INTRODUCTION : SOS! A PARKIE IN DISTRESS

SOS! A PARKIE IN DISTRESS!

Introduction

I am a Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patient. I am a Parkie. There are many Parkies in your midst and sadly, many more to come as the world’s  aging population increases. But PD also strikes at the young (Juvenile PD).  All Parkies have a story to tell. This is my story.

It is a story  about fear, anger and denial although I am not sure it was in that order.  More importantly, it contains a lesson about life and acceptance, about the absolute need to accept absolutely whatever life throws at you. Mine is a story of family and kinship, my friends and friendships. And of course, the power of love. Without my family, my friends and the love they gave to me, I would not have survived.

This is a story that will explain the changes in a Parkie  – changes in the mind, the body and the soul. PD does not kill although it will, eventually. But it could kill a Parkie’s spirit and  that, in my opinion, could be worse than death itself.

This story will tell you about hope and hopelessness. And hopefully, hope will triumph. The pain and the agony of a career that would have assured my family a good life after retirement could be at stake. Do I tell the employers?  So this is also a story of the great debate between you and yourself. In my case, I consulted the spirit the great Shakespeare.

And he was a big help for he came up with “TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL, THAT IS THE QUESTION!”

Sigh. But that was my question.

So, ladies and gentlemen, this is the story I am compelled to tell. 

I would like to thank two persons. I got to know the first one in 1990. He became my boss, my mentor and then my friend. In his memoirs "AN APRIL FOOL's BOY" he described me as a "short Chinese man!". Thank you Claude Andre Giroux.

The second person - I met him in 1990 too. And worked with him intermittently till 1998 when a life changing event took place (Watch out for my 3rd posting on "SUHARTO OF INDONESIA - MY SWAN SONG!)". He gave me the second wind to rebuild my career. 

Because HOPE has to triumph over HOPELESSNESS.

Thank you

KK

KK+