Hello again!
Thanks very much for your thoughts Dr Jonny, Lily, Blue Angel and sallyjt. It is really helpful to see these responses.
Dr Jonny, I have posted a couple of questions on your blog about the differences between impairment and disability.
I am adverse to the term Parkinson Disease & prefer to call it a disorder. I personally dislike using martial metaphors in my relation to living with the condition I.e. "battling with symptoms" or "fighting" each day. As no one yet knows its cause & maybe it arises from a malfunction of the body's immune system or some such, any war would ergo be a civil war. I try to be kind & patient with my body & any symptoms. That said, whatever works for anyone else gets the thumbs up from me.
I refer to PD as a condition when I talk about it. I don't consider it to be an illness as I don't feel unwell. Yes sometimes I feel under the weather when the fatigue takes over but 'unwell' usually means I'm being sick and tucked up in bed to recover.
It is surprising though how other people view PD. If you are applying for certain benefits you are identified as disabled and since diagnosis in October 2012 I have been classified as being seriously unwell, medically incapable, disabled and very ill! Can't wait to see what's next.
I have a "condition" which at the moment is hard to come to terms with but I will take it by the scruff of the neck and tackle it head on!
Di
It is surprising though how other people view PD. If you are applying for certain benefits you are identified as disabled and since diagnosis in October 2012 I have been classified as being seriously unwell, medically incapable, disabled and very ill! Can't wait to see what's next.
I have a "condition" which at the moment is hard to come to terms with but I will take it by the scruff of the neck and tackle it head on!
Di
Hi
I felt extremely sorry for myself because of my condition/illness: both unwell and disabled. But when my wife completed her cancer radiotherapy in February, she was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The progress of my PD is gradual, albeit relentless. Compared to my wife's illnesses, PD seems relatively benign, and now that I am the carer, more a nuisance or an inconvenience, because of the physical nature of caring.
Everything is relative.
I felt extremely sorry for myself because of my condition/illness: both unwell and disabled. But when my wife completed her cancer radiotherapy in February, she was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The progress of my PD is gradual, albeit relentless. Compared to my wife's illnesses, PD seems relatively benign, and now that I am the carer, more a nuisance or an inconvenience, because of the physical nature of caring.
Everything is relative.