Living With PD

There are things in this life I wish I could do
Like writing my name or tying a shoe.

 

Being in crowds causes all kinds of stress
And revolving doors have become quite the test.

 

How simple these daily tasks used to be
back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

With a nickname of Boomer you can be pretty sure
I once had a voice that was easily heard.

 

But now the thing I hear people say
Is “Excuse me dear, what did you say?”

 

How simple these daily tasks used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

Buttons have been a challenge, it’s true.
So pulling shirts over my head’s what I do.

 

Meds are my friend, without them I’m stuck.
I try keeping my house clean, but don’t have much luck.

 

How simple these daily tasks used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

I love watching my daughter as she swims in the pool
But dyskinesias cause movement that’s really not cool.

 

Sewing’s an outlet for my creative ways
But everything takes so much longer these days!

 

How simple these daily tasks used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

I have always been aware of others around me
So I panic when “stuck” as others surround me.

 

There’s one thing that’s helped more than the rest.
I’ve had brain surgery performed, it’s called DBS.

 

How easy and simple my life used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD

 

Disability benefits offer some ease,
But of course, I’d rather not have this disease!

 

My life as I knew it is no longer here
This hand I’ve been dealt makes my future unclear.

 

How easy and simple my life used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

I choose to keep a good attitude,
Enjoy every day, embrace all that’s good.

 

What other choice do I really have?
Grumble and moan and always be sad?

 

How easy a good attitude used to be
Back in the days before I lived with PD.

 

Life is much sweeter, that is for sure
Since I’ve learned how to cope as I wait for a cure.

 

How helpful Corvallis Clinic’s PT can be
As I learn to live with this thing called PD.

 

 

Used by permission of the author.

Cynthia Stevenson

Cynthia was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) in December 1999 at age 40. She experienced hyper-creativity that began ...more