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| Shanon Weselake |
In Part One of this series, we pointed out a few of the lesser-known indicators of Parkinson’s Disease. Interestingly, when I asked Shanon Weselake what she misses most from her pre-PD days, her answers tie in with those less familiar symptoms.
“I miss being able to do things quickly. Today I was out walking, thinking I was just motoring along, when this woman passed me on the left and in a few seconds was way ahead of me. I could have sworn I was going that fast too, but apparently not.
“I also miss my handwriting. On the days when it is not too sloppy to read, it is so small you need a magnifying glass to decipher it.
“I sometimes miss my sense of smell and taste, but that loss comes in handy when changing diapers or swallowing bitter pills.”
How’s that for staying positive?
In his book, Perseverance, Tim Hague writes about how reluctant he was to admit his weaknesses—especially when competing with his son, Tim Jr., in The Amazing Race Canada. His 15-year-old twins told him, “Dad, whatever else you do on this trip, please don’t embarrass us!”
Thankfully, Shanon’s offspring are beyond those teen years. “I have fallen with my bike numerous times,” she admits. “Those bike helmets are a good idea. My cell phone is never far away. Small things that I can’t do quickly, like getting my change or credit card back into my wallet, or, under pressure, not remembering my pin number or postal code, can make me feel embarrassed.” She considers these incidents simple annoyances that she must accept.
It would be easy to understand if a soul-crushing diagnosis like Parkinson’s destroyed someone’s faith in a healing God. I asked Shanon about that.
“I believe God is a God of compassion and that is often evidenced by physical healing of people. I believe we ask for healing because that is the best prayer we can imagine. I have and do ask for healing from Parkinson’s. I know others ask for me too. I am grateful for them. I would not be surprised if Jesus heals me, but I will not be the one to make that decision.
“Meanwhile, I feel the measure of health I do enjoy is God’s blessing on my life due to people praying. I am realizing that the faith needed to live and die without being healed is no less miraculous than the faith needed to be healed.”
When I asked Shanon what she would say to someone who has recently received this diagnosis, she offered four points:
· Give yourself as much time as you need to process the news and be selective with whom you share it.
· Get information in bite size pieces to help you understand the disease without it overwhelming you.
· Live as close as you can to the present.
· Talk to God, as He is available anytime.
“Years ago,” Shanon says, “I agreed with God that I should be His follower. We’ve walked together long enough that I know I can trust Him. Sometimes I have disappointed Him, but He forgives me. Sometimes I feel disappointed when things in life don’t go as I would like. Having this illness would be one of those times.”
Shanon says living with PD has affected her faith in two seemingly contradictory ways which could be summed up as, “Don’t think about the future. Think about the future.”
“I am much more conscious of living one day at a time and not letting it slip away without appreciating the life God has given me today. I try to spend minimal time wondering what I might be facing next month or next year.
“When I do think about the future further down the road, I’m trusting that the same One who has walked with me on earth will walk with me in heaven. And He won’t even have to slow down for me.”
(A note from Terrie: If you’re scratching your head over the resemblance, the subject of this series has been my beloved big sister all her life.)
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