Another hill to climb

I used to really be into bushwalking. My wife & I would often do a bushwalk to kick off any holidays that we had. Nowadays we still like to go for our walks; although age has dictated that the hills we climb aren’t anywhere near as steep as the ones we would attempt in our younger more fit years. But still we try.

You soon learn that the peaks are the pathway to the best views, the places that you stop and stock up on inspiration. You also discover that this sort of optic on the world is quite a good metaphor for life itself. If the metaphor is that life is a constant series of mountain peaks and valleys, each with its own unique challenge.

Some 5+ years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease; YAY!! I reflected then, that it was a real virtual road block being told that there is something wrong with your body. I’m painfully aware that in the health stakes, there are plenty of challenging diseases going around. People live and die with all manner of adversity that invades their daily space. I now have one of my own. I found out very quickly that barring divine intervention, there was no cure; full stop.

The ride over the ensuing years since the diagnosis has been a constant learning & readjustment as I had to learn & re-learn what this body can and cannot do. I won’t overdramatise this point; suffice to say that having my wife beside me has been the difference between coping & giving up. Seeing family & close friends deal with with their own adversity becomes something that you can draw great strength from such as; watching my oldest brother deal with his infirmities has given me courage where & when it was most needed; seeing my mate Dave deal with his radically readjusted body has inspired me; watching my friends D & H deal with a cancer diagnosis that jumped on them out of nowhere re-defined humility, trust & faith. The number of people who have genuinely got in my face reminding me that they were there with and for me, brings a tear to my eye as I type this. (thanks for the visit Johnny B)

The reason I am typing this? Next week is a big week for Bernie & I and our beautiful large family. On Wednesday, I am scheduled to have an operation called deep brain stimulation, which in a nutshell, is a pacemaker for the brain. If you want to know more about it look up DBS (rather than put up the gory details here) I will be in hospital for nearly a week and off work for 6 weeks. With a disease that has no known cure, this procedure offers the best possibility for a more stable path up subsequent mountains. If it doesn’t work then we will deal with that too. I am writing partly coz it’s a way of dealing with my own thoughts on the matter; I am also writing, coz so many people have been texting or calling, cheering me on etc; this has been humbling & overwhelming so I just wanted to acknowledge that and cover off a general “this is what’s happening” note.

So there it is. I’m looking forward to starting the walk up the next mountain; apparently the views make it worth the effort.

Love to all
Mick Mc

Oh & PS: I heard someone sarcastically commenting on the response that some people are given to making when confronted with these sorts of challenges i.e. “my thoughts & prayers are with you”. Gotta tell ya; hearing person after person speak such things to me, Bernie & the kids, I would much rather live in that world, than a world that couldn’t give a rats you know what. What is the alternative?? That I’m not thinking of you, and I’m not praying for you? Give me a break!!