Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Posy realizes that it is difficult to be 100 percent jolly when burdened by a progressive, debilitating disease of any kind, but she is determined to make lemonade when presented with the extra lemons that Parkinson’s throws at her.

Posy has just returned from what could have been the trip from hell! This was the final trip in the trilogy of visits to see her daughter.

A canceled flight

Flight cancellations, delays, AAARGH! Posy arrived in Atlanta after a delayed flight from London. After surviving the extremely lengthy queue through immigration, then security, Posy discovered that her the onward flight from Atlanta had been canceled. In fact all flights to Florida seemed to have been canceled or were now stuffed full of passengers who had been similarly bumped off their original flights.

Posy and her husband were told to go on standby for the next few flights that evening, but not to hope for a seat. They were told there was "a possibility" of a confirmed seat the next day in the late evening!

Around the airline gates, there was a lot of shouting and protesting. Bodies were slumped disconsolately against pillars. After several more hours of this, passengers were informed that they would have to try again throughout the day tomorrow. A mass exodus occurred, bad tempers and expletives filling the air with negative vibes.

Planning medication doses

Meanwhile, Posy had taken her daily quotient of levodopa and was ready for bed! She had planned her scheduled doses carefully in order to get through the long day ahead. Having got up at 4:30 AM UK time, she had been stretching out the times between pills to cope with a long day. It was now nearly 10:00 PM USA time, so Posy had been up and running for 22 hours already!

She began to feel the need for a wheelchair nap. One day, this will be a necessity. For now, Posy stumbled around like a zombie until the next dose kicked in.

Changing perspective

After more queueing and hassle, the passengers were told to take a shuttle bus to a hotel. This involved rushing yet again through the airport train system, waiting another hour for the shuttle, and ending up at a hotel that did not take the coupons issued to them by the airline!

The story continued in a similar vein, ending with hungry, tired passengers trying to get to the right hotel, and going to bed very late.

However, instead of venting their frustration at the whole turn of events, Posy and her husband realized everyone was inconvenienced and no-one was at fault. They managed to be grateful for every little comfort and every courteous word from staff.

They expressed their sympathy and encouragement to other passengers and airline employees alike for the hassle and stress. They actually enjoyed staying in the nice, clean hotel, and felt refreshed for the onward part of their journey the following day. The trip became "different" rather than "worse."

Discover the benefits of having PD

There is a wonderful concept that I urge you to consider when traveling. The gate agent always starts boarding with "those who need help or a little more time." Take the opportunity to walk sedately down the walkway, and move, unhurried, up the aisle until you identify your seat. You can stow your holdall in the overhead bin, as they are still empty.

No one snatches it away at the entrance to the plane, necessitating an annoying journey to baggage claim when you are rushing. By the way, insist that your meds are in the bag if this is threatened. For goodness’ sake, though, please put your next few days of meds in your purse.

On top of that, Posy would hate to be separated from the 2 extra months' supply she packs in her carry-on bag, just in case. Go to the lavatory before the passengers start blocking the aisles.

Finding the positive

From PWP (Person with Parkinson’s) to PWP (Person with Positivity)! Posy wonders if she can incorporate this new "finding the fun" or at least "preserve the positive" framework into her daily attitude to Parkinson’s.

She is now challenging herself to see every possible "bright side of life." This disease may or may not disable her in the future, so it might prove a tough remit.