How I spent my summer vacation from this column

If you’ve been a regular reader of my column over the past few years (thank you!), you may have noticed I took some time off this summer. I work full time at another job, in addition to writing this column weekly. And, you know, I live with Parkinson’s disease. As much as I love writing, I took some time off for good reasons. So here’s how I spent my summer vacation.

Saying yes

One of the biggest reasons I took a summer holiday was to make room to say “yes” to more things. I usually write my column on Sunday mornings. During the year, this rhythm works well for me. I put in a load of wash, make a cup of coffee, and sit down to write.

But this summer, in particular, my husband and I had a lot of plans: going to the beach, boating, taking trips in and around where I live in New England, and visiting with family and friends. I didn’t want to sit around with friends on a Saturday evening, looking at the clock and wondering when I could go to bed so I could write my column in the morning.

Being “on vacation” from my column allowed us to be more spontaneous and spend extra time enjoying each other and those around us, without the stress of letting down my team here at Parkinson’s News Today.

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Pushing myself

I must admit I have succumbed to the tyranny of the fitness tracker. But this is a good thing. I’ve been trying to do more physically and have become one of those “step people.” I’ve found myself looking for more opportunities to get moving, whereas in the past I always looked for ways to avoid walking and other activities. Even with simple things like unloading the dishwasher and folding the laundry, I tried to push myself more. My husband and I would laugh as I did “laps” around the house to get my steps in. It takes time to build a habit, but hopefully, I laid the foundation to maintain my activity level.

Adjusting to new things

I finally have another new neurologist. I shared earlier this year that my neurologist of more than 12 years has moved out of state, so I had to find a new one. I visited a new doctor early this summer, but at the end of the appointment, she told me she was leaving as well. So I recently met with my latest new doctor.

It is still an adjustment after having the same physician for so long, who knew my history so well. But I have high hopes for this new relationship. I will keep you all posted along the way.

Being interesting

About five months before the COVID-19 lockdown, I had deep brain stimulation surgery, which was hugely beneficial, but required some significant recuperation. In March 2020, my husband and I were just getting back to normal after spending several months cooped up together. Little did we know that was just the beginning. I joke that we started lockdown early!

As we both worked from home, we fell into a routine that included good-morning hellos over coffee, then we would both work and try to ignore each other until dinner. We found that if we interacted all day long, there was nothing new to share over dinner. We had to spend some time apart mentally, if not physically, in order to be interesting again. My summer adventures have (hopefully) refilled my interesting meter here in the column.

I hope all of you had a glorious summer and got to enjoy some adventures of your own. I’m looking forward to spending time with you all again.

Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.