I'm sorry michael

[imshakydad]

i think it's my time to acknowledge the newfound respect I have for Michael J Fox. This is my humble attempt through my latest blog! imshakydad.wordpress.com/

[pyckle_syckle]

good on you, imshakydad. It takes being open to growth and transformation to arrive at a new opinion , especially after such a long time living with the old one. On top of that, it takes real guts to come out and publicly acknowledge it. Thank you for sharing…

[imshakydad in reply to pyckle_syckle]

thx ever so much - it's been percolating in my mind for awhile so good to get it released appreciate ur support!!!

[MBAnderson in reply to imshakydad]

I agree with pyckle.

[SushiCharlie]

For sure you don’t really know someone’s experience until you are given a deeper window into their own life. I watched ‘Still’ as well although it did take me a few days of deep breathing to get to it. Seeing someone in advanced stages of the disease is shaky (no pun intended 🙄) ground to say the least, for me a fellow Parkinson’s ‘holder’. So yes imshakydad I understand completely what you came away with. This disease lays you bare, plays dice with your hopes, dreams and wishes and you have to just keep on pulling yourself up through the pileup until you can breathe back in a sense of who you are now, at this stage, point, juncture. It’s remarkable in ‘Still’ how Michael puts himself out in front of this disease. He makes blatant fun of it when tripping on the sidewalk walking down the street, pushes through simplistic exercises with the will of a mountain man, and clearly and deeply shares his love for his family. These choices begin quickly to resonate on a deeper and deeper level in ‘Still’. Those without Parkinson’s who perhaps are watching out of interest in the ‘famous actor’ are immediately immersed into Michael the person. Those with Parkinson’s can feel his every uncontrollable shake, awkward ‘saves’, and discomfort in his own body. But those become a pale shadow to his inner self shining brightly through in what can only be admiration for anyone who is up against this emotionally and physically demanding disease. No it doesn’t give hope… but instead it gives endurance, resilience, resolution and greatheartedness their true value.

[imshakydad in reply to SushiCharlie]

Thx for ur thoughtful response.You do a better job making my points than i do myself! I loved that scene when he trips on the sidewalk! It is sometimes hard to see how much PD has ravaged his body but, given the deterioration in my own condition - over virtually the same time period - makes me more appreciative of all he has done. THX again!

[SushiCharlie in reply to imshakydad]

Trust me I understand completely. I am an artist and this disease has been an arduous foe on many psychological, emotional and spiritual levels. I went through stage three breast cancer a year after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. And I thought the breast cancer was a challenge🙄😉😅

You have experienced , are experiencing, and will continue to experience a very deep level of inner fortitude and perseverance that rivals anyone that has danced with this kind of living devil.

As a pre-caveat I want to stipulate that this is in no way a ‘great learning experience’. But what I have personally realized in others like you imshakydad, is that there is a profoundly beautiful depth of the human soul that becomes clearly apparent to one’s self, and about others, when going through similarly seemingly bottomless life challenges. And a humungous amount of respect for people like you that bare their soul so others can understand or feel understood.

Please know you are not alone. And thank you for your blog.. It makes the rest of us feel like there’s a hand reaching through.

[imshakydad]

Once more, thank u for ur kind words. PD can be very isolating but you remind me of one of the main reasons I started this blog some years ago. Though I am often discouraged by the lack of response,I get fuelled by comments such as yours! Thank u . all good things, rk

p.s. what kind of art do/did u do?

[GigiOf8]

so glad I found this! Please forgive me as I voice text through my emotional state after reading your blog called “Signing Off” as you could read in few of my post of recent I am a fighter. Usually fighting until I get what I want. I was diagnosed in 2019 with probably five years before that. Although I controlled it very well without pharmaceuticals I had severe stress and anxiety for several years. We all have a idea of when we think this ugly disease latched on and that’s mine, I always used to say when I worked as a surgical technologist that I could never retire because if I did, I would die and now I say the same thing about this dreaded disease. I feel if I don’t fight, I will die. I will die too soon. I will give up and I will let rigidity take me over, and I will stop looking for healthier ways to treat my symptoms. I find it hard to be trustworthy of one person that has my life in their hands with pharmaceuticals. Although I would just love to just stop reading and researching every single moment of my life and ride the ride of life because that’s what I quote it’s easier said than done. I’ve never been one to make my brain believes something so hard that it’s going to happen and manifest, yes I have faith. I have faith in God above, and I have faith in a lot of things, but not I cannot create what I don’t have inside of me. My kitchen cabinets are full of sticky notes of affirmations, cheerleading me on to moving forward and not giving up Hope.. one of my favorite ones is from Alan Cole. It says I shifted my focus away from an unknown future and toward celebrating the gift of today. I started to consider what I have more than what I may lose someday. I have fought with my body and I have fought with my mind. We need to realize that I am not fighting a war against myself. I am loving myself. I’m going to help myself heal as another quote reads., This is my body! I am not under siege. I just required more care and less weapons. I embrace what makes me unique every day. I am learning to be kinder to myself. I wish I would’ve known you from the beginning of my diagnosis. It’s been a roller coaster ride and my symptoms are not even close to complaining about it. I can still walk and talk and feed myself although I’m totally disabled and have tremors that prohibited me from doing certain things with my hands. I am following Gary Sharp, which seems to make a great difference with no medication. I don’t know how to sit back and do nothing. And I know that’s not what you mean, I just don’t know how to do it. Maybe after I read all of your blogs I too will be able to relax and enjoy the life that I have. Thank you so so much. I wish we could have a glass of whiskey together or a cup of coffee.

Not sure what I did wrong but this is a reply to. I’m a shaky, dad.

[imshakydad in reply to GigiOf8]

Wow! For all that PD has brought into ur life, sure seems u have the right idea!i need a shot of that positive philosophy. I admire your spirit. Speaking of spirits, whiskey i cant do - coffee i can in fact, im just going for my third of the day (but ive spilt anywhere from 1/4to 1/2 c. daily depending on my tremors s ) I'll raise a virtual toast to u in ur struggles! thx again for reading my blog and for the time u took to respond! cheers rk