About 18 months ago I put my name down to join an early onset group of 12 PWP (people wih Parkinsons) on 5 day course at the Outward Bound facilities in Anikawa, Malborough Sounds. That time is fast approaching
OB had always kind of been a "peripheral option" (i.e. I was aware of it from a young age but wasn't compelled) and then became something you "do when you're young" and I felt the opportunity it had passed me by.
So when I saw that there was a Parky group going I was immediately intrigued. Given the realignment of my body, (that's a polite word for the multi-system cluster f*#k that is Parkinsons) I figured why not test myself? Why not push my boundaries and see what comes up? I knew it was going to be physically tough and that has been compounded by fact in the interim 16 months I've lost of 10 kilos (mainly muscle mass) and have pretty wicked dyskenesia. But it ain't gonna get any better until after my DBS, so I'm going. Lock, stock and shaking.
The upside is the focus it's given me. I have walked (nordic style) over 100 kms since Xmas and am just about to commence 4 weeks of an intensive physical therapy called LSVT BIG.
I still am trepidous about the physical challenges that OB will present but guess I'm going to find out how resilient my mental state is. So far so good.
