Stand and deliver

I have had writer's block for several days. Frustrating! Somebody once said not to wait for inspiration, but begin writing and inspiration will find you. I will give it a shot.

As I sit here before a blank screen, my back is hurting, bad, lower back pain. A good friend of mine, a fellow PD victim, has told me he too suffers from back pain. Coincidence? Probably but you never know.

There is my inspiration! Is there a connection between PD and back pain? Seems unlikely but it gives something to research and thereby continue with my inspired topic.

One hour later.

Well, well, well. There is a relationship between pain and PD. Apparently our backs, buttocks and legs are all possible targets for our dark passenger.

Let's stick to back pain which can be caused by an abnormal walking gait that many of us have and which is caused by, surprise, surprise, parkinson's. Pain arises from the loss of spatial awareness, and loss of control. Just another one of the little joys of PD.

I have trouble admitting it, but I fear my PD is advancing and I may be in stage 2. When I stand up, I can feel a loss of balance. It is slight, but I notice it and make compensations to permit my denial of any advancement. The sad fact is, I am getting clumsy and there is not much I can do to overcome this symptom. This morning, for example, I went for a 2K walk using my poles and when I reached home base, my back was awash with pain. Now I know the reason. PD is in control.....for now. I feel myself retreating and my back is against the wall (pun intended) but, fear not, I will find a way to hold it at bay until somebody devises a method of stalling its advance permanently.

Researchers and biotech executives foresee the day when the effects of many catastrophic diseases can be reversed. The damaged brains of Alzheimer's disease patients may be restored. Severed spinal cords may be rejoined. Damaged organs may be rebuilt. Stem cells provide hope that this dream will become a reality. GEORGE WOLFF, The Biotech Investor's Bible

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

Stay tuned.