Parables of a Parkinson's Patient : I Swam on Day Zero

Monday, February 9, 2015

I Swam on Day Zero

Maracas Bay (Panoramio.com)

I don't know when and how Anna learned to swim.

However, I do remember, Anna taking us to the West India Club or Maracas Bay (Port-of-Spain) every weekend to swim. He loved to swim and he wanted us to love it too. Weekends swimming was his dedicated time with his 4 children. We were enrolled into swimming classes. I even got a certificate stating that I was "Proficient in Free Style Swimming; Can Hold Breath Under Water" :-) We were encouraged to paddle into the sea and use the waves to propel us to shore, all the while, thrashing our arms and legs to keep us afloat.

When we asked Anna how he learned to swim, this is the story he told us.

"When I was born, the nurse had to hold me upside-down, as they do for all babies, to ensure that I cried. But this nurse was not as experienced as the nurses you all had when you were born. I was slippery. As she held me by my ankles, head down, I slipped out of her hands. The nurse gasped in fear and looked down, dreading what she had done. Luckily, there was a tub of water where I fell. And, lo and behold, there I was swimming in the tub! I learned to swim on Day Zero."

As children, we believed this story till we were nearly teenagers. And we each kept the truth of this tale from our younger siblings and cousins, so as not to destroy Anna's fun at repeating it to any child who would listen, including his grandchildren.

And now you, dear reader, join the group that know how Anna learnt to swim on Day Zero.

3 comments:

Geetha PennaFebruary 9, 2015 at 9:45 PM
Such a cute story! :)
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Jacob_smithApril 7, 2022 at 5:04 PM
My childhood friend was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease at 68. His symptoms were shuffling of feet, slurred speech, low volume speech, degradation of handwriting, horrible driving skills, and right arm held at a 45-degree angle. Things were tough for me, I too was diagnosed with COPD but now we are both finally free from these diseases with the help of MULTIVITAMIN HERBAL CARE, He now walks properly and all symptoms have reversed. He had trouble with balance especially at night, getting into the shower and exiting it is difficult. Getting into bed is also another thing he finds impossible he said. We had to find a better solution for his condition which has really helped him a lot. The biggest help we had was www multivitamincare . org . They walked us through the proper steps, I'm highly recommending this herbal formula to anyone who needs help.
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About Anna

My father, K V S Murthi, was born in 1928. My grandfather was the village school teacher and my grandmother a housewife. He was called Anna (elder brother) by his siblings and naturally, so did we. His pet name is Cheenu.

My grandparents were conservative Kannadiga Madhavas, yet my grandfather sent Anna to boarding school at the age of 12 to ensure he had a good education. Yes, Anna is a self made man, but what we hold most dear are stories of his life, jokes, his free spirit, his adaptability and openness to new things.

Anna's Parkinson's was diagnosed in 2007. He now also has mild Dementia and Diplopia.

These blog posts are stories of his life. From childhood to now. Tales that have been told to me, and as I remember them. Tales that show how his life and that of his caregivers has changed and continues to do so, as the disease progresses.