Yesterday was a good day. My first ever Tournament playing bowls. This was the culmination of two full day coaching sessions and an opportunity to put learning into practice.
This was a big day for me and I was incredibly nervous. I had the nervous wees and other things! I’m not sure exactly why I was so nervous, but I think in part it was because bowls means so much to me and I was afraid I would let myself down or others that I was playing with. I know that I have to make friends with my body again and trust it to carry me through. I’m working on that!
So, we had been put into random teams by the organisers, with three people playing triples with a lead, second and skip (they are in charge of the team). I was playing lead. In our second game I was watching bowls awaiting my turn and one of the other players caught my eye. He seemed to have a slight tremor and I noticed he took very small steps when walking. There was something about him that I saw and was pretty confident that he had Parkinson’s. So, while we were waiting for our turn to play, I sat next to him and said, ‘Can I ask a bit of a personal question? ‘Sure’ he said. I then quietly asked him if he had Parkinson’s, keeping my voice down so that others could not hear my question. He replied that he did have Parkinson’s and had been diagnosed a year before me and said he was very open about his diagnosis. He then gave me a ‘high five’ which was kinda cool. We talked about having Parkinson’s and playing bowls and from watching him, he looked confident and did some good bowls. We talked about the importance of keeping active and we both agreed that continuing to play bowls would be beneficial for both of us.
I asked him if he felt that he could pick out people with Parkinson’s and he said that he would often look around a cafe and see someone and somehow know that they too had the same condition. It can be small things like maybe being a little less animated in their face. Or perhaps it is taking smaller steps or hands tremoring.
It makes me wonder, whether I would ask that question of anyone out in the community at large. There could be pro’s and con’s with that idea. Some people may not be diagnosed, though looking like they had Parkinson’s. Maybe they could be noticing things but pushing them to the back of their mind and not ready to hear the diagnosis. There are a number of reactions I could envisage. Perhaps by having the conversation, that person might get the courage to get referred for assessment to confirm once and for all if they have Parkinson’s. Getting them on medication may be very helpful and of course linking them into support groups could be beneficial. By asking, I might also give them an opportunity to talk about how they are managing and seeing me functioning well, might give them some hope that they can continue to do well too.
I have often hesitated in the past to ask people if they have Parkinson’s. It could be a good thing as perhaps it might spur that person on to get checked out if they haven’t done so. It may also give them the opportunity to talk with someone like me – or others – and get support if they have been diagnosed but not had the opportunity to meet others.
The main thing is what I need in the way of support to play bowls may be different from someone else.
The support I need for my Parkinson’s is what works for me and may not work for others.
I also felt very proud of myself and the other Parkies person I met playing bowls. I feel we are a good example of how Parkinson’s doesn’t need to mean the end of enjoying life. We are getting out there and doing things that add to the quality of lives.
I can pick a Parkies, but I wonder if others would pick me out too?
My journey with Parkinsons 