Perspective – Genuinely Another Good Week

You might find this hard to believe if you’ve read some of my previous posts over the last days, but as I look back, this past week has truly been a good one.

For a moment, let’s set PSP aside. As a person, it was a very good week – and I’m deeply grateful for that. I shared genuinely lovely moments with my wife, all my kids, my mother, my sister, and several friends (many of whom I managed to beat at chess!). Some came to visit, and I stayed on track with my writing, which led to memorable interactions with people from all over.

I even got complimented by someone thinking I was an artist due to my blog illustrations, had multiple discussions about people’s toothpaste habits, including photos, and I had the pleasure of helping some people by installing an audio function on the blog.

On the PSP front:
The renovation is basically done, and I’ve moved downstairs. My other half deserves huge respect and thanks – she fought tooth and nail to make this project happen because she sensed the need. She was spot on, insistent, and persistent.

Thankfully, I avoided a major fall and a serious choking episode (though we came close once which itself is an amusing story of an experiment which sadly but very absurdly failed in a controlled way).

We also managed to get through a tough and especially unpleasant few days with reflux, and the solutions seems to be holding. I did have one severe freezing episode, which was scary, but it was the only one.

On the absurd side:
There were a few bizarre moments – like driving through some plant pots again. Then came a call from the Department of Transport reminding me of an appointment next Sunday to assess whether I can still drive. This follows a recent benefits assessment where they classified my mobility disability as high grade (the bad one).

It’s good they have these checks, but when I told the secretary:
“I voluntarily gave up driving in February because I felt I was a danger and told my neurologist so,”. She was taken aback. Apparently, that admission doesn’t happen often. She agreed to stop the process since I’m fine with them withdrawing my license – I know I shouldn’t drive. She even thanked me for doing the right thing.

I wrote about that decision before – it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I’ve always been a petrol head. (If you’re curious, here’s the article I penned then on the toughness of the decision (https://benlazpsp.com/2025/03/03/driving-is-gone/)  even with a video of me driving a rented Ferrari way too fast with the kids in the back, in the Italian countryside, just before PSP struck.)

This morning, I was a little surprised to find an update saying the Ministry recommended suspending my license due to “lack of cooperation.” So, next week’s fun will be dealing with that – apparently, I guess I broke some rule by stopping driving voluntarily but not filling in form A, B, or C.

The point of this blog – for me, my friends, family, and anyone living with or caring for someone with PSP or PD – is this:
I didn’t drive a Ferrari this week. I moved downstairs because of PSP. I froze because of PSP. I got frustrated at my eye sight and I had reflux because of PSP. But I also had a genuinely happy, rewarding, and richly varied week – sometimes even funny in an absurd way.

How? Honestly, I don’t know. Probably faith, attitude, humour and the unwavering support of loved ones. But from this sample size of one, I can say: it’s possible.

Next week Please G-d is a big one for my family and hopefully a beautiful one so I say a prayer that this positivity continues to roll forward (some of you would cross fingers, touch wood, I personally and say the Jewish phrase “Bli Ayin Hara – without invoking the evil eye).