on parkinson’s disease

I was diagnosed with parkinson’s in 2008, and it’s been an interesting ride. These are some of my observations on the subject:

Parkinson’s and Covid-19 – does exactly what it says

Writing with Parkinson’s – a short piece that is more show than tell

Who breathes wins – on parkinson’s, covid and the worth of the chronically ill

Are you serious? – on why people seem unable to tell the truth about the ‘cure’

A second chance – on how looking backwards can sometimes take you forward

Sex and Parkinson’s – a creative exploration of the joy of dopamine agonists

Ten years a slave – reflections on a decade of official illness

Changing the world – on changing perceptions, one at a time

I said what? – on guitar, cricket, the yips, and making foolish decisions

Indisability – on being invisibly disabled

A trip down memory lane – an extract from Slender Threads

The future was unwritten – on how parkinson’s is a disease of futurity

The way I use my walk – on mistaken identities

I have something to tell you – on how strange it is to tell someone that you have a chronic condition

Vox pox – your voice is your calling card … observations on how parkinson’s and voice intertwine

Batting for parkinson’s – one of my charity drives (I know, I know) from a few years back.

Here are some of the pieces I’ve written on that delightful disease, including pieces for the Wellcome, The Guardian, The Independent, Prospect and Parkinson’s Movement

Living with early-onset Parkinson’s – published by the Wellcome Trust

The Guardian Disability Diaries and interview

Mental as fuck – on comments in the street

Slender Threads: the whys and the wherefores – on the reasons why I wrote my book.

On diagnosis – a contribution to issue three of Parkinson’s Movement e-zine

The Longest Wait – on diagnosis, published in the Independent 6 May, 2008 (online here)

Charity, celebrity and parkinson’s – on celebrity endorsements of disease

Care, not killing? Behave – on assisted suicide for those with non-terminal conditions.

The gift of choice

Spit or swallow? – on one of the lesser-known symptoms of PD, difficulty in swallowing.

A day in bed – another mention of how rasagaline prevents the use of decongestants in the presence of a cold.

I think, therefore I … ooh, what’s that shiny thing? – on old-fashioned OCD and one of the lesser-known side-effects of medication.

Release the inner slut – this is a follow-up to my various posts on Love and other drugs

A little bit of what the fuck? – more on the trend for diseases to star in Hollywood vehicles

A la recherche de temps perdu – on the past, the present, and the need to move beyond

Love and other drugs – also in Prospect – see also director’s cut – on the recent Hathaway/Gyllenhall vehicle which has PD as a leading character

It never reins – shopping, king lear, and seeing someone with PD

Whole lotta shakin’ … not going on – on visiting an old guitar student, and finding out how PD has affected my playing

Oh Helen, Helen … please fuck off – A response to the crassness of Helen Mirren and Nintendo, on the announcement of a research project on whether the Wii-fit can help with PD

Cartesian, moi? – on the slow but steady divorce occurring between my mind and my body

hot lemon and hopelessness – This was written on the evening of the September 7, 2009, I think. The title stems from the rather obtuse fact (and oddly enough, one which I utterly fail to mention, which at this juncture confuses me somewhat) that the new drug I was prescribed prevents me from taking lemsip when I have a cold. Really. How utterly mundane is that?