A lot can happen in the space of a few weeks.
The B2P Parkinson’s Garden Ride came and went. I managed to cycle 120km from London to Oxford assisted by the Balls to Parkinson’s cycling team, friends, and supporters, raising a couple of grand for charity in the process.
I confirmed my status as a “dog-dad” (which is a thing, apparently) having bawled my eyes out at the vet when I had to leave Rocky in hospital overnight. I signed up for brain surgery—it’s DBS BOGOF month, it seems, as I keep meeting people with Parkinson’s who either have had it done or are in the process of being assessed. I somehow lost three stone without trying, and I played in Quarry Movers United’s first fixture against Arsenal at The Emirates (well, sort of).
All this within the space of a month. Not much happening, really.
Next thing you know, it’s time to take the Balls to Parkinson’s show on the road. Well, by “show” I mean me and the “Famalam” (as our family WhatsApp group jauntily refers to the Pritchard unit), and by “road” I mean flying off on our long-awaited summer bucket-list holiday: five weeks traveling to Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong.
If we had a tour t-shirt, it might say “The Doing It While I Can Down Under”, or maybe “The You Can’t Take It With You Tour 2026.”
Actually, as the first of our flights taxied away from Terminal 5 and I sat in my BA Business Class seat—feeling guilty that the rest of the family was crammed back in economy—I started to favor a name more along the lines of “The Spending Money Like It’s Going Out of Fashion Tour.”
Taking the Show on the Road
The family had encouraged me to upgrade my ticket so I could lie flat during the longest legs of our travels. The logic was that it would reduce my stress and anxiety (and theirs), knowing I could rest and keep my symptoms from flaring up. Initially, I pushed back, exclaiming that I couldn’t possibly as it wouldn’t be fair. However, as I teclined further into my seat, any lingering guilt was swiftly wafted away with a wave of the in-flight menu, with its free-flowing drinks, and a là carte offerings.
So there I was: planning my Oceania tour 35,000 feet above a small town in Eastern Europe seldom heard of, quaffing champers, trying not to think about the ticket cost, and trying to convince myself that the lie-flat seat despite all its promise was about as comfortable as the ones you find an old cross-channel ferry.
Comparing Notes Across the Globe
During this trip, I thought I’d take the opportunity to not only connect with the fam and create some lasting memories, but also take a few hours out to chat with some local Parkies along the way. I reached out to the Parkinson’s community via social media and friends of friends, and a few people were kind enough to agree to meet up to chat about all things “Parky.”
Specifically, I’m really interested in understanding what—if anything—they have found that has positively affected their lives since diagnosis.
It might not always seem like it from my blog posts, or to those that mostly see me in top form when I am ‘on’ but I don’t always feel super chipper about having PD. I can definitely see the positive directions my diagnosis has pushed me in, but I don’t wake up every morning shouting, “Thank God I’ve got Parkinson’s!”
However, I am adamant about finding the positives and focusing on them. Dwelling on the downsides is only going to drag me into a pit of despair, and that’s a place I refuse to set up camp. So, the plan is to meet up with fellow Parkies, compare positive notes, and prove that we can live our best lives despite the condition.
The Itinerary
- First up: I hope to meet with Darryl and Lea in Perth, who answered my call for volunteers on Facebook.
- Next stop: Melbourne, where I’m planning to catch up with my friend Jacqui’s father, who has been battling PD for a long time.
- Along the East Coast: Tess and Tony Thompson have kindly offered a catch-up via a quick lunch detour from Byron Bay as we head north on our road trip toward Brisbane.
We’ve actually just wrapped up our stay in Singapore, which is where I met my wife Cathy some 23 years ago next month.
Having spent the last few days strolling down memory lane (and dragging the kids along for the ride), we are now about to board our flight to Perth.
Watch this space to see what happens next.
Balls to Parkinson’s 