I don’t feel very good. My stomach feels nauseous because my head hurts. My head hurts because I can’t stop grinding my teeth, which only adds to the stiffness in my neck, which makes my back hurt more, which makes me want to yell, “ENOUGH ALREADY!”
But … I am not going to yell. Whom would I yell to anyhow?
It’s all part of Little Monster’s game: Pick an innocent bystander. Get inside their head. Turn the knob on the basal ganglia a quarter of a turn. It won’t take much — it’s a small, tiny, minuscule, little thing.
And yet, in that oh-so-small, minuscule, tiny, little thing lies the key to Little Monster’s plan. The plan to take over your life. To put a stop to the production of dopamine cells.
No one knows how Little Monster enters. No one knows which knob he turns in his quest to rule your body. But it works.
Production stops — or at least slows — and you begin to feel different. Strange. Off-balance. You stumble. You shake. Your movements no longer belong to you.
You begin to take a pill for this. And then you take a pill for that. And before you know it, you have a handful. You wonder why you’re sad and then, all of a sudden, you’re not. And when you’re not, you wonder why you ever were. And it goes around and around and around.
Your toes curl in, your legs cramp up, and your hands and arms take part in the plan. You are left feeling pain and experiencing disfigurement and despair and loss. And you grieve for what was, for what could have been, for what is now.
But, then you have a good day. A day with sunshine, although, perhaps hidden behind the clouds. You see the rays break through and you turn your face toward them, just to soak in the healing warmth. And they do warm you. They warm the muscles from your head to your toes, and you feel like you just might make it through another day, because Little Monster has gone to sleep. He cannot overcome the one who decides to overcome him. And we can all overcome if we put one shaky foot in front of the other and take another step, and smile. Because that’s one thing Little Monster didn’t count on — to see a beautiful smile on a face he turned to stone.
***
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2018/01/24/parkinsons-disease-little-monster-game-thwarted/
No comments:
Post a Comment