Three years ago, Mitch Hislop from Cove was eight hours into a hill walk when he started to feel strange and began falling backwards.
Despite having one walking pole, his body kept tipping and he could not find his balance.
Out with his son Ian at the time, they took two hours to return to their car with Ian holding onto Mitch’s backpack to stop him from falling.
Unsurprisingly, Mitch’s son told him he should book a doctor’s appointment.
The blood tests came back clear but after waiting for a neurology appointment for a year, a brain scan confirmed something was very wrong.
“The neurologist put me for a brain scan and the result was Parkinson’s,” said Mitch, 74.
‘I’m going to live life to the full for as long as I can’
The diagnosis ended up having a massive effect on Mitch’s lifestyle which had always been very active even from a young boy growing up in Aberdeen.
A lot of sports and activities like squash, mountain biking and even running were no longer viable due to his balance issues.
One thing he found he could still do though was walking, aided by walking poles.
Adjusting his previous weekly target of 100km a week to 70km, the dad-of-one said: “I thought 10km a day was reasonable.
“For somebody like me, it was devastating because I had to give up cycling, mountain biking, hill walking.
“It was a bit of a pill to swallow for me because I had to give up so much but I’m getting used to it now though.
“All I’ve got left is the Nordic Walking and the Altens walking group but I think 70km a week is not bad for me.”
Seeing a consultant recently, Mitch added: “The consultant said ‘It’s a progressive disease. You’re never going to get any better.’
“He says ‘So just live life to the full for as long as you can, and stay active for as long as you can.’
“So that’s what I’m doing.”
The walking groups help with Parkinson’s symptoms
Mitch first joined Sport Aberdeen’s Nordic Walking Group which uses a specific pole walking technique after his diagnosis.
It was originally a summer training regime for cross-country skiers in Finland during the 1990s. It involves using the whole body, making it quite a workout.
After becoming hooked, the head of the group, Brian Hamilton, also suggested Mitch join the free Altens Walking Group on a Thursday.
Led by Angus and Nora Taylor and with over 30 members, Mitch said he is the only Parkinson’s sufferer in the group but that Angus looks after him.
“It’s great I thoroughly enjoy it,” Mitch said.
“I quite enjoy meeting other people. It’s good to get other people’s perspective on the disease.
“The stick walking generally benefits me because, from a Parkinson’s point of view, it stops you shuffling. Generally the Nordic walking is good for core stability. You get tired quicker because you’re using your whole body.”
He added: “But there’s no substitute for meeting other sufferers.”
‘I’m trying to stay active and live life to the full for as long as I can’
During the week, Mitch also goes to several classes for Parkinson’s sufferers like the voice therapy class called Park’n’Sing which is helping to strengthen his growingly croaky voice.
“I quite enjoy meeting other people,” he said. “Particularly other people with Parkinson’s because you meet people who are at various stages and you get an idea of what’s in store for you.”
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – a brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements – usually develop gradually and can be mild at first.
For Mitch, he said his wife Linda thought he may have been having these mild symptoms for five years.
However, the order in which they develop and their severity are different for each person.
At the time of our conversation, Mitch said the main symptoms he has are a croaky voice and balance issues which can often lead to frequent falls.
But it is the mental aspect which is usually most draining for him.
He explained: “I fall a lot less these days because I work on a once bitten twice shy basis because I’m constantly analysing the situations where I’ve fallen and trying to avoid them.
“I think complacency plays a big part in it. The less you fall the more complacent you get, the more you think you’re getting better and you’re not.
“I think about it all the time. It is quite difficult to switch off.
“In fact, I never switch off.”
Building works in Cove gave Mitch something to look forward to
The one place Mitch would often go to quiet his mind used to be the hills.
However, with that no longer being an option, he has been forced to find solitude elsewhere in a surprising place, Cove’s developments.
Living in Cove with his wife Linda, Mitch said he is always finding paths off the beaten track to make up his 70km a week.
Even before being diagnosed, he said he enjoyed watching the new developments like Lochside Academy and the new football ground being built in and around his community.
“I watched them coming up from nothing really and it was quite interesting.
“There are lots of developments that I have watched since their infancy, and I found them quite interesting.
“It gave me something to look forward to, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, there were still some things to watch develop in Cove and Charleston.
“It kind of brought me out to myself a wee bit, gave me something to focus on.”
‘I just live in each day as it comes’
Not one for looking too far ahead these days, Mitch said he simply gets joy from walking and seeing things going on.
Although, he added he would not mind a holiday in the sun next month for their 55th wedding anniversary.
He said: “I just live in each day as it comes and the future, que sera. Whatever happens will happen.
“It’s a progressive disease. It gets worse and worse and worse as time goes on.
“I don’t know how worse mine’s going to get, I haven’t got shakes or anything yet.
“I don’t know where it’s going to go from here anyway, but you just have to live each day as it comes, haven’t you?”
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