by Dominique Storm

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I have always been the black sheep in my family. I never conformed to the lifestyle my parents wanted for me. It seemed like everything I ever did in life was the opposite of what they wanted me to do, but this isn't about me is it. It's about my father, the man I loved and respected my whole life. The one person in the world I wanted to be proud of me and love me for me. The one person I failed over and over and over.

I will never forget attending Thanksgiving dinner and watching my mom take the deliciously smelling turkey out of the oven. How I loved that smell, it meant my family was together and at least attempting not to argue. Now don't get me wrong we were not an angry family, just a large family and tended to disagree frequently. My father always carved the turkey, and I lurked around to grab the little pieces that didn't make it to the platter. As my fingers would creep onto the plate to grab the pieces my dad would pretend to slap me with the knife. Over the years it became our private joke. It was a time we could spend together and laugh, and share. All the walls came down around that turkey platter and once again I was 5 years old.

This year was different though. I stood by my dad as usual but he was quiet and appeared a little sad. I was watching him carve the turkey waiting for the right moment to ask him what was going on. Then I noticed it, the movement that would change my family forever.

As my dad moved the turkey to the platter his hand was shaking uncontrollably and he called my brother in to finish carving the turkey. Of course typical of my dad he tried to make light of it, and said he was just tired. I felt this ominous feeling deep inside and I knew something more was going on.

Later that day I talked to my mom about it, and she finally told me what was going on. "Your father has Parkinson's Disease" she said. It felt like a sledge hammer hit me in the stomach. This was a man who had never taken a sick day in his life. He was the rock for my family and this was going to be a big change for all of us.

I went home that night and researched everything I could on Parkinson's Disease. I was horrified yet at the same time a little bit relieved. Many people with this disease live for a long time and the symptoms can be quite mild for many years. This was not to be the case for him. He went down hill very quickly within 5 years he was not able to work because his tremors, and pain were so severe. He always wanted to retire on a lake somewhere, so

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