Biography

G’day my name is Andy, I am a 50 year old  Australian male, living in Mexico City prior to that i have lived in Netherlands, Singapore Scotland, Hong Kong over the last 26 years.  I live with my angel of a fiancée, Alejandra, who is also my primary caregiver along with our cat, Boris (10 yo), and more recently arrived Boston terrier Chewbacca (3 mths). Formally diagnosed in March 2019 at mid stage 3 and currently at beginning of stage 4.  Non-Motor symptoms are generally more problematic i.e. insomnia, metabolism, depression, anxiety than motor skills although recently i have noticed I am falling more, suffering rigidity, and tremors etc.   I see a great MDS Neurologist and Orthopedic Surgeon due to my chronic Osteoporosis (both shoulders replaced and lower back reconstructed twice).

Life is still good even though i don’t drive or work.  I occupy myself with hobbies such as balcony and terrarium gardening, wood-carving and whittling and experimenting with all forms of picture art i.e. water-color paints and pencils, oils, acrylic paints, crayons, charcoals, graphite sticks and normal colored pencils.

I walk 2-3 miles minimum everyday walking the dog. and the rest of the exercise i get is doing household cleaning seeping, washing, vacuuming, dusting, polishing, and cooking the evening meal,  both for exercise and to help out given my fiancée  Ale, works 12 hours a day and away from home anywhere between 13 & 14 hours with drive and traffic  So i am still relatively active but slower.

The thing that scares me the most is the risk of pneumonia, last year I was admitted to the ICU on two occasions for bacterial pneumonia that was so severe my organs had started failing and both time were different bacterial causes.  over the years I have had milder bacterial pneumonia or walking pneumonia at least a dozen times so i seem prone to it even though i am the fittest i have been in 30 years having lost over 40 kilos in 2019 alone.

I guess that’s enough rambling for a bio please feel free to ask me any questions i will answer as I have found being straight and honest about this dastardly disease is the best policy.  Cheers and Best Wishes Andy