Walk this way

Labour Day is behind us and Saturday, September 12 brings the Parkinson’s SuperWalk in Belleville. This will be the first time I will participate in the fundraising event, and I’m doing it for a number of reasons. Oh, you want to know why I’d walk for a cause?

My late mother-in-law had Parkinson’s disease. While most sufferers are diagnosed in their late 40s to early 60s, Gwen didn’t start to show symptoms until she was in her mid-70s. Uncharacteristically, her movements began to slow and she had difficulty walking. In previous times, most of her family couldn’t keep up with her on a walk, through one of the fields or on the trails near her home, and it slowly dawned on us that her difficulty was more than just old age. Old age seems to be the catchall for a lot of things. But we knew Gwen, and we knew the difficulty walking, the sleep disturbances, the rigidity, the hand tremors and the encroaching dementia were more than just old age. Born into a family of hale and hearty types, it wasn’t what any of us expected. Mom/Grandma/Gwen was an adventurer. She loved to travel. Once she got to the destination, she’d strap on her walking shoes and set out on a mission of discovery. France, Scotland, England, Saudi Arabia, the Caribbean, the US and just about every inch of Canada meant new people, new foods and long hours of walking. My mother-in-law was not a runner but participated in many five- and ten-kilometre causes. Each September, she was at the start line for the Terry Fox Run, looking fit and sporty. “Grandma would steam through the course and take great delight in the juice and cookies at the finish,” was how our youngest son put it. In 2008, Parkinson’s disease took the adventures from her, and took her from us.

More recently, I met a man, at the County Club, who has Parkinson’s disease. He, too, is an adventurer. I’ve often asked him where his next trip would be taking him. Honestly, I can’t remember all of the places he’s been while biking, hiking and enjoying all the world has to offer. How did we get onto the topic of Parkinson’s? I don’t recall. I do remember thinking I knew nothing of this disease, really. I needed to know more about Parkinson’s, which affects over 100,000 Canadians. I found out there isn’t a simple laboratory test to confirm the disease. Doctors may perform MRIs or CAT scans, but there is no precise method for diagnosis. Parkinson’s disease is, most often, diagnosed through observation. While observation is a good and non-invasive way to get an indication, it isn’t definitive. Having one or two or even several symptoms and coming to a conclusion is a bit like keying your symptoms into a web browser and hoping for an answer. But this is how it goes, non-invasively and observationally. Researchers do know that low levels of dopamine cause the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The low levels of dopamine happen when the brain cells that produce dopamine break down. The cause of the breakdown is unknown.

So researchers are looking for a connection, an answer, an effective treatment and a cure. On Sunday, September 12, LOML and I will be walking for research, education, support services and advocacy. If you’d like to donate to this cause, please visit www.parkinsons.ca and click on the donate button or email me at my Times address. I’ll make sure your support is directed to the good folks who are working hard to make this walk a thing of the past.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca