NO MATTER WHAT! The Adventure of a Lifetime

By Louis McCann

All my life I have been in positions of leadership. Throughout those years I often struggled with what that meant. Was I destined to be a leader? Did I possess the necessary skills to fulfill that role?

I enjoyed a wonderful career in a job that nourished my passion for animals. I was one of those people who enjoyed his work and loved his life. People around me praised my accomplishments. I brought respect and credibility to their industry. But was I really the leader they recognized? I was not convinced.

Leader and adventurer

Over my 40-year career, I initiated and delivered projects that brought notoriety to the industry. The association I represented was the first to be contacted by the federal and provincial governments on all issues concerning companion animals. To the different governments, I provided a professional, no-nonsense science-based approach that resulted in joint projects delivered on time and on budget. The relationship we shared with our federal and provincial government agencies was the envy of similar industry associations around the world.

I led the group and established my employer as the voice of our industry in Canada. But as I approached the end of my very satisfying career, there was nothing that prepared me for what came next. I call it The Adventure of a Lifetime…

The diagnosis…

In July of 2017 my life, as I knew it, ended. “You have Parkinson’s disease,” my family doctor said. I felt like I’d been handed a death sentence. I’d been experiencing well-known symptoms — tremors in my right hand, rigidity in my lower extremities, irregular sleeping patterns. But then this really brought it home.

I remember a particular situation where I gave a presentation at a national Summit on Invasive Alien Species. While I was in front of a large audience, I had to transfer all my weight onto my right leg to prevent it from shaking violently, and then had to grip the podium with both hands to stop the frenzied shaking of my arms. I still kept saying to myself this must be a mistake. But it wasn’t. I haven’t spoken in public since.

I decided to take an approach. First things first, I thought. Get a second opinion. After all, doctors make mistakes and this could just be a wrong diagnosis.

They could be wrong, they had to be… But the second opinion brought the same verdict. I still couldn’t accept it. These doctors were not neurologists, or Parkinson's disease specialists, after all! But the opinion was always the same.

For the six months after my diagnosis, I was angry, confused and in denial. The appointment with the neurologist was set for May 2018. Until then, there was hope that it was wrong and I would get out of this nightmare.

Time to get away…

It was customary for my wife and I to go south for our annual vacation. For the last seven years, we had made Mexico our destination. We chose this country for two reasons — my wife’s sister had been living there for years and would welcome us in her home for the duration of our stay. And the second reason was the climate, offering warm weather and blue skies as an alternative to our brutal Canadian winters.

My sister-in-law, Carol-Lee, has her finger on the pulse of her community. If you want to find out something, anything, just ask her! Most important, she was a strong proponent of holistic approaches over traditional medicine, and she would connect me with one of her local resources, David Burnett, who practices and teaches Bowen Therapy. Finding David was instrumental in developing my strategy to take on this wretched disease.

The encounter of a lifetime…

In February of 2018, I had my first session with David. I was quite the sight! The right side of my body was drooping, I had little facial expression and my voice was down to a whisper. My right arm was not swinging anymore when I walked, and I had to look at it and tell it to move if I wanted it to move.

I remember sitting for the first time in his treatment room, not knowing what to expect. Right away he confirmed the diagnosis — “You have Parkinson’s.” But the next words shook me. “It’s no skin off my nose what you do but it looks like you have two choices. You let it kill you, or you stand up to this disease and fight.” I remember thinking — is he for real? It was an easy choice.

David Burnett is a New Zealander. After a career in the navy, he focused his attention on Bowen therapy which he both practices and teaches.

But he is much more than just a Bowen therapist. He uses his acquired insights in other areas of studies like nutrition, physical fitness, and holistic medicine. He offers his patients innovative solutions to what ails them, all in conjunction with Bowen therapy. Fortunately for me, he happens to have a strong interest in Parkinson’s disease and I just happened to cross paths with him at a crucial time in my life.

Let me try to give you an understanding of what Bowen therapy is. It stems from a principle that within your own body you possess the resources to help your body heal itself. One of the ways this natural healing ability manifests itself is ensuring your body is in proper alignment.

Oh… and another thing — results are immediate. In my case, I remember coming out of his treatment room where my wife Lynn was waiting. I walked to her, right arm swinging, drooping on the right side diminished, and my voice was back. Not bad for a first session!

The Playbook

David introduced me to The Parkinson’s Playbook written by Robert Smith. Smith tells his own story; he’s a person with advanced Parkinson’s, and he writes about how he worked towards stabilizing and improving his life with the Parkinson Protocol. The Protocol was formulated by David and Gayla Burnett. This book, and Smith’s story, are the foundations on which I developed my own strategy to stand up and fight.

I remember coming home with David’s copy of The Parkinson’s Playbook. The book uses the format of an American football team playbook where you develop different offensive and defensive strategies to win the game. In this case, winning means standing up to Parkinson’s.

The first chapters were very emotional. I was reading about Parkinson’s and part of the information given was a list of symptoms. Of all those listed, I had over 75 percent. It was like a punch in the gut. Finally I unconditionally believed I was a person with Parkinson’s. It was now I instantly and intentionally made the decision to fight back. I wasn’t retiring, just changing jobs. My new job was standing up to Parkinson’s. I was in for the fight of my life and there was no looking back.

Here we go

In the spring of 2018 I put together my very own playbook. One of my nieces mentioned that Parkinson's Canada had resources to help me in my battle.

Living in Perth, Ontario at the time, I enrolled in two exercise/physiotherapy sessions subsidized by Parkinson's Canada. The classes offered exercises tailored for people with Parkinson’s. I got to meet fellow Parkinson patients, some in more advanced stages, others, like me, in the early stage. This glance into my future, fueled my motivation to develop and start using my own playbook.

The following are the mainstays of my playbook:

1. Exercise

Physical exercise is crucial to people with Parkinson’s. It helps keep the body fit and strong. It helps deal with issues of balance, posture, and gait. There are several types of exercises tailored to various stages of the disease. As David often said to me: “When you think you’ve exercised enough, you’ve barely scratched the surface.”

I remember coming back to David, showing him what I’d added to my daily routine, and him saying to me “it’s not enough.” What I needed, he added, was variety, not quantity. From that day, I always looked for different exercises to add to my routine. The idea behind this was that by doing different things I would stimulate different areas of my brain, leading to the release of dopamine.

Mental exercise and stimulation are also important. I started doing crossword puzzles, brain teasers and anything else I could get. People with Parkinson’s are subject to bouts of anxiety and depression. Meditation and mindfulness and the presence of a support group are all essential to their mental well-being.

Maintaining mental and physical health are my primary objectives now. Without these, I would not be able to train and stay mobile. Over the last couple of years, I’ve added wall climbing, cycling, boxing, and pickleball to my exercise repertoire. I’m continually looking for new challenges.

2. Nutrition

I’m a big guy and I love to eat. At the time of my diagnosis, I weighed 227 pounds. Five years later I weigh 195 pounds. I adjusted my diet by quantity and type of food. Where I live, I have access to fresh fruits and vegetables all year long. I eat mostly fish and chicken, with the occasional piece of red meat.

My new mantra is eat better, eat less, stay focused…

I started taking supplements to support both my brain health and dopamine levels. Finding the appropriate supplement and getting a quality product was a challenge. I was looking for the purest product, combining the finest ingredients for maximum results…very hard to find in Canada.

David Burnett recommended a natural supplement that delivered the much-needed dopamine, without the nasty side effects that come with more traditional drugs. It’s called Mucuna pruriens.

3. Alternative treatments

My first appointment with a neurologist/movement disorder specialist was disappointing. I waited 45 minutes before eventually being called into his office, then endured a 30-minute interview process with one of his students, and finally, after an hour-and-a-quarter wait, spent 10 minutes with the doctor.

He confirmed I had Parkinson’s, updated my medication, and told me to come back and see him when the pills stopped working…then he’d prescribe more.

At that time, the ratio of traditional to alternative remedies was 80 percent traditional to 20 percent alternative. Four years later, I’ve not only changed neurologists, but my ratio now stands at 30 percent traditional to 70 percent alternative. I’m working hard to lower the use of traditional (big Pharma) medicines even more.

4. Building a support system

One can’t overemphasize the importance of a dedicated support system. It starts with my wife and kids. They, along with my brothers and sister, have been in my corner since day one and their encouragement has carried me through difficult parts of my journey.

I found an excellent neurologist, eager to listen, answer any questions I might have, and who was open to my ideas involving alternative treatments.

My Bowen therapist is my rock, always willing to listen, explore alternative treatments and keep me in check if I go too far. Other vital elements of my support system are my friends and members of my boxing/training groups. They are part of my extended family and provide me with guidance and motivation. Pat Evans, Gayle Truman, and Kim Ducharme are three ladies who have undoubtedly saved my life.

And the journey continues…

July 2022 will mark the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis. Every day is a challenge, and I’m out there meeting it! When I think about it, I really don’t have a choice. One thing I’ve realized is that this battle requires continuous effort and lots of head space.

Every day I receive emails and telephone calls, wanting to speak to me about my approach to addressing this disease. They tell me what I’ve accomplished is phenomenal and want to know how I do it. This is what I tell them.

It’s all about you: Put together and implement your own playbook, and work hard at developing the proper mindset to achieve your goal of standing up to Parkinson’s.

As for me, I facilitate a Parkinson Support Group and provide them with information, encouragement and hands-on support, so that they can live well with Parkinson’s.

People find inspiration in my accomplishments. They look forward to my help in addressing their own issues and struggles. I guess, after all this, I am a leader…