Maybe it’s the ‘Silly Season’ and the fact that we moved house on Tuesday and are surrounded by boxes, but today at work stress got to me.
I am usually a planner and very organised, but a few things out of my control today put things all out of kilter for me. I had a meeting I was chairing with people phoning in from another part of New Zealand and from overseas. The phone system decided not to work and I admit I almost panicked. This is most unlike me and I was near to tears as I explained my problem to my workmates at lunch. The meeting was at 1pm and I had less than 1/2 an hour to sort it.
One of them suggested switching rooms – to an even more unfamiliar phone system but one that worked – and from the stricken look on my face, asked if I wanted her to set it up for me. I barely nodded and stated that my Parkies sometimes makes me not able to process information as I would when I was calmer. Another workmate stepped in and said, ‘Yes, she would like you to help!’ and I just nodded trying not to cry.
In the end we got it together and the meeting went well. I avoided melting down and no-one at the meeting knew I had had issues.
A lesson learned, that even though I cope quite well most of the time, we all need to ask for and accept help at times and to know when those times are!
My journey with Parkinsons 