I noted in a recent post that I have taken two falls in the past two weeks. Both times it happened in my kitchen/dining area at nighttime. I was just walking and my legs got mixed up, I tripped and fell flat on my face. Fortunately, Sadie, my girthy yellow lab, cushioned my fall. She is fine and I am fine except for a split lip and an anxious psyche.
You see, my Parkinson’s is tremor-dominant with the arms, legs and head shaking being the main manifestation of the disease. Other PD patients are balance/coordination dominant where they have trouble walking because of slow movements, freezing and falling. I do not want either type of PD, but I especially do not want to have both!
So let’s not get carried away. Maybe I just had a couple of bad days during which fatigue got the better of me and caused me to fall. When you have a degenerative disease, you are always on the alert for the next sign or symptom. The real test for staying positive is keeping everything in perspective and avoiding “going there!” I admit most days, I am able to stay in the present and realize that a fall today does not mean a change in my condition. It is just a fall. I will watch for a pattern and seek resources to help if this happens again and again.
Next, I reflect on what it may mean if I continue to stumble and fall, making getting around more and more difficult. I have decided that I will find the strength that I need to cope through my faith. God will give me the resources and the courage to handle whatever comes my way. So I am not wasting any more time today worrying about tomorrow. I have things to do, places to go and people to see! Watch out world, here I come and if I fall down, I will get right back up again.
