Giacoma

I don't know from whom I inherited the disease, but I think from my father. He died of an heart attack at the age of 54 while he was living in America. No one else in the family had been diagnosed with this disease. Neither we heard about it during our childhood. 

I was tested just two years ago because doctors noticed some choreic movements and I tested positive.

I understood that it is a bad disease, a truly disabling thing. At this moment I don't feel limited in my everyday life , I still do everything by myself at home. I just feel my knees a little stiff. I walk for two hours every morning and an hour in the evening; then I do come bike's exercise. Before doing all this movement, my legs felt "woody". Now I feel more relaxed.

My movements right now are not limited, but i have a lot of throat problems. I went to the speech therapist and she showed me that the throat can close. The other night I felt like I was suffocating. When this happens I have to swallow and do some exercises with my tongue.

I try to not think about the problem most of my time, and without thinking about it i feel i can control it more. I live as I didn't have any problem. I don't worry because worries make us sick.

The only thing we can do is to not think about it. I try to convince myself that i can live a normal live like the others and i try to believe in it. The mind helps and life has taught me that we have to live day by day. Life always holds surprises for us. We have to keep believing! 

We have to be positive, be grateful and thank God for every day in which we get up and we are here.

This testimony is part of That Disorder- Photography Project On Huntington's Disease.