Today is April 11 – World Parkinson’s Day!
From the website Unite for Parkinson’s:
WHAT IS WORLD PARKINSON’S DAY? World Parkinson’s Day is held on 11 April every year. It marks the birthday of Dr James Parkinson, who is most famous for publishing ‘An Essay on the Shaking Palsy’ in 1817 and establishing Parkinson’s as an internationally recognised medical condition. 2017 marks 200 years since the essay was published. This provides the perfect opportunity for the international Parkinson’s community – including people affected, healthcare professionals and Parkinson’s organisations around the world – to join together to raise awareness about the condition and that 200 years is too long without a cure. On 11 April 2017 we are asking everyone, no matter where they are around the world, to unite and raise awareness about Parkinson’s on a bigger scale than ever before.
What am I doing today? The following:
- Working on my short story about a man living with Parkinson’s in the year 2030.
- Going to the gym.
- Doing at least 22 push-ups for the 22 push-ups x 22 days campaign to raise awareness that every day in America, some 22 military veterans commit suicide.
- Writing this blog.
- Reading and commenting on other Parkie blogs and Facebook posts. I must say, ever since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s I’ve met absolutely thrilling, incredible, awe-inspiring people.
- Reviewing the history of my own blog, Parking Suns. For example, I just checked my Google Analytics page, which tracks every visitor to my site – including the ever-persistent Russian spammers (under the direct supervision of Vladimir Putin, I’m sure). In the two years since I started this blog site, I’ve had almost 30,000 visitors to Parking Suns (29,587 to be exact), from 146 countries. Thank you to everyone who’s dropped by (except maybe the Russian spammers, who are probably only doing their job).
It’s a lovely spring day outside, and this entire week I have off for the NY City public schools’ Spring Break. If Spring Break extended to four weeks a month, 12 months of the year, I could really be on top of my mental health, my physical health, my blog, my political activism, and all my hobbies.
I wish everyone the best, Parkie and non-Parkie alike!
Below: opening page of Dr. James Parkinson’s Essay on the Shaking Palsy, which was the first official recognition of Parkinson’s as a health condition, 200 years ago today.
