From the MJF Foundation
Speech problems are common in patients with Parkinson's disease. At an early stage,
patients may find it hard to project their voice. As the disease progresses, patients
start to have difficulty starting their speech even though they know the words they
want to say. They experience freezing of the jaw, tongue and lips. When they eventually
get their speech started, they have a hard time moving it forward. They keep on saying
the same words or phrases over and over again while their voice gets softer and softer.
Many words also run together or are slurred.
Sound familiar? Happens to me all the time. Longfellow once noted that the human voice is the organ of the soul. Not mine, unless I have no soul, which is not the case. My voice is my inner alien, a wanton curse, a thundering tragedy. You get the picture? I am not at all fond of this symptom and I could do without it. But I must feel alive, so I need to use my unwilling tongue and sound like a blithering idiot while trying make myself heard. Sometimes my voice will get weaker and weaker until it disappears completely in the middle of a sentence and I stand there with my mouth agape while my listeners watch my struggle, feeling embarrassed for me in my war with my voice.
Unscramble the word "silent" and you will discover my philosophy going forward "listen". Yes folks I intend to do more "listening" than contributing. My defences, if they ever existed, are down and I an vulnerable. "Listening" is all I can offer,
My voice and I are here as on a darkling plain and I have nothing clever to say or write. You'll find me on the stage, stage right; waiting for the fey limelight. Forgive me friend, I've lost that fight.
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