By Melissa McConaghy
The problem with Parkinson’s is not that it slows you down, that it impairs your thinking and can make you depressed. The problem with Parkinson’s is that it takes away your control – your independence, dignity and ability to do the things you want to do. Sometimes it takes away your hope.
The medical model that manages Parkinson’s makes this even worse – medications, while an important part, take you further into the sick role. Taking medication is a relatively passive activity where you have minimal control over the outcome.
Time and time again I used to meet people like you. I would hear their frustration, their fears of the unknown. What were they going to be like in five years, 10 years? Before, I didn’t really have much to offer. I was only starting to work with people in the moderate stages of their disease when falls and daily life were becoming really bothersome. I was well trained to work on balance, walking and daily skill training – but not much really changed long-term. As a therapist it was not satisfying work and it would have done little to have improved your situation.
Now, with PD Warrior – it is very different. Because I know that I can help, that PD Warrior can help.
PD Warrior was originally designed just as an exercise program. The physical results were amazing, it was a novel treatment, we were working people harder and more specifically for their Parkinson’s and people were loving it – but there was something even more amazing.
People’s levels of confidence and quality of life were improving. Their perspective on how they were going to live with their Parkinson’s was changing. They were making friends with other people who were also working hard to be their best. People were starting to drag their ‘bucket list’ out again. They then started ticking things off. Cycling up the hills of the Tour de France, travelling to Antarctica, returning to playing Tennis, golf, looking after the grandkids. Folding the laundry. Creating their own support network. None of this was insignificant.
PD Warrior was giving people hope that there was life after diagnosis. That they could regain the control they thought had been taken away. They were developing a self-belief they didn’t even know they’d lost. And word was spreading fast.
PD Warrior has now touched the lives of thousands of people around the world and has challenged both medical and health professionals to reflect on the current model of management. It has created a community of people who want to connect, engage and support each other – through the highs and the lows.
PD Warrior remains in direct contrast to traditional management and we now know that taking medication is not enough. We want to see you early, work you hard and help you set up a strategy to keep exercising well, long into the future.
So, if you thought PD Warrior was all about the exercise, you’ve missed the most important part. PD Warrior is about helping you have a better life, in spite of and because of your Parkinson’s.
PD Warrior has changed lives, and we’d like to change yours too. Join the community and do something your future self will thank you for.
About the author
Melissa McConaghy
I am the owner and creator of PD Warrior. As a physiotherapist with a special interest in Parkinson’s and neurological Rehab I am here to help!