Retired

Well this last run was fun, but I have to admit I saw myself going on for a few more years and not just a few more months this time.

I did get about a year extra of better control via medication and exercise, but by the time the holidays of 2009 came knocking and that day I slipped and hit the car with the back of my head (again don’t choose soft spots on the head when attempting to cause damage to your vehicle), that “point of no return” had been reached.

You get a significant honeymoon period on medication for Parkinson’s disease that can keep the disease “at bay” in such a manner that people don’t realize anything is wrong. Of course to keep up the appearance of being in generally good health one must continually increase the dosage of medications. But this can only go on for only so long. And these meds don’t come without a price on the body and head for using them. The side effects make the “cure” often as bad as the disease.

Instead of continuing to further medicate myself at levels that merely “keep up appearances,” I have chosen an approach that will allow me to take medication for longer periods of time with milder symptom control lest I quickly reach the zenith of Parkie pill popping and have few alternatives left.

This means that I have to settle with being able to do a little less. Some things have to go. This blog is one.

The book? We are in limbo right at the end because of an animated sequence that was to be drawn in on the side of the pages of the printed edition (yes, there was an e-book edition being prepared too) that was to be completed over December. That never happened. And due to some public promotion involved that now cannot be done I am up in the air on what approach to take with its release. That will be announced when some sort of conclusion is come to.

The end of my writing is not at hand, however. I have been involved in another project all this time that is far more natural for me to participate in. But it has been a hobby of sorts and part of an agreement that I formalize now before all of you, and Bad Kitty:

I solemly swear to participate in my retirement, even though I am 43. Retirement is good for my health. This does not not mean I stop living. But it does mean that I stop what I have been doing up till now that has kept me from living fully.

I solemly swear to use my resources wisely, to use my energies, my wisdom, my humor, etc. in order to do accomplish this purpose of living life to the full.

I solemly swear to enjoy my life and be happy in whatever circumstances I am in.

I solemly swear not to give up any fights just because they cannot be won in my particular case. I will continue the fight even though in the end I may not personally hear the applause, may not be the recipient of the award, may not get the credit. Someday, somewhere someone will. And I am happy to be one of a million threads that helps that someone to finally hear the applause, receive the reward, and get all the credit when the time comes for the fight to be over. After everything has been done by so many, I feel somebody will reach this point. Somebody, just not me. And that is good enough for me.

I also solemly swear to remain a Bad Kitty, especially each Friday of every week. Should you find your ferns half-eaten and the rest torn to shreads I admit this here, but only this once…it was me. Who clawed the priceless antique to the point of it now having a price…sadly a price below warehouse costs? That was me. The torn curtain in the living room? Me. The half-eaten bird on your pillow you will wake up to later this week? Me again. And who somehow managed to get your car parked up in a tree in the front yard?

Don’t look at me. I can’t reach the gas petals and look above the steering wheel at the same time.

I know. I’ve tried.

PHOTO © 2010 by Judy Vonfeldt-Walkey. All rights reserved.