One Year Anniversary of My Blog, Move to Live - Beating Parkinson's

The year has gone by quickly since I first started my blog. As a matter of fact, it was one year ago today that I hit the publish post button. I remember before my diagnosis hearing people talk about blogging. I asked my wife exactly what a blog was. Being more web savvy than me, she explained it was a kind of journal that people could read online. I didn't quite understand why people would want to read on the web about someone they didn't know. I also didn't get Facebook, never looked at You Tube, and what is a Twitter? Then the diagnosis came and my fear or flight response kicked in.  I chose fight. Having that glass half full, the sun will come up tomorrow kind of attitude, I might be able to help others while at the same time finding a purpose in my life to see Parkinson's and all neurological diseases wiped from the face of the earth.

I now know how powerful of a tool social media can be. It can bring together people from around the world who suffer from PD, providing a place where our voices can be heard, where we can find support for each other, and where we can spread awareness to our cause. As we form a chain linking our blogs and web sites together, supporting each other, we become stronger as a Parkinson's community as each new link is added. We are all part of the same family now brought together by this disease. Each newly diagnosed person joins our ranks. Our hearts go out to them. We know the challenges they and their families will face and at the same time they know they are not alone in this fight because of the bloggers, tweeters, facebookers, web sites, and all forms of social media to help support them in this battle. I didn't get it a year ago. I do get it now. I would like to say thank you to those wonderful minds who conceived the idea of social media, giving me and others like me a voice.

If you have a blog that pertains to PD or any neurological problem, or you have linked me to your site and I have not reciprocated, please let me know. I would be happy to put your link on my blog, Remember there are a thousand ways to communicate the same thing. We all hear things differently, but just one of those voices resonates with someone and it can give hope and comfort. We can't let that opportunity pass us by.

I am Pat Younts and I Move to Live.