In the first in our series profiling the bloggers supporting the World Parkinson Congress 2019, we talk to Natasha McCarthy, who writes A Broken Body’s Journey, about navigating life with young-onset Parkinson’s disease, while raising a young family on a small island in Canada
Do you have a particular audience in mind when you’re writing?
When I started writing, it was just for myself – I couldn’t hold a pen to write any more so it was like a journal to get things off my chest. Soon it dawned on me that I couldn’t be alone and that there must be other people like myself who are young and have Parkinson’s, who are parents of young children trying to manage life this way. So, I decided to share it with that group in mind.
Is there an aspect of Parkinson’s that you’re most passionate about?
Exercise for sure. I work out between four and six times a week and I’m always reminding others with Parkinson’s that exercise is the only proven way to slow the progression of the condition; that we have two choices to sit back and feel sorry for ourselves and get worse fast, or get up and fight. To me that’s not a choice. Move it or lose it. Plus, my children need to see that their mum is not giving up.
How widely read is your blog and in which countries?
My blog averages 8,000 to 10,000 readers per month from all over the world, which is still surreal and mind-blowing to me. My primary audience tends to be in the US, Canada, Russia, France and the UK.
Have you been surprised by the global audience you’ve attracted/the level of interest you’ve attracted?
Shocked to say the least. I was featured on the Michael J Fox Foundation’s social media soon after being diagnosed and that seemed to have send my audience into a frenzy. I’m now reaching 155,000 views and it still surprises me that all this is from a blog originating from tiny little Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Which of your posts has attracted the most interest from your readers?
My posts about parenting with Parkinson’s are always extremely popular. Next are the posts that talk about the emotions that come with living with this condition.
Talk us through your routine: when do you find time to blog?
My life is very busy, not to mention I don’t sleep much – just three to four hours a night average, thanks to Parkinson’s-related insomnia. I have two young children – Samantha, nine, and Izabella, six – and my husband works on the opposite side of Canada in British Columbia. So, life can be challenging being home alone sometimes which is another reason it’s important I exercise to stay well. I don’t tend to blog for the sake of it. I do it when I feel compelled to, or when a situation arises that I struggled with that I think others are likely to be facing too. Most of my posts are written in the wee hours of the morning while everyone else in the house is asleep – usually four or five o’clock in the morning.
As for a routine, I typically wake very early. I’ve turned the garage in our home into a music therapy room I call “Corner Jam”, where I come and get lost in music. I’ve taught myself how to play a variety of instruments over the last year, and I pray I’ll be able to continue to play them for years to come. Although dystonia in my forearm can make playing certain ones challenging. When the kids get up I get them off to school and I usually continue with music therapy for a while before I hit my home gym for a workout.
