Linda Ronstadt has Parkinson's
Most of my Parkinson's musings have an edge to them. At least a funny moment or two. I haven't found that moment yet.
When i read about Linda and her illness, it was heartbreaking. I took it very personally. I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep last night.
I saw several of her symptoms and I had immediate empathy.
Trouble walking on uneven paths-yep. Trouble speaking- not as much but occasionally.
One of her problems was she thought she was having issues due to tick bites or lime disease. With all the medical information available on the internet, it's easy and dangerous to do self-diagnosis. I did that too, but I was lucky because someone I trusted told me I needed to see my doctor. Of course, he had to tell me twice, a few months apart, but I eventually listened.
Ronstadt has a book coming out in a few weeks. I've seen a few takes stating that the timing of yesterday's announcement coincides with the release of the book. Cynical but possible. Btw...there is no mention of her illness in her memoirs.
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Linda be a new face of Parkinson's or will she stay in the background, dealing with her illness in private? My guess is the latter, and I have no problem with that. It's a very personal decision.
A college friend once told me he would love to be with Linda Ronstadt. He said all he wanted was for her to sing him to sleep every night. That may be the saddest part of this. We won't be able to hear her sing again.
A great voice has been silenced.