Skip to main content

The Look



Today I got "the look" again when I mentioned to someone that I have PD.  The pause, the brow crinkle and this confused, uncomfortable, pity look.  If you have ever shared your really bad news with someone, you may have seen "the look." Many people don't know what to say when you tell them something like this and hence, "the look."  They don't know how to react and often cut out of the conversation quickly.

Guess what?  It's ok.  Most people don't know how to react and "the look" is something that just happens.  Today, I got a nice surprise.  The person that gave me "the look" asked me if it was ok if he asked me about my PD. We talked about my diagnosis and he wanted to know what I was doing for it because he couldn't tell I even had it. It was a great opportunity to educate him on PD and its current treatments (both traditional and alternative). I think I surprised him when I told him that it wasn't that bad and there were lots of worse things to have.  I let him know that prayer gets me through the day, that  I am doing well and fighting back. I'm happy to share my journey with others.  You never know what ripples you may cause when you share your journey... and most of us have journeys of one kind or another.  So next time you see "the look," try not to see it as something negative, but as an opportunity to educate and maybe even inspire.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diagnosing with Compassion and Hope

  My hackles are raised, my feathers are ruffled, my … I’m not sure I can find the words for how I am feeling.   This morning, I read a recently published article called “ Delivering the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease-setting the stage with hope and compassion.”   I am not upset that the article was written.     I am glad that the authors have brought this to the attention of others. I am upset that it needed to be written.     I just think it is common sense that when someone is given a life-changing diagnosis, it should be given with hope and compassion.     The authors note that some say the moment of diagnosis is “almost akin to a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one.” Of course it is!     The person receiving the diagnosis is losing their future self.     Everything they thought their life would be from that moment on has now drastically changed! I would count that as traumatic.       I was...
Post a Comment
Read more

Missing Tom

I recently lost a good friend. Never would I have imagined that I would become such good buddies with a man old enough to be my dad. I met Tom over seven years ago in a Rock Steady Boxing class. I entered class as a shy, teary-eyed, newly diagnosed mess who didn't like to sweat and had never boxed. Tom quickly took me under his wing, introduced me to the movers and shakers in the local Parkinson's community and eventually recognized a potential in me to further help the community. Within a year, with the encouragement of Tom and others, I became a certified Rock Steady coach. Tom and I would go to the same conferences and seek out the newly diagnosed. Ever the salesman, Tom would ask me if I "closed the deal," meaning, did I convince someone to come to an exercise class or attend a support group. Tom knew the benefits of attending these groups and he wanted everyone else to know also. He just wanted everyone to live the best life possible, even while living...
Post a Comment
Read more

Birds of a Feather

The saying, "Birds of a feather flock together,"  dates back to at least the mid-16th century.  In nature, birds are known to stick together in groups with their own feathered kind for protection.  There is safety in numbers.  Larger flocks are safer from predators.  The saying has come to mean that people with similar likes, tend to band together.  As a society, we form many different groups based on similar interests or qualities.   I find the saying to be relevant also in the Parkinson's community and I am sure it is true for other conditions as well.  I am more comfortable hanging out with others who have Parkinson's.  They get it.  No one else truly understands what it is like to live with Parkinson's except those living with it.  Care partners probably come the closest to understanding what it is like, but they also have their own flock. One doesn't truly know what it is like to care daily for someone with Parkinson's unless y...
Post a Comment
Read more