Martina Sinnott - Age 46

'Life is short and you only get one chance at it so you have to make the most of it'

Marian Deely, Michael Carruth & Martina Sinnott

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in March 2003 one month before my 38^th birthday.  I had been having symptoms and had been generally unwell for over 3 years at that stage so in a way it was a kind of relief to have a name for what was wrong with me even though at that time I knew absolutely nothing about Parkinson’s or had never known anyone who had it. 

In those early days after diagonoses I remember saying “how am I supposed to react to this?” No disease comes with a manual to tell you what to do next.  It took a while to get my head around it and looking back I spent some time feeling sorry for myself and for all the things I was loosing out on.  I also felt it was very unfair on my husband and our children who were then aged 12, 15, 16 & 17 and were still in school.  It was a very lonely and isolated spot even though I had great support from family and friends.

Over the next couple of years I continued to be a full time mother and housewife as I had been for almost 20 years but all the time I found myself being able to do less of the heavy housework than before.  I don’t know exactly when but one day I looked around me and decided there had to be more to life.  I decided there and then that I was going to get out of the house and do something that I was able to do and enjoy rather than sit at home looking at the things I could no longer do.  So off I went to Fás and signed up to do a computer course with them.  It was a 6 month, full time course after which I got a diploma in computer applications.  I thoroughly enjoyed the course and was determined to get a job out of it as I knew now that I had a lot to offer a potential employer. 

My chance came in October 2007 when I got a job as an office administrator with an internet company where, thankfully, I am still employed today.  It was a real lifeline for me and gave me back my confidence.  I soon realised that my life is not over it has just changed.  I can’t change the fact that I have Parkinson’s so I have learned to live with it.  It has made me more determined to do all the things I wanted to do in life but never made the time.  I have taken dancing lessons and guitar lessons and am still involved in associations within my local community.  I still sing in the parish choir and have found music and song to be a great comfort especially if I am having a bad day.  I try to avoid stressful situations as much as possible and try to remember a saying I picked up along the way, “toxic thoughts are worse than toxic drugs”.

I am not sure when, but at some stage along the way I made peace with having the disease.  For me it is easier to accept it rather than waste valuable energy wishing I didn’t have it.  It has brought out strenghts in me that I never knew I had and  I live for today and rarely allow myself to think about the future.  I enjoy life and have made so many friends from all over Ireland through the Parkinson’s Association who have given me great inspiration. 

I have realised that life is short and you only get one chance at it so you have to make the most of it no matter what obstacles are put in your way.   

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