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Re: Day After Day - Living With Parkinson's
Phil, that's an excellent point about including other people or groups. I think I want this project to be mainly about me, for two reasons. Firstly, I don't know exactly how this project will go, there's a bit more to it than just going out snapping pretty landscapes like I've done in the past and if I fail to complete it to a high enough standard it will only be me that is disappointed. If I succeed, then I can consider a "Part Two," where I do involve other sufferers. It will be easier to explain what I hope to achieve with the evidence of an already completed project and will give those prepared to collaborate with me an idea of my style and capabilities as a photographer, to help them make their own suggestions and imput.
Secondly, it's about what I want to portray for this particular project. Most people know very little about Parkinson's, unless they are sufferers themselves or know someone who is. I certainly didn't, until I met someone through my outdoor pursuits club who was a long time sufferer, but even then my appreciation of the condition and the difficulties he faced only scratched the surface, as I now know. It's hard even for my own family to understand sometimes, so what chance do I have with officials and bureaucrats?
Perhaps what people are more aware of, and associate with the disease, are the later stages where victims become very seriously physically impaired and heavily reliant upon a carer. In fact it is a slow progressing disease in which symptoms worsen incrementally, often over a long period of time. There are many people like me who have quite mild symptoms, often to the extent that casual aquaintenences would not even notice any problems. Indeed, the symptoms are variable and often very much "on/off." A particularly difficult day may well be followed by one with hardly any problems, in fact the effects of the illness can fluctuate significantly within the course of a day.
The real problem for me is the cumulative and attritional effects of many, many small issues, which combined can become a powerful obstacle to leading a normal life. It is a complex, fluctuating disease with a wide range of possible symptoms. Serious and unpredicatable side effects of the medication also play a huge part, as do mental problems including depression, capacity to concentrate, mood swings, increased emotions, obsessive behaviour and altered personality. It's really at least some of these less obvious issues against a background of quite mild but nethertheless very debilitating symptoms for people like myself in the relatively early stages of the illness that I wish to communicate.
I think that's why, at least to start with, it needs to be my story and I'm sure you can appreciate my concern over my ability to deliver. Time will tell!
Originally posted by Phill D
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Secondly, it's about what I want to portray for this particular project. Most people know very little about Parkinson's, unless they are sufferers themselves or know someone who is. I certainly didn't, until I met someone through my outdoor pursuits club who was a long time sufferer, but even then my appreciation of the condition and the difficulties he faced only scratched the surface, as I now know. It's hard even for my own family to understand sometimes, so what chance do I have with officials and bureaucrats?
Perhaps what people are more aware of, and associate with the disease, are the later stages where victims become very seriously physically impaired and heavily reliant upon a carer. In fact it is a slow progressing disease in which symptoms worsen incrementally, often over a long period of time. There are many people like me who have quite mild symptoms, often to the extent that casual aquaintenences would not even notice any problems. Indeed, the symptoms are variable and often very much "on/off." A particularly difficult day may well be followed by one with hardly any problems, in fact the effects of the illness can fluctuate significantly within the course of a day.
The real problem for me is the cumulative and attritional effects of many, many small issues, which combined can become a powerful obstacle to leading a normal life. It is a complex, fluctuating disease with a wide range of possible symptoms. Serious and unpredicatable side effects of the medication also play a huge part, as do mental problems including depression, capacity to concentrate, mood swings, increased emotions, obsessive behaviour and altered personality. It's really at least some of these less obvious issues against a background of quite mild but nethertheless very debilitating symptoms for people like myself in the relatively early stages of the illness that I wish to communicate.
I think that's why, at least to start with, it needs to be my story and I'm sure you can appreciate my concern over my ability to deliver. Time will tell!
I know so many people whose illness is worsened because of this and low self esteem - its criminal mental bullying and wears people down, from the inside out. Because its family - one puts up and shuts up - but their voice should be heard 
I visit a Parkinson's forum occasionally but I do find it rather sobering, whereas photography forums like this provide a degree of escapism....so what do I do? I bring my problems on here with me! However, this project might hopefully be a more positive reaction to my situation and provide an added impetus to my photography. 
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