Author Archives: kiwipommysue

I have a surgery date and some learnings

Finally, I have a date for my surgery. It will be on 3/2 with a pre-op appointment prior next week. That is 11 days to my surgery and counting. I know there will be a six to eight week recovery period, but I have always coped better with recovery pain than pain prior to anContinue reading “I have a surgery date and some learnings”

I’m a hugger, is this a Parkies thing?

I have always been a hugger for those I am close to, like my husband, my children and my grandchildren. I may have become even more so with the advent of Parkinson’s in my life. I wonder if those of you listening to this podcast have noticed an increased tendency to hug? I hope youContinue reading “I’m a hugger, is this a Parkies thing?”

A world of pain and uncertainty

How does anyone ‘do life’ if there is an almost total lack of certainty? Add to that a healthy dose of pain and – it seems – as I said to someone this morning ‘every pain medication known to mankind’ life feels a bit tough at the moment. That’s the understatement of the year, that’sContinue reading “A world of pain and uncertainty”

A hidden issue – how can I be seen?

I’ve written before in this blog about hidden disabilities and how challenging it can be to not only live with them, but for others to understand. I often use the analogy of a person in a wheelchair at the bottom of some steps. No reasonable person would expect them to be able to get upContinue reading “A hidden issue – how can I be seen?”

There are no experts in Parkinson’s – Oh, yes there are – A Podcast

As a follow on from the previous blog post, I thought I would add the podcast in case you might like to listen to it. I always say that we are the ones who are experts and I firmly believe that. No two Parkinson’s presentations are the same. Your Parkinson’s will be different from everybodyContinue reading “There are no experts in Parkinson’s – Oh, yes there are – A Podcast”

There are no experts in Parkinson’s – Oh, yes there are!

Let’s start this post with a little exercise. Go and look in the nearest mirror and what do you see? Do you see your tired eyes or your hair that needs cutting because you haven’t had time. Do you see all that you see as defects and that is maybe all you are accustomed toContinue reading “There are no experts in Parkinson’s – Oh, yes there are!”

It takes a village – Growing with them as they grow

It takes a village they say to raise a child. Each age and stage brings with it new challenges and opportunities to learn from each other. I have six grandchildren, they are three boys and three girls, the girls living here in Christchurch and the younger family of boys in Wellington. The family of girlsContinue reading “It takes a village – Growing with them as they grow”

Acts of service – love in a fruitcake

I wrote a blog about this topic many years ago. It came out of a brief counselling session my now husband and I had right at the beginning of our trying to get to know and understand each other. What can I say? It’s a work in progress… Acts of service are the way someContinue reading “Acts of service – love in a fruitcake”