When someone has an appendicitis or breaks their leg, family and friends immediately rally around, visiting them in hospital, laden with chocolates, flowers and cards wishing the person a speedy recovery. When one is suffering from mental health problems, receiving visitors or gifts is a very different story.

A 'stress test', always makes me smile, as I have visions of a nurse bringing in the tax inspector or one's bank manager, a sort of Spanish Inquisition Monty Python style, interrogating the patient which is bound to heighten anyone's stress levels.

Parkinson's can affect anyone - it's not fussy, and doesn't discriminate, no matter whether you're old or young. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 44, which at the time, I thought was very young. However since then I have met many other sufferers, some of whom have been diagnosed shockingly at a much younger age.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered who on earth is staring back at you? Parkinson's is slowly stealing away my smile and expression. If I were a poker player, this would give me a distinct advantage, but other than that, it's very difficult for others to know what I am thinking.

Having two chronic diseases makes life quite difficult (and that's a British understatement if ever there was one!) Trying to keep both disease under ...