Living and Laughing with Parkinson's

is the title of a book I just received in the mail today written and illustrated by Anne Atkin, an Australian woman who has written this wonderful book detailing some of the more common and lesser known  symptoms and has drawn very quirky cartoons illustrating some of the situations she has been in as a result, and the comments of people witnessing them.   I saw the cartoons displayed at the Brisbane conference and ordered the book from her online when I got back to New Zealand.   She is a strong believer in the positive affects of creativity and, in her case, art therapy .  And I may even give it a go myself as a result. Both text and cartoon complement each other nicely with just the right amount of medical detail for the most squeamish of friends or family. 

It was published by Memoirs Foundation, Burwood East, Vic., for Anne Atkin in 2011.  ISBN 978-0-9870600-3-7

Creativity

People with Parkinson's  often have very vivid dreams.  I do too but unfortunately don't remember them except when they wake me up.   As a child I had a very vivid imagination and my teachers commented on it as it came out in my schoolwork.   However it was stifled   and emerged once more after the experience of motherhood.   There followed my involvement and participation in the various art and craft forms, mainly for my own benefit and pleasure.  I suppose the therapeutic value of art was explored too as I experienced motherhood at a later age than most.  Later I was a member of a domestic craft and  art group  which is still is an important part of my creative life.

This morning I awoke early after a dream,  with all sorts of ideas for creating/displaying/exhibiting the threads/yarns / strands of my life as I open the doors of my Parkinson's cupboard and come out. 

Trip to Parkinson's Conference in Brisbane

Our main trip this year will be a five week tour or Germany, our last one was two years ago so this short six day jaunt was a practice run at travelling with Parkinson's. I had been reading Bob Kuhn's blog Positively Parkinsons (also the title of Anne Andrew's book ) about his round the world odyssey and been encouraged to think I would cope with luggage, delays, and other pitfalls. We had been thinking of escaping the cold in Auckland so this idea of taking in part of the Australian Parkinson's Conference was good for both. There was a very full programme of about 10 speakers starting at 8.30 am which with the 2 hour time lag with Auckland made it attendable.  All the same such a full day was definitely tiring and by afternooon tea when Dieter appeared on the horizon I tossed in the sponge and left. 

I took copious notes which I find is the best way to remember things having the additional prompt  of the written word.  The only trouble is that my handwriting is becoming illegible even to my own eye. Ever positive,  I realized I was well-off when  I  heard about some of the other things that could and still might  happen to one in my situation. 

I was impressed with the amount of research and dedication to finding cause and cure for PD going on in Australia.  It gives me hope that a breakthrough is not far away and in the meantime there are things  I can do which help maintain quality of life and ameloriate side effects.  As Assoc. Prof  Simon Lewis pointed out Parkinson's is like a box of chocolates - full of soft centres. We are all different and experience similar things but differently.  

More on the individual sessions in future posts.