2013 A year in reflection.......

Hi everyone, firstly a very merry Christmas to one and all I truly hope it will be a happy time for you and your families and friends.
I am lucky enough to have my son here for a few days so the family seems complete and fulfilled.

Well, what a year 2013 has been for me personally, truly life changing to have it confirmed that you have Parkinsons Disease. Emotionally it certainly has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and some dark thoughts, not just for me but my close family also. However, I said in my very first blog that it will not beat me and emotionally wear me down.  On the whole I think I have been able to stick to that promise, the complicating factor being that I am a full time carer to my daughter who has a learning disability and increasing mobility problems, so of course it is constantly in my mind that the day I have to admit that I can no longer be able to cope with this responsibility may well be closer than I care to admit. So 2014 will be the year that I make the effort to fully explore exactly what there is available to meet her current and future needs, as hard as that may be!

Some of you will be aware we recently moved into a bungalow much better suited to her needs and of course without the dreaded stairs which were making her life difficult in the old place. This emotionally and physically was very hard for me and took its toll on my body! But on moving day, a very dear close friend was there to help and my son came back for the weekend to lend his support too. So we did it in a day and I was left with the chaos and a seemingly endless pile of boxes and black bags to sort out and try to put away in a smaller property... not an easy task! I think my body let me know in no uncertain terms that I had overdone it sol I have to be a good patient and listen to my body more.

This leads perfectly into an excellent course I took part in during 2013  that being the Expert Patient Programe.

The course is designed to compliment the care you receive from health care professionals  and gives you the confidence and insight to be an equal partner in your care. From experience it's easy to be overwhelmed and swamped by information from consultants and GP's at a time when emotionally we are probably at a very low point. The course will give you the confidence to ask the questions you need answers too which in turn can reduce anxiety and stress leaving you feeling more in control of your condition. From the experiences of past participants, the course gives you confidence, understanding, coping strategies and self management techniques all of which have shown that this leads to fewer GP visits and patients who have a greater realisation about the impact of their condition on themselves and their family.  


Another advantage from this course is that the members all keep in touch via a closed Facebook group and we support each other which is a fantastic asset to have on those dark days when maybe you just need a few words of encouragement from someone who truly understands.


Well I have no doubt that 2014 will bring it's own challenges and hurdles, but for now I/m not worrying about that, I intend to enjoy Christmas with my family, so again a Happy Christmas to you my dear friends and we will face 2014 head on together.
Do please get in touch if you wish to discuss anything with me, I am on Facebook under Tony Kernow and on Twitter as Kernowriter, I would love to hear from you.


Take good care of each other and stay safe.


Tony