My waking days are divided into three-hour segments. I am held hostage by my medication, taken at 9 AM, noon, 3 PM and 6 PM, not knowing if, when and how much of the meds will kick in.
Toward the end of each three-hour period, I feel like Cinderella, keep my eyes on the clock and worry that my carriage will turn into a pumpkin. I don’t want to be out in public with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), slurring my words, taking shuffling steps or with dyskinetic movements.
The biggest hit from PD and Deep Brain Stimulation has been my energy level. Pre-PD, I was a busy overachiever, now my energy has vanished like vapor.
After the 6 PM dosage of meds, Cinderella turns into Sleeping Beauty. Last week I fell asleep at a poetry reading, and the previous week I dozed off at an accordion concert. A few months ago, friends invited us to their home for dinner. I promptly fell asleep afterward. The host wrapped me in a blanket on their recliner while I slept in front of the partygoers for three hours.
I continue to sleep even when taking a stimulant typically prescribed for those with narcolepsy, but I am instead a sleepy Parkinsonian.
Would I rather be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? I have no choice – PD chooses for me.
My waking days are divided into three-hour segments. I am held hostage by my medication, taken at 9 AM, noon, 3 PM and 6 PM, not knowing if, when and how much of the meds will kick in.
Toward the end of each three-hour period, I feel like Cinderella, keep my eyes on the clock and worry that my carriage will turn into a pumpkin. I don’t want to be out in public with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), slurring my words, taking shuffling steps or with dyskinetic movements.
The biggest hit from PD and Deep Brain Stimulation has been my energy level. Pre-PD, I was a busy overachiever, now my energy has vanished like vapor.
After the 6 PM dosage of meds, Cinderella turns into Sleeping Beauty. Last week I fell asleep at a poetry reading, and the previous week I dozed off at an accordion concert. A few months ago, friends invited us to their home for dinner. I promptly fell asleep afterward. The host wrapped me in a blanket on their recliner while I slept in front of the partygoers for three hours.
I continue to sleep even when taking a stimulant typically prescribed for those with narcolepsy, but I am instead a sleepy Parkinsonian.
Would I rather be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? I have no choice – PD chooses for me.