A Terrible Birthday Present, Especially for a Parkie

When I woke up on the morning of my 56th birthday, something wasn't right. My throat was kind of scratchy. I hoped it was just allergies. After all, almost every desert plant was blooming like crazy and everybody was sneezing and sniffling. But as the day went on, it became more apparent that I had received a surprise birthday present that I neither wanted nor could be returned. 

Now I understood why I was achy for the previous few days. Now I knew why my usual 20 minute nap the day before turned into two hours and didn't make me any less sleepy at my normal bedtime. Now I knew why I hadn't been all that hungry at meal times.

Someone, somewhere had given me a Darn Cold for a present. I don't know who or where. Parkinson's and Darn Colds don't like each other and I don't like either one of them! There isn't anything humorous about getting a Darn Cold, especially on my birthday! 

Fortunately, we didn't have much planned for my birthday. Just lunch out with friends. By the time we got back home, my Darn Cold was in full swing so I decided to make it a party.

My nose was running, I was sneezing and I felt awful. I didn't have a fever, thank goodness, so at least it wasn't the flu. I'm glad I got my flu shot though.  

By pure coincidence, my neighbor Jeri had dropped off a birthday present while we were out. She made a quilted tissue holder from fabric scraps. This would definitely come in handy! 

So, I dug out my Darn Cold party supplies and settled in for the duration. These parties tend to last for at least a week, sometimes longer. First, I put on my snug-fitting old tee shirt that I use with the Vicks® VapoRub™ and climbed into my snazzy pajamas. You might as well look good if you're stuck going to a party that you'd rather not attend.

Then I emptied the M&M's from my new sippy cup (another birthday gift) and filled it with juice and added an immune system enhancer tablet. 

Then I got the rest of my Darn Cold party stuff out: Pseudoephedrine for the runny nose, Guaifenesin cough syrup for the chest congestion you know is arriving soon, Honey lemon flavored cough drops and of course, the Vicks®. I keep all these items together, just in case I need them. 

Be sure to check with YOUR doctor or pharmacist to see what you should pack for your Darn Cold party.

Also, you may need extra doses of your Parkinson's medications while you are partying. 
  

My Wonderful Husband took Lysol® wipes and tried to disinfect everything I may have touched. And I tried to avoid using my hands to turn on lights or open doors. Hopefully this will be a Darn Cold party for one and maybe those Darn Cold viruses will get bored and leave early. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the M&M's, because everyone knows you can't have a party without chocolate! 

Joy and Sorrow, Worries and Cheers

Last week was a mix of emotions for both myself and my Wonderful Husband. 


On Monday, we celebrated Freida's birthday.  Phil & Ruth invited all of us for lunch, we had cake and spent the afternoon laughing.  Freida had trouble blowing out the candles, but managed to blow most of the cinnamon sugar off the cake and all across the table. We were all giggling like a bunch of teenagers.

Freida's Birthday Cake

Sugar all over

On Tuesday, we attended a Celebration of Life service for a friend who passed away suddenly.  David's death was quite a shock, we had just seen him at pizza a few days earlier. I was concerned the emotional toll might exaggerate my Parkinson's Disease symptoms and make me stand out in the crowd, but I did okay.

They handed out swans at David's service

On Thursday, I went to the Dermatologist, I was worried, but everything was fine. You can read all about it at Red spots, Barnacles and getting older.


On Friday, we went to see a local High School Play and cheered at the very good acting.


It was a week of emotional ups & downs and I took extra naps to Recharge My Batteries, but I lived my life and did NOT let Parkinson's Disease ruin it.  Good advice for all of us.


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Thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is just one of a hundred stories in my book, Parkinson's Humor - Funny Stories about My Life with Parkinson's Disease. Please consider purchasing a copy from Amazon or your favorite online book seller. Thank you and have a Happy Parkie Day!

My Birthday was GREAT!

I woke up early on my Birthday. Waking up early is normal for me (Parkinson's Disease and Sleep), but I woke up extra early that day.  I wrote a story about the first few hours of my 52nd Birthday and people have inquired about the rest of my day. 

The rest of the day was great!  

The neighborhood Jeeping gang sang to me before they took off for the day. 

My Twitter and Facebook accounts were full of Happy Birthday wishes as were my email and regular mail boxes and of course, there was the big banner that greeted me when I came back from taking photos early in the morning.  

George, My Walking Buddy and Freida treated us to lunch, then I had a little nap to Recharge my Battery. 

After dinner, we went over to George and Freida's house for cake.  Freida is an excellent baker and while I normally do not like cake, she has managed to make one that I LOVE.  It tastes like cinnamon rolls and Snickerdoodle cookies, both of which I love.  Willie and Sharon were there as well.  I got to blow out candles while everyone sang Happy Birthday to me.

Everyone complimented me on the sweater that I was wearing.  My Wonderful Husband gave me that sweater the first year we were married.  Yes, it is 26 years old!  

It was, definitely, one of the best Birthday's I've ever had.


Clicking on colored words will open a new window and take you to a different link or story.

Thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is just one of a hundred stories in my book, Parkinson's Humor - Funny Stories about My Life with Parkinson's Disease. Please consider purchasing a copy from Amazon.com or your favorite online book seller. Thank you and have a Happy Parkie Day!

Reflections of me at 25 and 52

Today, March 8th, 2012 is my 52nd birthday.  I woke up at 4:44 am and I was born at 4:44 pm.  I started thinking about my 25th birthday and how much my life changed that one year.


I spent most of my 25th birthday alone and crying. The boy I was dating had dumped me the night before and then everyone forgot my birthday. Everyone.  I didn't blame them, my Mother had died 6 weeks earlier, so no one was thinking about me.  Life was awful, my husband had died in a fiery car crash two years earlier and then I watched my Mom slowly die of lung cancer.  I wished I was dead, too.  


My Mother came to visit me in a dream that night. She scolded me and told me to shape up and get on with my life.  It was very real, like she was standing right there, so I went to counseling, gave up my apartment and moved back home with my Dad, found a new job and started taking some college classes.


A couple months later I ran into a male friend that I hadn't seen in many years.  Our friendship took up right where it left off.  We enjoyed being together. One day, I asked this friend if he would ever consider marrying me. He said Yes, but thought we should at least date first. We did.  We got engaged on July 24th and married on December 14th.  


My Wonderful Husband and I have been together ever since then.  My 25th year started out in tears and ended in love.

Tonight will be a full moon, my 25th birthday was also on a full moon.  I went outside early this morning and snapped pictures of last night's moon as it was setting.  I don't remember seeing the moon years ago, but I am sure I did.  

As I came back towards the house (in my jammies and slippers with 2 coats on), this sight greeted me as I walked up to my door.  My neighbors had gone to the trouble of making a Happy Birthday Bev! banner and hung it on my porch, then they put slinky's in the bushes.  I don't know when they did it, but it must have been very early.


When I turned on my computer and checked my emails, Twitter and Facebook, there were lots of birthday wishes.  At 8 am, I climbed back into bed and snuggled up to my Wonderful Husband.  I think that this year is going to be a very good one.

Thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is just one of a hundred stories in my book, Parkinson's Humor - Funny Stories about My Life with Parkinson's Disease. Please consider purchasing a copy from Amazon.com or your favorite online book seller. Thank you and have a Happy Parkie Day!