Do you order a salad when you really want soup?
Do you decline invitations to hors d’oeuvre receptions or luncheons lacking table seating?
Do you use credit or debit cards for all your purchases to avoid fumbling for change?
If you answer “yes” to these questions, you are probably living in the PD community’s self-imposed equivalent of the federal witness protection program. This social withdrawal is counterproductive to coping with the daily challenges of living with Parkinson’s and steals from us the joy we can have living life to its fullest today.
Try as we might, those of us who noisily “shake, rattle, and roll” our way through each day will never be inconspicuous. There is no secret as to where we’ve been nor where we’re going, as we leave a wide swath of crumbs, spills, and stains in our wake. Don’t allow disease symptoms and treatment side effects to drive us to retreat. Instead, seek out and share creative work arounds that enable us to continue pursuing the activities we enjoy and the relationships that give meaning to our lives. How others see us is a reflection of how we see and treat ourselves.
Let them eat soup.
- This was a big one for me, especially during the long, cold Chicago winters. Not wanting to “wear” my soup as it predictably fell off the end of the spoon on its way to my mouth, I reluctantly stopped ordering it. Then a friend suggested I try a Japanese soup spoon, which has a deeper bowl and is shorter and chunkier for easier handling. It works like a charm, not only for soup, but also for everything from cereal to ice cream sundaes to coffee cakes, which crumble into a million pieces when cut with a fork. My only suggestion is that the Japanese spoon come packaged with a plastic case, like travel toothbrushes do. In the absence of this, use a ziplock bag.
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Decline hors d’oeuvre receptions and luncheons lacking table seating.
- Mingling in a standing room only crowd while balancing a plate of food in one hand and a drink in the other is a recipe for disaster when it comes to people with Parkinson’s. There is no gracious way for us to eat salad from a paper plate on our lap, especially if the pieces of lettuce and fruit require cutting. Consider eating before you go, or telling the host or hostess in advance what you will need to be comfortable.
Pay with a credit or debit card to avoid having to fumble for change.
- Tired of the embarrassment of spilling the contents of our purses onto the store counter in order to come up with exact change for our purchases? Silence the sighs of the people in line behind you by carrying an old-fashioned coin sorter that makes it quick and easy to grab the coins you need.
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