I think there has to be some explanation as to why some patients suffering chronic disease manage to battle through each day, staying cheerful and making the most out of their lives, and those who decide to wallow in self-pity and ultimately get very little out of life.

I write with stark raw honesty and humour about living with chronic disease and was astonished at the heart-warming reception my little book with its big message received. I quickly realised that fellow sufferers and caregivers related to my poems, knowing they are not alone in their daily struggles.

The growing number of young people being diagnosed every day with Young Onset Parkinson's is astonishing. I was diagnosed at age 44 and at the time I thought this was very young, but since then I've been in contact with many fellow sufferers, some of whom were diagnosed in their twenties! Suddenly 44 doesn't sound so young!