How are you?

When people ask what are your symptoms

It's difficult to just pick one

But start at the top, then to the middle

I'll keep going until I'm done.

Everyone knows about the shaking

Everyone thinks you should be old

But tremors are just one aspect

With young onset PD, another truth be told.

I'll start at the top with some brainfog

Then add loss of smell, like that for years

Then there's speaking and swallowing

If no therapy can bring you to tears.

With stiiff neck and shoulder

No arm swing and bad gait

It's getting more obvious

That prevention is too late.

With stomach, bowel and digestion

Pain and discomfort to add

Meds sometimes help

If they don't it gets bad.

Stiff glutes, hamstrings and calves

Make walking and balance much worse

Freezing and stalling can cause you to fall

That's when mentally it feels like you've been cursed.

So when you ask a person with PD

How are you, how'd you feel, how 've been

They'll probably just say fine

'Cos they'll be too tired to say what's unseen.