2021

Year Three with PD (spoiler alert: it sucks!)

Usually in April, during Parkinson’s Awareness Month, I post a link to my fundraising page on social media and cross my fingers that all of you fine people will make a donation to help fund a cure for this disease that I, unfortunately, have. I didn’t do that this year. Coming out of a pandemic just as life is starting to go back to normal I figured not many of you wanted to constantly get hit up for money - I certainly wouldn’t. Second, I really don’t like fundraising! Not one bit! I really wish I didn’t have to ask all of you every year to spare a couple of bucks. It always feels weird even though it’s for a good cause. But in all honesty, I’ve put off fundraising because I don’t want to be reminded that I have it.

Ever since I made the choice to be very open about my diagnosis, I’ve struggled with the identity that goes hand in hand with that openness - I don’t want to be known around town as “that young guy with Parkinson’s” or, worse, have anyone think that I’m repeatedly playing a pity card out of the hand I was dealt. But here we are again. The only way we get rid of this disease is to raise the money needed for research. So I figure if I’m going to ask you to donate money, the least I can do is to give you an update on how I’m doing.

The TLDR is a solid “meh.” For those of you that see me from time to time, maybe you’re thinking, “he seems fine” and if that’s the case, great! I guess I’m hiding my symptoms well and the meds are doing their job! But here’s the real real that you don’t see: how rigid I am when the meds are wearing off, how shaky I get when my excitement is high and the neurons are firing, the general weakness I feel and loss of dexterity on what used to be the dominant side of my body... “I’m sorry it’s taking so long for me to tie your shoes, Natalie.” “Unfortunately I can’t show you how to play that bassline, Avery. My fingers can’t do that anymore.” “Jocelyn, I can’t open this, can you help?” The constant psychological wear these inabilities take combined with the looming unknown of how quickly things will inevitably get worse takes its mental toll daily. Furthermore, the side effects of the medication create their own set of issues to navigate.

Anyone that’s paid attention to any of the lyrics on the four albums I’ve released as One-Trick Phony in the past 9 months (yes, four - I’ve had a lot on my mind) can tell I’ve struggled with a lot of depression and existential despair lately, further exacerbated by the pandemic, no doubt. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and I pride myself on being very transparent and genuine so I guess all of this (including this message) is all pretty on-brand for me. But while making music again has been mentally rewarding and cathartic, it comes at a cost.

Physically, I’ve fallen off the horse. For whatever reason, working from home during the pandemic really squashed all the healthy exercise routines I had formed in 2019. When I was diagnosed my doctor told me to do three things - things that all human beings should do, regardless, but even more critical for me: Exercise regularly (we covered that already... not going great!), get quality sleep (lol, see the aforementioned four albums I recorded this year) and minimize stress (which is just cute, isn’t it?). I’ve got a lot of work to do to get back in shape. Honestly, exercise seems to be the most effective answer to this disease anyway.

This is a very long-winded way of saying I’ll once again be riding in the New England Parkinson’s Ride up in Old Orchard Beach, Maine on September 11th. It’s the largest Team Fox single-day fundraising event in the world. The Ride has raised over $7 million since its inception and has a goal to raise an additional $1.5 million in 2021. Time to get my ass in gear. Fifty miles await. (Don’t forget we’ll also be doing our own fundraising ride here in Longmeadow on August 29th if you want to join us for that.) When you give through my fundraising page, 100 percent of your donation will go straight to The Michael J. Fox Foundation's research efforts to speed a cure for Parkinson's disease and improve the lives of those living with PD.

Are there more devastating diseases out there? Of course. My ailments are nothing compared to anyone fighting terminal cancer or a deadly virus. Nonetheless, it sucks and I’d really like to not have it anymore, okay? So let’s do this. The sooner there’s a cure, the sooner I will stop asking you for money. I think that would make everyone happy for a number of reasons :) Thanks for reading this. And thanks for your continued support - it truly means the world to me and my family. 

Love, David