Have you ever dreamt of winning the lottery? Someone's got to win it each week, so why couldn't it be you? We've all probably had day dreams at one time or another, and listed the things we'd do first if we were lucky enough to win. I've heard it said many a time "Money doesn't buy health or happiness", and without question this is true. Good health is a gift, and when taken away, no amount of money can protect a person from illness. You don't need money to be happy, for happiness is a state of mind, and if you are determined to be miserable, no doubt you will succeed. If someone is positive and always looks at the glass half full, then being happy is not so hard to achieve, no matter what's in the bank, for I believe a person is able to make their own happiness despite the greatest of difficulties.
That's all well and good, but let's talk honestly here, so I'll cut to the chase. Realistically, as much as I hate to say it, money does make a difference to your life and dare I say it, even your health. It can't for one moment buy you a magic cure nor change a diagnosis, but it can make life considerably more comfortable for you and your family. Removing stress and anxiety of financial burden that seem to go hand in hand with ill health, can make a huge difference. Those who are fortunate to be financially secure may not be able to appreciate what struggles many families go through when someone is diagnosed with a long term chronic disease such as Parkinson's. I often find that doctors are unaware of how finances actually play a large part in a patient's well being. I grant you, a doctor's role is fundamentally to take care of medical needs, but does it ever occur to a doctor how being chronically ill actually affects a family financially?
No matter how good one's health scheme is, there are always extras that are not covered and these expenses are ultimately swallowed by the individual. The health schemes naturally can only pay for so much, as they have a budget just like everyone else and this is understandable. However, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, massage, voice therapy and occupational therapy, all perform an important part in keeping Parkinson's at bay, maintaining a patient's well being for as long as possible and ensuring the best quality of life.
So does money buy health and happiness? I'm afraid to some degree, it does. It buys security, physical comfort, eases worries and anxieties, which in of itself brings calm and allows happiness to reign in a household. It's kind of sad to think money has such a powerful influence over our lives, but living with Gaucher disease and Parkinson's unequivocally has given me much first hand insight and experience. Will I be doing the lottery this week you ask? - you bet your bottom dollar I will.