Eight Months

This week I got to see my neurologist for the first time in eight months. I remember thinking, “that’s an awfully long time to wait. Anything could happen.” Of course back then I was thinking my tremor could get worse, I could develop a dyskinesia, my sleep disturbance could return, or even worse, there might be a complication with my DBS. Of course, none of this happened, and even if it did, I know she and the clinic staff would’ve been there for me.

What did happen in the eight months is my hair got grayer. I usually joke with the hair stylist to use the scissors that only cut out the gray. This past time she said, “but that will leave you bald!” I would like to blame the gray on my Parkinson’s. Or on the stress in my life. Or due to the chaos in the world around me (I am not making a political statement, here, but just saying…). I know though that it is most likely (…gulp), due to age. Trust me, I read the literature and did my research, and there’s nothing out there that links graying hair to Parkinson’s. Is that not adding insult to injury?l Not only do I have a degenerative brain disease, but I have to deal with normal aging process. Next thing you’ll tell me is when I see my neurologist in another eight months I will be getting up three times a night to pee.