Former England spinner Shaun Udal gave an insight into living with Parkinson’s disease and how he keeps fighting on a daily basis. Posting a video on Twitter on March 10, he said,” It’s so nice to hear from other people who have got this problem. ,’ he says. ‘They message me and it makes me think I’m not on my own. That’s why one day at 3.30 in the morning when I was in pain and couldn’t sleep I decided to post a video to show people I’m not making it up.
‘I was red in the face from trying to get myself out of bed and I thought ‘sod it I’m going to put a post out there.’ I got so many responses from that and that won’t bring a cure but it will help people understand that it’s a real thing and how quickly it can affect me.
‘It does bring me comfort to share these experiences. And the amount of people from Hampshire, Middlesex and the cricket world who keep in touch or drop me a line every now and then is phenomenal. I’m okay but I’m just okay
Sharing a post on social media in December last year, Udal hoped his story would raise awareness among people about the growing neurological disease. Udal, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019, had spoken about he has faced dark days when the illness is at its worst but always has his chin up.
“Living with #Parkinsons is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to deal with but with the help of my family and friends plus words of support from others I’m battling on & would like to say have a wonderful Xmas and here’s to a fabulous 2023,when we’ll all continue to fight on,” Udal wrote on social media.
Earlier, Udal had opened up about living with the disease and said, “People say you have to think positively and they are right but it is very difficult to understand the reason why it is me that has been affected, why I can’t do simple things, why I can’t do buttons up, why I can’t do laces, why I’m dropping cups of tea, why I can’t write and not being able to play cricket again.”
“On a day to day basis it is not every day, which is a bit frustrating. You have a good day and then two bad days, you don’t sleep and your muscles are taut and you can’t move. I know I have got it and it is just adapting your life to live as normally as possible and that is very difficult some days,” said the ex-Hampshire and Essex spinner.
“Friends have been brilliant but there are bad days and you can’t get away from that and I still have a young family. There is some good stuff that comes out of it, new friendships and the way that people react towards me has been very refreshing and good to see,” he he told the Telegraph.
“Because there is no cure at the moment we are trying to raise awareness by holding dinners and functions to try and find things that will help those of us who have it, slow it down. It is the fastest growing neurological disease in the UK. There is no history of it in my family. There is no rhyme or reason why you would get it. It is just the luck of the draw,” he added.
Udal, who played four Tests for England between 2005-2006, was a part of the Mumbai Test in 2006, which turned out to be his last – and most memorable
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