just a little shoulder and arm pain. Not even the bruise I expected. Nothing major. Life will continue.

The bad news is, at least to me, this feels like a setback. Since around Christmas, I've felt really good. The best in the last couple of years. I've seen this before, got excited about it and then had a real bad day. Depressed the Hell out of me.

I thought this time was different. It still feels different but now a lot of the positivism has been lost. The shame is one small incident brought me down. The good news is today's therapy day...and if you're new here, you'll read a lot about her. The other piece of good news is I get a fresh start today.

But here's what I've learned about this disease. Nothing stays the same. Sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back. or the opposite. This time it was one month forward, one incident back. Most healthy people would take that.

So we start all over again and see where it leads. All and all, it's just another brick in the wall.