Sometimes self-care is the priority
I spent last weekend in Oklahoma City. One of the options for Sunday was to go visit a former classmate, who also has Parkinson’s Disease. His case is far more advanced than mine as he now uses a walker and a wheelchair.
It was a tough decision because I knew I would feel bad either way. If I went and saw him in that condition, I’d feel bad for him—and I’d freak out a bit because that could be me down the road. But I knew I would beat myself up if I didn't go because it’s a wimpy thing not to do. Either way, it’s a no-win situation.
I decided to blow it off—and yes I beat myself up more than a bit over it.
By coincidence, I had a scheduled appointment with my neurologist the next day. When I told her the story and how I felt, she wasn't surprised because we shared a similar situation just a month earlier. She asked me when was the last time I saw this person. When I told her it was probably fifty years ago, she laughed and said, “What’s the big deal? What were you going to talk about? Were you planning on bonding over the fact that both of you have Parkinson’s? Quit beating yourself up. Try to practice Self-care.”
Wow! When did she become a therapist? But, it was great advice—and it became more important only two days later.
Tuesday was election day in America. Like so many others, I was apprehensive about the results. A few weeks ago, I was sure Trump was going to win. But, lately I was getting Kamala-fever and was optimistic about her winning. And then came the results. It was obvious early that not only was Trump going to win easily, but the Senate was going Republican, too. I watched in despair until I gave up around eleven p.m.
When I woke up on Wednesday, I was feeling even worse. It didn’t take long to realize that I was going to need to do some things to make myself feel better—Self-care!
The first stop was to my daughter’s house to visit with the grandchildren. There’s nothing like seeing a four-year-old, two-year-old and a two-month-old to make you smile. They had no idea what happened last night—the innocence is so refreshing. I then decided that there would be no television news programs on my TV for the day. Yeah, I missed the Kamala concession speech but I felt good about doing it. I left the house while she was talking and bought some junk food—the Oreo milkshake at Potbelly is delicious. I then bought a cherry pie. Yeah, the food may not be physically healthy but it sure improved my mental health.
It’s now Thursday morning. I somehow feel a lot better than I did twenty-four hours ago. I’m not any more optimistic about the world, but mentally I’m doing okay. I have a feeling it may be a one-step forward/one to two-steps back type of thing, but that’s why I have a therapist on retainer. And if that doesn’t work, I still have the cherry pie. Self-care!!
