The Intervention
The Intervention You are seated with friends and family then suddenly it begins. The intervention*: ”You are NOT looking after yourself and your health”. You are a deer in the spotlight. Awkward silence. Your face is…
Some days…
Some days I sense the urgency, other days I want to stay in bed Some days I am full energy, other days not Some days I am strong, other days I struggle with one chin-up…
It’s important the act you follow
It is common to have people get on the local buses to sell sweets or biscuits (or perform musically) to get a meagre income but the sales pitch often comes with a story. I was…
Body Aching after Exercise : “Makurki”
Makurki My body is aching – every stretch to pick something up, hurts. This is the result of yesterday’s gym work out and here they call it “makurki”. I asked the gymnastic choreographer how to…
4 day trek with family Huaraz
One of the most challenging but beautiful experiences of my life! I did this amazing trek with my family of 5 in Huaraz in June 2017. It was beautiful, hard work but a growing experience…
6 attempts to get Driver License in Peru
Getting my Peruvian Drivers License has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Every time I have attempted the test I did ‘new things wrong’, some of which had me thrown out…
School Pick-up with Parkinson’s Disease
You know everyone is looking at you already; I am the only blond at school pick up in a sea of shades of black and brown hair. I focus intently on attempting to “walk normally”.…
Depression and Apathy
Depression is common in parkinson’s sufferers, but not just because of the deterioration the disease causes and the fear of such a bleak future. Parkinson’s causes a lack of dopamine (the happy substance in the…
Delicate Christine?
I have to laugh internally sometimes as I translate literally a Spanish phrase which people have occasionally used for me: “Christine está un poco delicada de salud”. To translate directly it means “Christine has a…
Poem: Dear anonymous friend (with Parkinson’s Disease)
Dear anonymous friend, It is not an accident we have become acquainted, though we are yet to meet Though we haven’t met, you trust me with so much You feel old but have retained a…