A lot has happened during this past week, but for me, the most notable was the passing of Muhammad Ali, a sufferer of Parkinson’s disease. Mr. Ali was diagnosed in 1984 which means that he lived with his disease for 32-years; yes, he lived with his disease but still remained active. A recent CNN article does the public a service by explaining nature of the disease in a way that is informative and useful. Recently, I have been struggling to make this blog both encouraging and uplifting while still communicating the struggles that many with Parkinson’s encounter regularly. It looks like CNN did some of the heavy lifting for me.
The salient point that I want to get across is that Ali “lived” with his disease, which means he still lived a full life to the extent that his declining health would allow. Given his success in the ring and his notoriety, I presume that he had the financial means to stay out of the public eye until his passing, if he chose. I have to believe that he was a proud man; a fighter in the most literal sense of the word. Boldly proclaiming, “I am the greatest!” I can only imagine how emotionally devastating it must have been for him to have reached the pinnacle of his career, only to face a challenge where the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against him. Yet, he was willing to be a public spokesman for raising awareness for what was incrementally robbing him of his vitality. A New York Daily News article retells the story of Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron in Atlanta in 1996, over a decade after he was diagnosed. It is clear that Parkinson’s didn’t take away his zest for life. His tenacity embodied what it means never to give up and never to be ashamed.
I am a bit too young to remember him as a fighter, particularly at the peak of his career. I remember hearing about his fights, but only vaguely remember watching some of the later ones. Still, he is an inspiration to me. I have been battling my Parkinson’s for a little less than five years, but it seems like an eternity. Unlike, Ali, I still have my mobility and my speech has not been measurably impacted. When I leave my doctor’s office after a routine check-up, I am gleeful about the outstanding reports I receive. Consistently, I hear how well I am doing. Yet, I have become more aware of others that I see in passing whose symptoms are more advanced than mine. I can’t help but consider the prospect that that could be me down the road. I can only hope that it is a very long road.
I do need to be clear about something, nothing in this post is meant to solicit an emotion of pity towards me. Pity is an emotion that keeps people weak and that is not how I choose to face this disease. I intend to get up each day and to live a life that is as full as my physical and cognitive abilities will allow. I am not a victim either. I don’t believe that anyone is guaranteed health and prosperity. There is no clear understanding of how one gets this disease. Some suggest it’s environmental, others are unsure. Until a cure is found, these are the cards I have to play. I don’t like it and using my wife, Lisa’s terminology, Parkinson’s Sucks. But it’s not a death sentence. I get time, time to enjoy family and friends, time to advance my career and time to encourage others. Not everyone is as fortunate.
Thank you Mr. Ali; you raised the bar on what it means to be a fighter, in more ways than one. I only pray that I get 32-years.
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