PLM Patient ‘GoodPenny’ Talks About Our Judy

June 19th, 2009 Posted in Inspiration for People with A Chronic Illness

The following story just broke today, via Patients Like Me website. Take a look:

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

At PatientsLikeMe, we believe in getting to know the person, not just the “patient.” That’s why we interview patients each month to find out more about how they approach life. This month we are pleased to feature Goodpenny, a three-star member from La Honda, California.

1) What drives you?

Up until I was diagnosed with PD, I wasn’t very driven. I stayed in the garage a lot. Sometimes my job drove me, sometimes my family, but I didn’t have a whole lot of mileage on me. Now, I’m driven to help find a cure, keep myself healthy and happy, and help others with PD do the same. It’s one of the gifts that PD has given me: a sense of purpose.

2) What’s something you’d like to work on?

I need to work on stepping out of my comfort zone to accomplish what I want to accomplish. I’ve been doing that a lot, more than ever before in my life, in fact, but I still find myself hiding in my little cocoon sometimes. I need to break out of that cocoon and spread my wings. Who knows, maybe I can fly after all.

3) Who always makes you laugh and why?

There are a lot of people who make me laugh, but in particular, Judy4etsu from PatientsLikeMe just cracks me up. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Judy in person, and I laughed almost the whole time we were together. There were four of us “Parkie Princesses” meeting for first time in some cases. Judy, her friend and co-blogger Sherri, myself and Btrflynana (though Btrflynana and I had met several times before).

Judy had us playing with Play-Doh, playing hilarious games of “Cranium” until the wee hours of the morning and laughing so hard that we cried. She had ice cream sundaes for breakfast, walked around in an outrageous coat (known as “Da Coat”), putting Da Coat on everything and everyone that would stand still for a few moments so she could take pictures (including statues, topiaries, and other tourists), and generally just did whatever she felt like at the time.

She is so full of life and joy that laughter just bubbles in you when you’re with her. She has her serious side too, like everyone else, but dealing with Parkinson’s doesn’t seem to have dampened her spirits at all. When I grow up, I want to be just like Judy!

4) What does PatientsLikeMe mean to you?

PatientsLikeMe is the first real “community” I’ve ever belonged to. If it weren’t for the people at PatientsLikeMe, I just don’t know how I would have dealt with this PD thing. Probably not very well. It is absolutely vital for someone with a chronic disease like Parkinson’s to have contact with other people who are going through the same thing. No one else can really understand entirely.

Aside from the very practical information and advice I’ve gotten at PatientsLikeMe, I’ve also gotten something completely unexpected: friends. For the first time in my life, really, I’m making friends and reaching out to others. I am so painfully shy, and I don’t have a very good opinion of myself, but that’s changing. The friends I’ve made on PatientsLikeMe are making a huge difference in my life.