Margo Clarke has opened up about the daily struggles of Parkinson's Disease in the hope of encouraging others to seek help.
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In 2018, Mrs Clarke noticed a slight change in the way she walked and sought help from her GP who didn't need long to diagnose her.
"We are getting older and it's not necessarily the case we'll be be fighting fit anymore," the 76-year-old said.
"I've had medication which has helped and just looking at me, you wouldn't know there's anything wrong."
But in the last six months, her health has gone downhill.
"I've deteriorated quite a bit in that I'm still only using a stick occasionally, but I hang onto my husband quite a lot," Mrs Clarke added.
"Some days I'm good at walking and I'll walk around Elephant Park, but other days I can scarcely get around Bowen schoolyard without stopping and having a rest.
"At night I can get restless legs and feet which is uncomfortable and pains in different parts of my legs. It comes and goes throughout the day."
Her husband, Noel Clarke, added that while his wife didn't display any of the freezing or tremors normally associated with Parkinson's, day-to-day life for her has changed quite a bit.
"If she's been sitting for a while, getting up can be quite slow and starting walking will be very slow. That is very noticeable," he said.
"It must be very hard if somebody is by themselves."
Much to the delight of the couple and the roughly 2000 Parkinson's sufferers in the Central West, 11 community nurses were recruited in January by the Western NSW Primary Health Network. These nurses are being trained to improve access to specialised nursing care for people living with neurological conditions in West and Far West of NSW.
On top of this, there is a support group in town which has proved beneficial for Mrs Clarke.
"In that group there's opportunity to talk and ask questions and really understand a little more about the disease," Mrs Clarke added.
Bernie Duffy runs the group and said April - which happens to be Parkinson's Awareness Month - was as good a time as any to come along.
"It is a low keyed group which comes together to support those who live with Parkinson's, their carers and friends," he said.
"We meet monthly and usually start our meetings with a cuppa and yarn. We have a guest speaker address about every second meeting, other times play a Parkinson's DVD or just chat about where we are at."
The group meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 10am until midday at the Giyalang Ganya Centre (formerly called the HACC Centre), 286 Lords Place. The next meeting will take place on April 27.
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