ABOUT

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in August 2013. I continued running my own landscaping business working full time until 2018, finally retiring in 2020.
Parkinson’s is a progressive degenerative neurological disease which has no cure. Below I have summarised some of the symptoms, all of which I suffer from in varying degrees every day. The symptoms can come and go at any time without warning, no two days are the same. Medication is used to try and alleviate the symptoms but it is a fine balance as to which medications work for each person and, as the disease progresses, re-evaluation of the medication is regularly needed.

I am trying to be positive and keep fit by doing daily strength and conditioning exercises, use my exercise bike, and go on walks whenever I feel up to it.

Many sufferers find that taking up a hobby which focuses the mind away from the body gives them some respite. I started doing abstract art after I heard about Billy Connolly, who also has Parkinson’s disease, turning his hand to sketching as a way of taking his mind off his condition.

Over the last couple of years I have created over 90 pieces of A3 abstract art. My work is quite random. It is difficult to draw when the body is active during a bout of dyskinesia and I can ruin a drawing at any stage!
Parky Peter

More about Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, degenerative neurological disease for which there is no cure.

Most people tend to think of Parkinson’s sufferers as having an uncontrollable tremor in one of their hands but, as you can see from the list below (which is only the tip of the iceberg), it is far more than that.

Parkinson’s sufferers have a wide range of symptoms, these can include:

Tremor and painful uncontrollable movement of parts or whole of the body (dyskinesia), causing imbalance and risk of falling
Slowness and muscle 'freezing', making everyday tasks difficult, for example, getting a payment card or loose change of your wallet and packing your shopping (bradykinesia)
Stiffness, inflexibility and cramps, making tasks such as writing, doing up buttons, tying up shoe laces sometimes impossible
Depression, anxiety and mood swings
Feeling fatigued, lack of interest, feeling stressed, feeling self concious
Hallucinations, especially at night
Urinary and bowel problems
Inner shakiness and feelings of nausea

People living with Parkinson’s are on a daily roller coaster of problems, every day is physically and mentally challenging. Trying to get the balance of medication right changes as the disease progresses, it is an uphill task.