Shakespeare Optimist Club learns firsthand about living with Parkinson’s disease

Ron Harrison and Barb Myers speak to the Shakespeare Optimist Club about living with Parkinson’s disease as Optimist president Jeremy Witzel thanks them for their informative and personal presentation. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Members of the Shakespeare Optimist Club gained a deeper understanding of Parkinson’s disease during their monthly dinner meeting last week thanks to a candid and informative presentation from local resident Ron Harrison and his partner, Barb Myers.

Harrison was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago and, together with Myers, has spent years learning about the disease and how it affects daily life. Harrison told the group he first noticed changes in his motor and cognitive skills, along with sleep issues, tremors in one hand, numbness in his fingers and a loss of strength. Myers admitted it took time to accept the diagnosis, but consultations with neurologists and brain scans confirmed Parkinson’s disease.

Myers explained that Parkinson’s presents in many forms and progresses at different rates. While Harrison spent a lifetime working as an auto mechanic, specialists advised that occupational exposure was unlikely to be the cause. She noted Parkinson’s symptoms commonly include tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement (bradykinesia) and balance or walking issues, but can also involve non-motor symptoms such as loss of smell, constipation, sleep disorders, depression and cognitive changes that may begin years before major movement problems appear.

The couple shared that approximately 38 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s each day, with men accounting for about three out of every five cases. Most diagnoses occur after age 60, and studies suggest cases have increased in recent years. Harrison also spoke about mood changes, anxiety and depression that can accompany the disease, often managed through medication.

Harrison currently takes carbidopa-levodopa four times daily to help boost dopamine levels and stressed the importance of staying active. He continues to golf three times a week, scheduling games in the morning when his strength is best. He also shared personal experiences of movement “freezing,” including becoming stuck on a ladder and hesitating on stairs where visual gaps triggered sudden immobility.

Both Harrison and Myers remain actively involved in the Stratford Parkinson’s Walk. Since his diagnosis, their fundraising team has raised close to $90,000 to support Parkinson’s research. Myers told the Optimist members funds raised locally remain in southwestern Ontario to support research and programs closer to home.