Briefly describe your journey since diagnosis
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017, six years ago now. My doctor told me that exercise is the key to staying well. He shared some knowledge and some medication, but he also advised me to perform yoga daily, which I sincerely followed. It helped me a lot to remain almost normal.
I had bad days, too, but I managed to come out with determination. Depression and anxiety are big problems for me too. My anxiety was so bad I was afraid to even walk out of my apartment. I was lucky enough to have great support from my family and doctors to combat this. I also worked on managing my depression symptoms myself. First, I accepted that I had it. I used to recite my favorite poems to entertain myself. I love music, too, and listen to my favorite music tracks. I worked on emotion regulation, and my depression symptoms became manageable.
Two or three years back, I stumbled upon the Davis Phinney Foundation’s YouTube channel and immediately liked the videos. My favorites are “The Parkinson’s You Don’t See: Cognitive and Non-motor Symptoms” with Dr. Joanne Hamilton. I also liked “DopaBeats” with Doug Pickard. I like these videos because they are much informative and share the stories of the same suffering.
How do you live well each day?
Well, I practice yoga. I also like to play table tennis and play whenever I find a chance. I listen to music. All the above things add to my dopamine maybe, and I perform my daily chores easily. I cook food for my family; I stitch my clothes; I go out alone; and I live happily the normal routine life.
What do you wish you would have known when you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s?
I didn’t have the faintest idea that there are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. When I learned about it after watching the video, I felt relief that this is something related to my disease and there is
nothing alien about it.
What do you wish everyone living with Parkinson’s knew about living well?
Exercise and remaining active is my mantra. And I play table tennis!
SHARE YOUR VICTORY
Each month, we spotlight people from our Parkinson’s community who embody living well today – what we call Moments of Victory®. Your story, like Maneesha’s, could be featured on our blog and Facebook page so others can learn from your experiences and victories.