One Tough Parkie

Anne and Kenji gave Pete a couple of early Christmas gifts this week and he broke them in this morning at the gym.

Cool new shirt!

New boxing gloves with the Rock Steady motto:  FIGHT BACK against Parkinson's!

Pete's journey with Parkinson's disease has been such an adventure.  When he was diagnosed almost 6 years ago we thought we were facing a rapid downward progression.  What has actually happened, by God's grace and sovereign guidance, has been nothing short of miraculous.  

The first "coincidence" that started changing our lives was meeting a woman at a party who has PD and who said we should come to this amazing support group that met in a church not far from our house.  That support group opened the door to us in so many ways, especially in informing us about how critical exercise is for PD patients.  Exercise has been shown to be more effective than any of the current drug therapies.  We got on the band wagon and started exercising religiously by doing 4 mile run/walks three or four times a week.  This gave us the mindset that we CAN change the progression of this disease if we are willing to be aggressive in working against it.

Another "coincidence" was a YouTube link someone sent me showing an interview with a PD patient who was doing Rock Steady Boxing therapy.  I sent the link to my daughter and son-in-law.  Kenji was uniquely positioned through decades of boxing and martial arts experience to understand this concept.  He immediately embraced the idea, was able to take the Rock Steady certification training and by the time we moved back to the farm he was ready to take on his first Parkie.  We arrived home on a Sunday afternoon and Monday morning Anne and Kenji had us out in the garage, teaching us the basics of boxing and starting us on circuit training.

A third "coincidence" was a neighbor stopping in to drop something off but who ended up telling us about a gym in Minooka that had closed down and was available.  God opened the door for Anne and Kenji to rent the space and (after much investment of time and effort), K-Fit Minooka was opened for business.  In the almost two years it's been open it has been changing lives through the Rock Steady program but also through boxing classes for men and women who have never boxed or never been to a gym.  The classes have become invaluable support groups for so many people who thought they could never get fit.  

A fourth "coincidence" was a video link someone sent me that eventually started us down the path (well, actually, "catapulted us" would be more accurate) to switching to a totally whole foods plant-based diet.  Anne and Kenji joined us and we've never looked back, feeling better than we've felt in decades.  

These "coincidences" have clearly been the hand of God, graciously moving people like chess pieces into our lives at critical moments to supply our needs and give direction.  If I were making a movie of this PD journey I'd have to have some fancy special effects or music to signal LIFE CHANGING MOMENT AHEAD!!!! at certain of these junctures.  It's really fun to look back, reflect on how seemingly random things happened that caused a significant change in direction.  God is so creative in His ways and means and it's SUCH an adventure to be on the journey with Him.