There are very few occasions in life when we can say we are truly the centre of attention. A time when all the world stops and focuses its gaze solely on us. Even when I made my few minutes of fame on The Amazing Race Canada it was never about just me but, rightfully of course, both my son and me. No, seldom are things simply all about me or you.

However, there is one very special time in life when this notion is turned on its head. That time is a wedding and it’s very special centre of attention - the bride. I can attest to this truth both as a married man, (I mean in truth on my wedding day nothing much more was expected of me than that I show up dressed and on time…but I digress), but also now as ‘the father of the bride’. As such let me assure you that the process leading up to this special day gives every evidence that this day is 99.99% about her. The Bride. All else falls away into the distance.

Yes, well, so what does this fine soliloquy on weddings and brides have to do with us and Parkinson’s? I am, over the next number of months, going to put forward the idea that this journey through life with Parkinson’s is all about me. Yes, that it is a rare, bride like moment, that is indeed all about me.

The following is an excerpt from the speech, “It’s All About Me."

Some months back now I wrote a blog on having passed my tenth anniversary with Parkinson’s and some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I would like to share with you an excerpt from that blog:

“The #1 lesson I’ve learned over the past 10 years is this – It’s All About Me. Contrary to what Mom taught us I believe this conversation is all about me…It is not about the next cure – it’s about me. It’s not about the next breakthrough – it’s about me. It’s not about the next great scientific marvel – it’s about me.”

This may seem like an odd way to start a discussion on the topic of Parkinson’s but I think you will come to see my point and will agree that in the end it really is All About Me!

There are few things that we can control when it comes to Parkinson’s. We can’t control that we have the disease. We can’t just shake it off and get rid of it anytime we please.

However, once we move beyond the acceptance of this initial reality, we discover that we do have control over the next and most important aspect of the disease. We do have control over how we choose to live with it. And this comes down to our attitudes.

My movement disorder specialist played a critical role is shaping my attitude right from the outset. He said to me, “Tim you’re doing as well as you are because of how you have looked after yourself all these years. He followed that up with the statement, “If there was one thing I could do for all my patients I would turn them into athletes.”

These words motivated me and ultimately led me to the conclusion that our pursuit of wellness is indeed the cornerstone in our quest to end Parkinson’s. For you see without a healthy community, there will be far too few to take part in research studies, to advocate, raise funds and give leadership.

Now, I know that some of you are smiling, even smirking. I can hear your eyes rolling around in your heads and I can even hear your thoughts, “What? Me, an athlete?” Yes, you, an athlete.

What is an athlete? Google the word and you will get a broad range of definitions that encompass this thought, “Someone who has been trained to compete…generally in sports”.

Daily you and I are in a competition with Parkinson’s. Will it let me walk today, stand, write, type, think clearly and on and on. We daily make decisions; how much can I push back, how much pain can I take, what will PD get today, what will I take back.

Like an athlete we surround ourselves with coaches, trainers, counsellors, nutritionists, physicians; a broad team of specialists whose only goal is to get us across the finish line as champions.

We set goals, we refine plans, we adjust routines, we adapt, we change, but we remain laser focused on the ultimate goal.

We learn to do things we’ve never done before…like sports. Many of my fellow athletes at U-Turn Parkinson’s never exercised a day prior to being diagnosed. Now they have made the mantra ‘exercise is medicine’ a part of their DNA and daily prove their athleticism. They have changed who they are so that they might become who they want to be.

To be clear our pursuit is not purely in the physical realm. Like any world class athlete, we control what makes its way onto our daily calendars. We are continually learning & improving our knowledge of our competition and our ‘game’.

We ensure that we surround ourselves with a community of family and friends who support us and we give special care to our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

In short, we continually train ourselves for the daily competition we wage with PD.

We are indeed Athletes and Parkinson’s is our World Series, our Stanley Cup, our World Cup, our Super Bowl and the trophy we are competing for is our very lives.

….To Be Continued Next Month.

Please take the time to sign up for our Walk to U-TurnPD. We are looking forward to a great day with our community!

Live Your Best!

Tim