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Good Day to One & All,
My name is Bobby. I am forty years young in a body that feels like it is eighty. My PD was diagnosed in 1990 when I was twenty-seven. I managed to keep it under MY thumb until 1997 at which time I filed for SSI. We all know how much fun that is. But that is another story.
I had already decided that God's thumb was bigger than mine and turned this monkey on my back over to him. But it took the love, persistence, caring, persistence, prodding and persistence of a special lady to get me back on my feet. She is a story I will definitely share with you all. But for now I am suppose to tell you about me. I do not like discussing me very much and I fragment allot. SO here we go.
I'll begin with the time that I think the symptoms started. I had just been married (no that was not the problem guys) when my career with a well known DO-IT-YOURSELF franchise hired me. My position rapidly progressed to assistant manager and life was good. Vicky my wife, noticed that I was wearing out the soles of my right foot. I put it out of my mind because working sixty plus hours a week there was no room for anything else. Then one evening there was a slight tremor in the right hand. This got not only my wife's attention but my Moms also. You all know what that means. Yep, I went to a crazy doctor who said I had a slight tremor in my right hand which I already knew and that it was most likely caused by the hours I was working. I thanked him for his time and went back to work. That is a story for later too.
Diagnoses;
Well are you bored to death yet ? Just hang in there. This is where I loose it. As you probably guessed the tremors got worse and the dragging of the leg worsened and my already mumbled speech became more monotone. It was diagnosed by my family Doctor, Chris Sawyer, that I had Young Onset Parkinson's Disease but he wanted a Neurologist to check. I will not go in to how many Neuro-nuts I went to see before one finally got me to understand. I had a disease that was suppose to be found in older people. I didn't ask no questions or call my wife (BIG MISTAKE) or mom (BIGGER MISTAKE) just went back to work. But, it is hard to stay in denial when you have love around you.
I lost the job at HOME (oops) and my salary began to decrease as my Young Onset PD increased, I was going through some pretty rough times in my marriage and trying to adjust to NOT being the one who put the food on the table, pays the house payment, pays the bills and make car payments. It was hard, very hard but I survived this hurtle and was ready for the next. You can always find some one who is worse off that needs your help. That was my rock that I stood upon. I get knocked off occasionally but my Life nor Parkinson's keep me down for long.
I had asked the APDA about a support group in my area. My life had taken a turn for the worse and I needed help. My YPD had me down for the count. My wife was working out of town, coming home on the weekends. It took everything I had in me to get my daughter to school and back. Then fixing us something to eat, entertain, and to bed. I would wait until Vicky was coming in to straighten the house. The rest of the time I spent on the couch crying. I was all alone even with my daughter Cassie around to keep me going. My computer was down ,family was in an hour away. I needed help and God answered my prayers.
She called one night when I was particularly down in the dumps. Cassie called me to the phone at the peak of one of dysarthria spells. The kind voice on the phone introduced herself as Peggy Willocks. She sounded so upbeat and full of life. She encouraged me to hang tough and that help was on the way. She told me when
the next meeting was and invited me to visit her at her house. I didn't know how to respond to a stranger who really knew what I was going through to say.......(give me a minute). Peggy told me it was going to all work out for the good. That she cared about what I was experiencing and that she could help. I feel she is my angel sent down from heaven. Peggy is a dear friend now and I will be eternally in her dept for bringing me up from the depression I was stuck in. Thank you Peggy and all of PLWP family for your prayer
and help.
Bobby
