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What do you think of the term ‘Parkie’?
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I have always found that being rather non PC towards something I have to deal with can help me come to terms with said problem or in this case PD. SO yes I call myself a “Parkie”. I I am also a diabetic; so I can also call myself a “Sweety”.
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Ive lived with Juvenile Onset Parkinson’s for 50 years and i used to dislike the term ‘Parkie’ but as the years have past I have come to realize that not taking myself and the inevitable falls and awkward situations that befall me seriously enables me to cope much better. If I took every situation seriously I would become a very bitter, angry person and think woe is me. I choose not to and feel much better as a result .
Parkie is a term I know embrace as a part of a wonderful community of people
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I thought I coined the term “Parkie”. Damn, guess not! To those that are offended by the term Parkie: “Lighten up Francis,” as SGT Hulka said in the movie “Stripes”. My family has always used humor for recovery from the lows of life. I wrote a short story that talks about the early signs, the diagnosis, and how I shared the PD news with my family. It was published last spring by Chicken Soup for the Soul full of funny stories.
Is it how everyone handles “bad” news? No, of course not. I do feel the passion of the words written in this string by the folks who don’t like the term. I hope you understand that Parkie is an affectionate funny word that my PD Friends and I use as a coping mechanism.
Although we disagree on “Parkie”, I hope you join me as I loudly declare with my last and hardest Rock Steady Boxing punch of the session, “PARKINSON’S WILL NOT BEAT ME TODAY!”
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Don’t like it, not even a little.
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My wife and I find it offensive (and I think being told to “lighten up” is equally offensive: walk a mile in my shoes and maybe…..). All of us living with PD (for any length of time) know that it is a personally unique experience. It has gone way beyond being a joking matter to us, no matter how hard we try.
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I use the term Parky primarily to refer to my symptoms, not to myself (e.g. “I am super Parky today because my meds are off.”)
I do not think that someone in the PD community (patient or caregiver) using the term is offensive because it serves as shorthand, an inside reference, but if a random person on the street referred to me as a “Parky” I would take umbrage.
Eminem has no place using it as a subject in his music. Frankly it pisses me off that he hasn’t been taken to task for so flippantly diminishing the disease as merely shaking; as we all know there is so much more to it. I would like to see him face to face with MJF and see if he had the cajones/audacity to disrespect him in the same room.
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Hi Piet, I had totally forgotten about Eminem’s references to PD in his music and I agree with you. His lyrics are inappropriate at the very least. I wonder if he regrets them?
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If there’s laughter to be laughed then who am I to stop people from giving me funny nicknames
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Dislike, immensely, this term very demeaning.
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I play guitar and would’ve liked to get together with Michael J. Fox and Linda Rondstadt and start a band called “The Parkies”. My MDS says my sense of humor helps me alot.
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I like that idea for a band but not as a term. And I do have a good sense of humor. My kids think I should get a job as a salt shaker at a restaurant. At my recently deceased husbands military reunion three of us all camp Lejueune Parkingsons (I was the only wife) enjoyed meeting each other and said look we can shake hands using no muscles.
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I like your sense of humour, Bob!
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I think it makes fun of everyone with PD. I really dislike it.
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The term “Parkie” is demeaning and abhorrent.
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What AnneKristine Osoffsky said!
It is juvenile and an embarrassment to us with PD>
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I hate it. Like calling a disabled person gimpy. It’s a demeaning term.
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I call my disease, “James,” because that’s Dr. Parkinson’s first name. It helps to be able to “blame” James when my PD asserts itself.
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I’m 10 years into this terrible disease and am totally fine with the term “Parkie” or “Parky”, however you spell it. I always try to deal with adversity with a healthy amount of humor, and I could care less if someone refers to me as a Parkie. I think it is more a term of endearment than a slur. I do not feel it is demeaning in the least. Labels like that do not bother me at all, nor should it bother any of us. Speaking of humor, I’m thinking of becoming a bartender, specializing in martinis, shaken, not stirred. And do you remember the phrase used by the convicts in the chain gang in “Cool Hand Luke”? “Shakin’ it here, boss!” And did you hear about my new pizza chain? I’ll call it “Shakey’s”-darn, someone already has that one. Oh well, time for another dose of carbidopa/levodopa.
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I use it when I accidentally call someone with my cellphone due to lack of good motor control with my fingers. I don’t like the term “butt dial”, so when folks call me back to see why I dialed them I say “oh sorry….that was a “parkie dial”!
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I thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s comments. Shows you how much I get out, this forum is the first I’ve heard the term Parky. As I read all the opinions I kept waffling between hating the term and thinking it’s pretty funny. I couldn’t decide which way to go so I guess I’ll just wait until someone calls me a Parky and see if it bothers me or makes me smile. Take care all. Don
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I love it — from the outset, I’ve wanted my family and friends to be comfortable about talking about my challenge. I think calling myself a Parkie is great. Until we find a cure…
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Hi Ally, and everyone else who reads this:
So, I was diagnosed in 2019 and I was 43 at the time. The condition has progressed rather quickly in my opinion and I had DBS done in February this year because my “on” window was diminishing with respect to my medication. My wife started calling me this, almost as a term of endearment, and I liked it, naturally, because my wife would never dream of being mean, rude or insulting towards me or the condition. I’m always of the mindset that if you have a choice to be offended by something or not, I would choose NOT. And if you can choose laughter or anger, I would choose laughter. Every. Time. I have never even heard the term used negatively. HOWEVER, come on! Of all the things you could be bothered by??!!
Since there was no real opinion either way in my community when diagnosed, then I had the choice to make it a positive or a negative term literally! If you want to take it as an offence I guess that’s your choice and I’ll respect that – I would add a precaution though that if THIS offends you, I wouldn’t recommend going outside, turning on the tv, or interacting with many people in general, because that’s pretty thin-skinned, in my opinion. You might even be, dare I say it, perpetuating the negative stigma that you are thinking of.
Also, I like the humour approach to most things – if you can laugh at what vexes you, you’ve got the world by the tail. Please, to most of the world, this condition is so “new”, I believe we’re at a crossroads here and we could choose a negative image or a positive image with the term “Parky”.
Coming from a genuine, loving, transparent and good-natured environment, I’m going to take the high road on this one. I like the term Parky and will continue to spread a good example and hopefully change some minds, if needed, of the image. So much so, that I have written a bestseller, Chronicles of a Parky, it’s on Amazon right now if you like:). I recently presented the book, without a hint or mention of negativity of the term, at the Parkinson Society of British Columbia conference and it was well received.
Now having said that, there is always context, right? “My parky friend, Jason” vs. “That f***ing parky, Jason”. See the difference? Even still, I wouldn’t be offended, Jason or not. I simply don’t have the energy to waste on it😂
All the best to you and yours,
Parky Out!
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Hey Ryan: found your book on Amazon. Looks like a kewl read.
If your book is anything like your latest post here, then I look forward to reading it. I like you perspective on life and things to do with PD. I find it refreshing and positive. Thanks for joining our rag-tag ensemble. We need more “balanced viewpoints” like yours, I reckon!
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It is demeaning.
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