Hi all. It's been aaages since I posted so I thought it was time. I will post again to mark 2 years post-DBS, so today I'd like to share some happy news with you. I want to share it because Parkies is so often associated with loss - loss of function, loss of independence, loss of identity - those of you who live with Parkies often know this too well. You can check out the clip if you don't feel like reading :)
Well for a change, I'm celebrating the reclaiming of one part of my life which I didn't think would happen. For your average Joe, this may be no big deal, but it is a massive deal for me. I have started playing touch football again - and not just making up numbers - but feeling like I am a contributing, useful member of the team. I cannot tell you how much that means to me.
I have played touch football for over half my life and I'm wondering whether the combination of muscle memory and medication with DBS has made the difference. When I left Tassie early 2023 I had pretty much given up on playing again. If anything, it was making me more frustrated and more distressed as I couldn't get my coordination right. I was losing confidence in my body.
Fast forward to Darwin and late last year I went along one night to see if I could find a team. I was well outside my comfort zone and to be honest, pretty stressed. Fortunately that night I met the Frillies - a bunch of awesome ladies here in Darwin - and I've seen from that time a steady reclaiming of my capacity and function. It has been incredible for me. On those (rare-ish) occasions I step someone and run the field to score, I feel like I'm flying. It's that awesome. Granted it isn't often(!) but it has allowed me to reconnect with my body in a way I didn't think possible. Touch football is a great sport for me to manage my Parkinson's as it involves speed, agility, and a lot of cross lateral movement through passing and catching.
It was hard, really hard to put myself out there to find a team to play a sport I wasn't sure I could play anymore. But I got there. And if there is a take home message, I think it is that if you have something you really love, that is core to you, then try to keep it going as long as you can. Talk to your neuro, GP, exercise physio and anyone else who helps you. You owe that to yourself.
Parkies steals enough; it's going to have to wait a bit longer to steal touch footy from me.
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