‘Godspeed’ According to Oxford Languages: an expression of good wishes to a person starting a journey.
As we get older, we experience the loss of so many around us… It’s obvious math: as we get older, we die, and we come to accept it. What I find harder is when I lose one of my friends from Rock Steady Boxing!
Maybe it’s because these are newer acquaintances who are in the fight with me as we take steps to extend our lives by slowing down Parkinson’s! We fight together through therapy to prolong a life of normalcy with exercise and movement. We all want to live as long as we can, especially with good health!
Rock Steady Boxing sessions are absolutely vital for us! As a group of individuals with Parkinson’s, we have formed a strong bond that allows us to openly discuss things that we find challenging to talk about with anyone else. We even joke about topics that most people wouldn’t touch, and it’s our way of confronting Parkinson’s diseases head-on! Yes DISEASES, but we’ll save that discussion for another day!
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is part of a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases called Parkinson’s spectrum disorders (PSD).
In the past few months, we have experienced the loss of three Boxers, with another currently in hospice. It is a deeply painful and disheartening experience. As medical professionals often say, individuals do not die from Parkinson’s, but rather with Parkinson’s. With no known cure at this time, we all focus on physical exercise and cognitive drills to diminish or slow the progression of symptoms.
However, each loss of a beloved Boxer forces us to confront difficult questions:
-Do we view it as a reflection of our own future and eventual passing?
-Do we take comfort in knowing that our commitment to exercise may have prolonged their lives, surpassing what they would have been without our extra effort?
Regardless of the perspective, the pain of losing them remains undeniable.
I am lucky to have known and exercised with Rick, Pat, Jill, and now Patti! You were all an inspiration to me! You were fighters! You were Boxers! Thank you… and Godspeed!
My Journey With Parkinson's - David Zanghi 
Leave a comment