One Small Victory

I’ve been avoiding my bicycle. I haven’t bicycled since Deep Brain Stimulation surgery for Parkinson’s (PD) in May 2005. I always had an excuse – my balance wasn’t good, I was too shaky, I might fall, I was too tired, after all I’ve had PD for 12 years, etc. Today I wanted to get beyond the excuses, and just do it.

I asked my husband, Tom to take a look at my bike and get it ready so that we could take a short ride on this beautiful autumn day in Denver. He pumped up the tires and we dusted off my woman’s hybrid bicycle, a cross between a mountain bike and a touring bike with tires that are not too thick and not too thin. I put on my 33 year old Bell Helmet, Tom hopped on his touring bike, and we were good to go.

I told Tom that the purpose of today’s ride was to get over my fear and to build confidence. Even before PD, I’ve always been a slow rider (unlike my hero, Connie Carpenter-Phinney). Speed and distance were irrelevant today. On today’s ride, memories of previous bike trips with Tom floated by – biking along the northern California coast, the Canadian Rockies, Vermont and Wisconsin.

I’m elated. I did it. It was one small victory for Kate and one large victory for PD survivors.

Comments

[Carolyn zeiger]

Your courage and determination never fail to amaze me--as well as I know you! So, I am thinking today, what am I avoiding out of fear? I don't have PD, but we all have some chicken in us!