Acknowledging the Parkinson's Disease Community

It's hard for me to say hello

I go there almost every day. The therapy center where I work out. It takes about 20 minutes to drive there. First thing I do is check in with Lisa, a Physical Therapist who helps me get on the waiting list for the Nautilus and other machines that I need to do my rehab program of exercises. Lisa is small, petite really with hair that is shorter than most men's. She almost always wears a blue sweat suit. She's 40 or maybe 45 years old, she likes to wear sandals. She's always moving from client to client getting them started on their next exercise. I appreciate her energy and the attention.

The clients are almost all old, white haired or bald like me. Because of HIPPA I can't ask and don't know what many of the clients are suffering from, but I can see a few with obvious Parkinsons symptoms.

There's a plump silver haired lady about my age (68) who pushes an old shopping cart and has her stuff in some paper grocery bags, her eyes light up when she sees me across the room because she needs to talk about her Parkinson's and what it's like for her. I think she said she lives with her mother and her mother has PD too.

There's Gene, he must be trying to lose weight. And Frank is one of my PD friends. He's had PD for 3 years; he uses a walker and needs a little help to get up. He wears khaki shorts and plaid shirts. If it's cool he wears a grey jacket. There is also another older woman, I need to ask her name. I need to say hello.

I feel very protective of my PD acquaintances, there aren't many of us in one place though the numbers grow as we age. I need to go against my private nature to try to be friendlier, more outgoing. It might help them and it would certainly help me to fully accept my illness and the person I need to be as I grow up with PD.