Parkinson’s is an incurable chronic neurodegenerative disease. None of these words is even remotely hopeful or positive. The good news is it won’t kill you, but then again, not even Michael Jackson turned out to be able to live forever, so I guess the odds are against all of us on that point as well.
Considering this, people often comment on my being so happy and positive most of the time. You might think it comes from ignorance of the disease and what my future might be. Or maybe you’d think I’m applying the ostrich-method of sticking my head in the sand and refuse to see the truth of my situation.
Well, those of you who already know me can tell those of you who don’t, that neither of those are ”the Sara way”. In fact, the more I read and learn about PD, the more positive and hopeful I become. I like to call myself an optimistic realist (or realistic optimist depending on my mood for the day).
The optimism comes from my conviction that the research done on our behalf is really making progress and that new treatments will come and eventually (probably within the foreseeable future) the long awaited CURE.
The realism comes from the realisation that it’s up to me and me alone to make sure I keep fit enough and positive enough to be prepared and in shape for the treatments to come.
Consequently, I would like to modify my first sentence into:
Parkinson’s is a presently incurable chronic neurodegenerative, but manageable, disorder that is best handled with generous amounts of humour and what we in Sweden call ”jävlaranamma” and in Finland would be called ”sisu”. (translates into something like ”stubborn as the devil”).