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Transcript
(Little disclaimer – auto generated transcript here. Bit awful, but better than nothing.)
Ordinary Life with Kitty & Emma
Episode: “On and Off” – Coast Access Radio
Kia ora, hello! This is Ordinary Life with Kitty and Emma.
Go on, Emma — you tell them.
Emma: We’re having fun with Parkinson’s.
Kitty: Sorry, I always do that!
Emma: It’s become a bit of a thing now.
Kitty: That’s fine — it’s about having fun, after all!
Today, we’re talking about the “on and off” periods that come with Parkinson’s.
I’d rather not have the Parkinson’s, of course — but here we are, having fun with our Ordinary Life on Coast Access Radio.
We’re not doctors or medical professionals — but we are experts on ourselves!
And a big thank you to our sponsors, Cover Yours Insurance — here for you with life and business insurance, from quote to claim. You can find them at coveryours.co.nz.
The On/Off Rollercoaster
Emma: So, “on and off” — tell us what that means, Kitty.
Kitty: Unfortunately, I know all too well. It’s basically when your medication stops working. They call it an “off period,” or “coming down,” but honestly? On is good, off is bad.
When I first started, I took three little pills three times a day. It worked like magic — all my symptoms disappeared, and I thought, “this is a breeze!”
Emma: Same here! I started on Sinemet — felt like a miracle cure at first. My limp vanished, my arm swung again — I felt normal.
Kitty: But over time, you start measuring life by your off time. At first, I could go hours feeling fine. Now, it’s more like three hours, tops, before I start to drop off.
Emma: Yeah, “drop-off” — that’s the word. Like dropping off the kids, but much less fun.
Kitty: Exactly! And when people say, “oh, those tablets don’t work forever, do they?” I want to punch them. Like — thanks for the reminder!
Pills, Patience, and Parking Fails
Kitty: The other week my daughter had a school competition. We parked 15 minutes away — no big deal, right? Except I could barely walk. She asked, “Mum, couldn’t you park in the disabled spot?” and I said, “Emma from the radio has one, I don’t need one.” Famous last words!
By the time we got halfway, I was stopping every few minutes, trying not to cry. Bless her — she kept telling everyone, “wait for my mum!”
Emma: Oh, that hits home. It’s hard when your body won’t cooperate.
Forgetting, Fighting, and Finding Balance
Kitty: I’m supposed to take my pills every four and a half hours, but I forget — then get told off by my neurologist. It’s been nine years. Sometimes I just get rebellious.
Emma: Yeah, it’s a push-pull. You know you have to take them, but you don’t want to be ruled by them.
Kitty: Exactly. I even lost a whole bottle once at a theatre! Luckily, a student from Paraparaumu College found it and brought it back. Absolute legend.
The Hardest Part
Emma: Is the walking the hardest part for you?
Kitty: Definitely. I used to love walking, and not being able to do it breaks my heart. Sometimes I think about getting a wheelchair, but then I worry I’ll stop trying.
Emma: I get that. Once you rely on aids, it’s easy to lose confidence. And that’s the danger — shrinking your life down, saying “I can’t.”
Bloody-Minded and Proud
Kitty: In the mornings, I do YouTube workouts. Even if my meds haven’t kicked in, I push through. Mike says, “why bother?” but I say, “I want to see if I can.” Maybe I only manage three squats while the instructor does ten — but I try.
Emma: That bloody-mindedness is inspiring. I’ve actually learned from you — about not giving up. A few years ago, I told you I never went out at night. You kept asking me to — and now, I do!
Kitty: Ha! Persistence works.
Emma: And I’ve even gone back to karate. Because of that same “keep trying” attitude.
Kitty: That’s brilliant. I mean, I give up all the time — but I always start again.
Emma: Exactly. It’s not about how many times you fall — it’s how many times you get back up.
Wrapping Up
Kitty: So, we’ve not stuck strictly to the “on/off” topic, but we’ve definitely been on today!
Emma: On fire!
Kitty: For me, it comes down to this: yes, we go down — but we always get back up.
Emma: [sings] “I get knocked down, but I get up again…”
Kitty: You can’t knock Chumbawamba — they’re from the North!
Emma: And that’s the message, isn’t it? Even when you can’t — believe that you can.
Ordinary Life with Kitty & Emma
Episode: “On and Off” – Coast Access Radio
Kia ora, hello! This is Ordinary Life with Kitty and Emma.
Go on, Emma — you tell them.
Emma: We’re having fun with Parkinson’s.
Kitty: Sorry, I always do that!
Emma: It’s become a bit of a thing now.
Kitty: That’s fine — it’s about having fun, after all!
Today, we’re talking about the “on and off” periods that come with Parkinson’s.
I’d rather not have the Parkinson’s, of course — but here we are, having fun with our Ordinary Life on Coast Access Radio.
We’re not doctors or medical professionals — but we are experts on ourselves!
And a big thank you to our sponsors, Cover Yours Insurance — here for you with life and business insurance, from quote to claim. You can find them at coveryours.co.nz.
The On/Off Rollercoaster
Emma: So, “on and off” — tell us what that means, Kitty.
Kitty: Unfortunately, I know all too well. It’s basically when your medication stops working. They call it an “off period,” or “coming down,” but honestly? On is good, off is bad.
When I first started, I took three little pills three times a day. It worked like magic — all my symptoms disappeared, and I thought, “this is a breeze!”
Emma: Same here! I started on Sinemet — felt like a miracle cure at first. My limp vanished, my arm swung again — I felt normal.
Kitty: But over time, you start measuring life by your off time. At first, I could go hours feeling fine. Now, it’s more like three hours, tops, before I start to drop off.
Emma: Yeah, “drop-off” — that’s the word. Like dropping off the kids, but much less fun.
Kitty: Exactly! And when people say, “oh, those tablets don’t work forever, do they?” I want to punch them. Like — thanks for the reminder!
Pills, Patience, and Parking Fails
Kitty: The other week my daughter had a school competition. We parked 15 minutes away — no big deal, right? Except I could barely walk. She asked, “Mum, couldn’t you park in the disabled spot?” and I said, “Emma from the radio has one, I don’t need one.” Famous last words!
By the time we got halfway, I was stopping every few minutes, trying not to cry. Bless her — she kept telling everyone, “wait for my mum!”
Emma: Oh, that hits home. It’s hard when your body won’t cooperate.
Forgetting, Fighting, and Finding Balance
Kitty: I’m supposed to take my pills every four and a half hours, but I forget — then get told off by my neurologist. It’s been nine years. Sometimes I just get rebellious.
Emma: Yeah, it’s a push-pull. You know you have to take them, but you don’t want to be ruled by them.
Kitty: Exactly. I even lost a whole bottle once at a theatre! Luckily, a student from Paraparaumu College found it and brought it back. Absolute legend.
The Hardest Part
Emma: Is the walking the hardest part for you?
Kitty: Definitely. I used to love walking, and not being able to do it breaks my heart. Sometimes I think about getting a wheelchair, but then I worry I’ll stop trying.
Emma: I get that. Once you rely on aids, it’s easy to lose confidence. And that’s the danger — shrinking your life down, saying “I can’t.”
Bloody-Minded and Proud
Kitty: In the mornings, I do YouTube workouts. Even if my meds haven’t kicked in, I push through. Mike says, “why bother?” but I say, “I want to see if I can.” Maybe I only manage three squats while the instructor does ten — but I try.
Emma: That bloody-mindedness is inspiring. I’ve actually learned from you — about not giving up. A few years ago, I told you I never went out at night. You kept asking me to — and now, I do!
Kitty: Ha! Persistence works.
Emma: And I’ve even gone back to karate. Because of that same “keep trying” attitude.
Kitty: That’s brilliant. I mean, I give up all the time — but I always start again.
Emma: Exactly. It’s not about how many times you fall — it’s how many times you get back up.
Wrapping Up
Kitty: So, we’ve not stuck strictly to the “on/off” topic, but we’ve definitely been on today!
Emma: On fire!
Kitty: For me, it comes down to this: yes, we go down — but we always get back up.
Emma: [sings] “I get knocked down, but I get up again…”
Kitty: You can’t knock Chumbawamba — they’re from the North!
Emma: And that’s the message, isn’t it? Even when you can’t — believe that you can.