re-visiting a freedom, I thought had disappeared with my PD diagnosis…

Shelby Hayter
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

It’s been 9 months since my DBS surgery and this morning I woke early, as my new pattern has dictated….before 6am. I read a book, walked down to my dock to breathe in the calm morning…not a ripple in the lake water…such stillness.

I glanced at my full pots of flowers bursting with bright yellows, fuscia and deep purple and clipped the worn out blooms and tossed them into the woods. I gazed out at the water again in my silky pj’s and hoody , kicked off my crocs and socks and found myself breaking a common rule (and I NEVER break rules or do anything I shouldn’t) I grabbed the handle of our stand up paddle board and gently eased it into the water “Ahhhhhhhhh….”

Life jacket secured to the board , I climbed onboard and dipped the paddle in, reaching for freedom with every stroke. I skimmed along the edge of the water …in the safety of the shoreline… past the cottages which may have had families waking and putting on coffee.

It was YEARS AGO …before Parkinson’s, when my three children probably 1, 3 and 5 years were sound asleep in their snug sleeping bags and husband too…I would kayak early in the morning and soak up the emerging morning and LOVE every minute of it…and here I was, after 12 years of my diagnosis …enjoying the same feeling!!! I was overcome by the feeling of able-body athleticism , similar to what I had remembered from the past.

I teared up as I paddled but when I turned to return, I wiped away the tears and caught a glimpse of the sun rising over the tree line and the water danced and sparkled with twinkling ripples as I guided my way back to my quiet dock….JOY

)

Shelby Hayter

Written by

Mother, teacher, athlete…diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2005. An advocate for the disease since diagnosis.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade