Rod and Carol Freeman have learned to make the best of Parkinson’s disease and wants others to know that local support is available.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the nervous system, but one man in Oliver continues to defy its progression.
Rod Freeman is actually slowing the disease down merely by staying active.
The former teacher and principal walks, skates and cycles to keep the disease from catching up to him too quickly. But sometimes he feels like the tortoise racing the hare.
“It takes me longer to get going in the morning, I’m not as agile, and I have to think ahead before I take action.”
He lurches sometimes when he rides his bike, and his wife Carol has to remind him when he starts to walk crooked.
Looking at their Valentine “lovebirds” photo, you would never guess they were living through Parkinson’s disease.
Eight years ago, Rod started noticing that his motions were slowing down.
“My brother noticed that my right arm didn’t swing when I walked, and I had a tremor in my right hand.”
One day a doctor suggested it was Parkinson’s and arranged a meeting with a neurologist. Two years later he was diagnosed.
The 63 year old now takes medication three times a day and works hard to be as independent as possible. Carol is careful not to wait on him hand and foot.
“I support him, but I don’t make things easy for him,” she admitted, noting that Rod does all of the research on the disease.
But one thing Carol will do is push his toes down whenever they start curling upwards. It’s a “bad habit” that she keeps in check so he doesn’t wear out so many slippers and shoes.
Rod reiterated that he stays active to compensate for the symptoms, noting that people with Parkinson’s who don’t exercise suffer more severe symptoms.
Both Rod and Carol take tai chi, which focuses the mind to think and helps Rod keep his typing skills intact.
“One thing I thought I would lose is my keyboarding skills . . . I was quite surprised by that.”
Some people with Parkinson’s would ask, “Why me?” But Rod doesn’t.
“Why not me? I don’t claim to be anyone special. I need to accept it.”
Rod said you can’t win fighting against Parkinson’s. “You have to work with it and win every day with your efforts to make the best of it.”
Rod said it is easy to become depressed when you have Parkinson’s. That’s why he’s a member of a support group in Osoyoos. The group now meets a Sunnybank Centre in Oliver on the first Monday of the month at 1 p.m. A tai chi class for those with Parkinson’s or motor skill disabilities is offered for free at the Oliver Community Centre every Thursday starting May 7 (10:15-11:45 a.m.).
Carol said the message she wants to get out is that people with Parkinson’s disease are not alone. There is support.
She noted that some people are afraid and embarrassed by the disease and close themselves off to the world . . . wilting away.
For more information, call Rod at 250-498-8427.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
