In 2019, Jude Lawlor received the news she never expected to hear. After a long wait to see a neurologist after experiencing a fall, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“The world opened up and swallowed me,” she said. “I thought I had been given a death sentence.”
Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that progresses over time that can affect a patient’s ability to control their movement. Symptoms vary from person-to-person, and may include trouble walking, shaking and stiff muscles.
While referring to her neurologist at the time, Lawlor said, “I was stunned…I said, ‘What does that mean?’ She says, ‘It means you won’t be able to drive and eventually you’ll die. I’ll give you a prescription and in six months I’ll see how you’re doing.’”
She then had to wait another year-and-a-half to see a new neurologist after her previous physician retired.
A former banker now in her 70s, Lawlor had planned on spending her retirement traveling with her husband.
“When you have Parkinson’s they say we don’t know how you get it, we can’t stop it, we can’t slow it — so they don’t give you any hope. So the only hope that I’ve gotten is through my own faith and through people I’ve met at the Parkinson’s society,” she said.
Through group meetings at the Parkinson’s society, she finds comfort in being able to connect with others who are going through a similar situation.
“In our meeting, you can say anything and no one judges you. These are people with Parkinson’s at all different stages and symptoms,” she said.
“A lot of people with Parkinson’s lose their voice,” Lawlor added. “I hope I never lose my voice because I am a very outspoken and honest person.”
Lawlor said she used to enjoy cooking and gardening. Now as her disease has progressed, she enjoys reading and makes it a habit to take walks every day with her dog and friend which she said should benefit her mobility long-term.
Lawlor wanted to share her story, hoping to raise awareness and dismiss any assumptions surrounding it.
“For a long time, people put it down like an old people’s disease. It’s not. There’s a lot of young people that this disease is hitting,” she said.
With support from her husband, children and friends, she now holds a positive mindset on the subject.
“When people remember me, I’d like to think they remember someone who fought till the end because that’s what I’m going to do,” she said.
Lawlor also noted that she no longer sweats the small stuff.
“Things that used to bother me…I always used to think what will people think? I don’t care anymore because it doesn’t matter,” Lawlor said.