A funny thing happened on the way to an interview...
It doesn’t take much to have a misunderstanding in communication - especially in our increasingly fast-moving world. Language is, to begin with, a highly imperfect tool of communication. I say one thing, you hear something completely different - or vice versa. Sound familiar?
I recently shared my work on the positive effect of improvisation of Parkinson’s (PD) with a friend and Kids in the Hall Alum, Kevin McDonald. I asked if I could interview him about it for my latest documentary. In a rush, he read what I wrote, then shot back, “That's scary about improv. Of course I would do an interview with you.” I asked him what he meant and he replied, “Oh a positive co-relation. I missed the word, "positive" and thought you meant that people who did improv got Parkinsons...improv helps people with Parkinson's. That's great.”
Communication is a matter of health. If we can’t clearly communicate what we’re feeling to our doctors, they can’t clearly diagnose or give us the help we need. This is why advocacy is so important - the things we feel may not give the whole picture a friend or loved one with an outside view may be able to provide.
I had this happen recently with my dad, who’s been diagnosed with PD for 18 years. He’d been having freeze ups more regularly - to the point where he had one at Costco while shopping. With the added social pressure and embarrassment, he was unable to move for what felt, to him, like an eternity.
When he told me about this, on top of what I had observed - including a separate incident where I saw him frozen for close to a minute while trying to enter a restaurant - I told him we needed to get a hold of his doctors as soon as possible. When he did call, I sat by him to hear what the response was. Of note: My sister once described my dad as a guy who “won’t say shit even if he’s got a mouth full of it”. Enjoy that image and. hopefully, the laugh that goes with it.
Based on what my dad described (Which wasn’t…much) the nurse told him they couldn’t see him for six weeks! I jumped in and explained the fall risk and the quality of life issues. The nurse changed her tune immediately and began to do over the phone diagnosis, leading to a shift in his medication that day.
The change in medication has helped. But each day, as we all know with PD, is a new challenge - hence the reason communicating the latest information - with the help of advocacy - is so important. And a little laughter along the way never hurt either.
written by Robert Cochrane