Margaret

“In 2010 I began to be aware that when my Yoga teacher said to the class “jiggle your hands and feet” my hands and feet weren’t always very responsive to the command, so I made an appointment with my doctor. He didn’t think much of my suggestion that I thought it was Parkinson’s, and gave me a prescription for beta blockers which had no effect whatsoever (unsurprisingly).

We move on to 2012, and the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, and Rowan Atkinson playing the music to ‘Chariots of Fire’, which opens with the same note being played over and over again. Now, I play the piano, so I automatically joined in with the tapping - and found that I could not do it. Once again in the doctor’s surgery my suspicions were tossed aside and it was only in 2014 that I was officially diagnosed.

As I had by now missed out on four years’ worth of therapy I wasted no more time and set about finding what was available to Parkie’s people. Almost the first option I came across was the West Berkshire Therapy Centre, so with some trepidation - and wondering what on earth a rather daunting-looking set of machines could possibly do to help me, I made an appointment with the Physiotherapist.

The four words ‘You have got Parkinson’s’ had thrown our plans, vision and expectation of the future into thousands of pieces; my first venture across the threshold of the WBTC started the process of reforming and redesigning that future, albeit with a different picture on the front of the box. I have been attending the centre twice a week now for 10 years and hate to think what my life could have been like without these regular sessions. Parkinson’s is a progressive condition and there is no cure. I will not get better, and so I am not able to tell you that I will be returning to work, going on a six-mile walk, moving a cupboard or doing heavy gardening. However, exercise is vitally important in keeping Parkinson’s at bay, and 12 years down the line (and that’s a good number of years for Parkinson’s) I am able to cook a meal, help around the house, bake, manage my own personal living - and keep up with my activities such as yoga, dance and singing. There is no doubt in my mind that the exercise made available by the Centre has made all of these possible.

And I have to add to this that the staff at the Centre play an enormous part in inspiring their clients to achieve more than they believe is possible with their encouragement, knowledge and care. They always want us to do just that little bit more - if we are able. They are welcoming, friendly, supportive and always interested in their clients - and play an enormous part in our progress.”