I am very much into positive self-motivation. It is so easy to become negative when you have this disease––it is easy to be negative anytime––but in living with Parkinson’s you get so frustrated because simple things can be a big challenge. But the way I look at it is, if I can get my shirt buttoned then I have just scored a victory. When I was competitively racing, regardless of what went right or what went wrong throughout the race, as long as I could get across the finish line first and throw my arms up in the air, that was an immediate gratification and a payoff for all the effort. I still focus on victories and the payoff, only now the victories are of a different sort. Each little moment that you can denote as something positive in your day must be acknowledged as a victory. For example, when my daughter runs up and gives me a big hug––that is an absolute victory. Every victory counts!
My advice is to become as knowledgeable as you can about Parkinson’s but not to become obsessed about when a cure or medical wonder is going to happen. The medical wonder that you can affect is in your daily approach to managing your disease and that includes both physical and mental aspects. Focus on the positive, acknowledge your victories and make every day a good day. I think what happens quite frequently when you have a disabling disease is that you stop being able to see the forest because the tree is right in your face all the time. You don’t step back and approach things differently because you are so close to that dumb tree. All you see are the shadows of the disease and its effects on you. That type of tunnel vision ends up bringing you down and that can accelerate your decline––plus you drive away everyone who cares about you.
One of the huge challenges with this disease is getting out into public. It is very enticing to hide in the closet because you don’t want to be with people and you don’t want others to judge you. However, the primary source of energy in life is interacting with people and getting energy from them. I feel that if you can become a positive person despite your own issues or disabilities then you will attract positive energy. If I go out and I’m in a bad mood I will not receive good energy in return. But when I go out and I am smiling and engaged with people, regardless of whether I am shaky or not, then I always come home feeling good and tanked up with energy.
Get the knowledge you need so that you can become as healthy as possible. That will allow you to regain some of your function, which will help you to regain some of your confidence, which in turn will help you get out in public and also enjoy your life. Believe in yourself and don’t give up. Take ownership of your obligations as a person with Parkinson’s disease and do everything you can to improve your life right now. Do not wait and hold out hope that someone else will fix your problem. There is a lot we can do for ourselves.
Source: Davis Phinney BIO: Davis Phinney was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2000. Between the late 1970s and 1993, Davis Phinney won 328 races--more than any other U.S. cyclist. He also won a Bronze Medal in the 1984 Olympics. Davis Phinney, Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond are the only Americans to win multiple stages of the Tour de France, bicycle racing’s premiere event. After retiring, Davis Phinney was a sportscaster for ABC, CBS, NBC and OLN. He now devotes his time to The Davis Phinney Foundation (DPF). The objective of the DPF is “To fund research that validates and develops cure-like treatment options to slow or even halt the progression of Parkinson’s disease and extend a patient’s quality of life. URL: www.survivingadversity.com
