John Crossley-Stanbury - diagnosed with Parkinson's at 22
John (pictured right) is 27 and has Parkinson's. He explains the impact it has on
his life and what keeps him going.
Parkinson's diagnosis
"I was 22 when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's. It took a year
for it to fully sink in.
"I thought, 'I'm this age, what’s going to happen to me when I’m
older?'
"Being so young made me feel really isolated.
Change of lifestyle
"Parkinson's has changed my lifestyle dramatically.
You can't stop doing what you want to because you're slower. It just takes longer.
"I need assistance from a wheelchair for long distances and my
partner and I have to constantly invent new or better ways to do
things. As my Parkinson's evolves, so do we!
"Still, you can't stop doing what you want to because you're
slower. It just takes longer to do things.
"I do get down - but if I wake up in a poor mood I go and put
some upbeat music on and that cheers me up.
"It's also really important to keep a sense of humour.
"I look at Parkinson's extremely seriously, but at the same time
I have to laugh about it. If I don't laugh I would cry.
Discovering a positive role
I realised I was in a position to help others and raise awareness about Parkinson's.
"Parkinson's UK helped me understand the condition, giving me
and my family the information we needed to make sense of it
all.
"It sounds weird, but being diagnosed with Parkinson's made me
feel like I'd found my calling in life.
"I realised I was in a position to help others and raise
awareness about Parkinson's.
"This made something positive come from having Parkinson's and
in turn helped me to cope."
Share your experiences of living with Parkinson's
Our online
discussion forum is for people with Parkinson's, their carers,
family and friends to chat and share experiences.
Everyone affected by Parkinson's is welcome to join.
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