An interview with Hans van Geluk from Parkinson-isme en Verkeersdeelnemer on October 31, 2023 by George Ackerman, Ph.D, J.D.
Biography
In May 2019, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. In my working life, I have been a driving instructor and driving anxiety coach for over 35 years.
I am married to Jolanda and together we have four children and four grandchildren.
Can you tell me more about your organization?
Because I didn’t trust myself anymore while teaching, I stopped giving driving lessons immediately.
Because there was little information available about ‘Driving and Parkinson’s’, I set up my own website on this subject. Something that has now become a source of information for people with Parkinson’s and Parkinsonism.
It has become an extensive website where I advise my fellow Parkinsonians and their loved ones in driving with Parkinson’s and other mobility.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in raising awareness of Parkinson’s and the hope of a cure?
My passion and awareness of Parkinson’s comes from following Bas Bloem, watching Parkinson’s TV and reading books about Parkinson’s. I wanted, and still want to know everything. From the cause to hopefully in the future a stop or cure of Parkinson’s.
What kind of goals do people with Parkinson’s have when they work with you?
Actually, I see us in two ways:
1 As a family, where necessary we help each other, but rebuke each on an equal basis.
2 Helping to eradicate Parkinson’s together, by thinking along and learning a lot from each other, looking for synergy and thinking out of the box.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your programs?
For me, contact with fellow sufferers is very useful, fighting against it together, going for it and thinking along with science.
What events are you participating in?
To a lot, see earlier word document. But also, research, scientific issues.
Note: we recently had a real Parkinson’s weekend in the Netherlands, Nijmegen. Organized by Bas Bloem,
https://parkinsonenverkeersdeelnemer.com/__trashed/
Also, important here in the Netherlands is ParkinsonNet. In this study, every person with Parkinson’s can check in their own hometown whether and which healthcare professionals there are who have received the training about Parkinson’s.
How does this also help the caregivers?
The caregivers who participate in activities, research and are in ParkinsonNet also learn from the people with Parkinson’s.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
People with Parkinson’s and their loved ones can contact me via social media channels, or via my website, or via my email address.
parkinsonenverkeersdeelnemer@gmail.com
https://parkinsonenverkeersdeelnemer.com/
How can others also become advocates for awareness?
By delving deeper into the condition Parkinson’s and understanding what Parkinson’s entails.
What do you think is the key to effective advocacy?
Listening to the group for which you represent the interests, open company and group culture and information provision.
How can we better raise money to support a cure for Parkinson’s?
The question should not be how, but with whom! Which leading companies would like to help us?
Why should people who don’t have Parkinson’s worry about this?
Parkinson’s is strongly related to pesticides, environmental factors such as PFAS, particulate matter, and other substances that are present in excess of the air, water.
It’s a global problem, and let’s start banning glyphosate until it’s clearly researched how harmful it is to humans and animals.
Have you had family members or relatives affected by Parkinson’s disease?
No, I’m the first in line. At least, my father died very young, so maybe he could have had it.
My aunt, my father’s sister, did have Alzheimer’s later in life.
If you had one closing statement or quote that you could pass on to the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?
That’s the title of the first word document, ‘Hey Parkinsonian, do you exercise enough?’
Do you exercise enough?
This question should be asked more often to people with Parkinson’s. Exercise is our second medicine, it is good for your well-being, your intestines and your social system, your mind, your condition, your balance and contact with others.
The question of whether I want to tell something about myself, as a person with the condition Parkinson’s, I take with both hands. Besides the fact that I exercise a lot through various ways of exercising, we also always eat the Mediterranean Italian diet. Alternating from Riso, pasta, beans, lentils. Olive oil or just vegetables, fish, nuts, less meat. This is to maintain the intestinal and stomach system properly. After all, they say that Mr P is one of the first to manifest itself in the intestines and stomach.
And in addition to this delicious varying food, exercise a lot. Every day I cycle one to one and a half hours on my tricycle. On Tuesday mornings I do rheumatism swimming for an hour, intensive, relaxing and a challenge from Mr. P, on the bike there and back. Wednesday morning, I went to the Physiotherapist for my weekly strength training again by my bike, again a challenge and to top it all off, I’m going to try to box Parkinson’s out of my world on Thursday morning, even I go here by bike. On Friday afternoons we participate in darts for fun, but also good for balance and concentration.
In short, I call these sports my work, paid better than money. It gives me power, spirit, and relaxation.
After every hour of exercise, I sleep to meditation music for an hour, so that I stay good for the evening longer.
Now I sincerely hope that my fellow Parkinsonians, just like me, will exercise more and of course I am not the only one who does this.
So, move with us, on the waves of the air, give yourself something as a gift, a slightly better life with Parkinson’s.