Lyndsay Isaacs speech was one of the highlights of the WPC2019 opening session. A large portion of the WPC2019 opening, not just Lyndsay’s portion, was dedicated to remembering her husband Tom Isaacs, co-founder of UK-based charity Cure Parkinson’s, who passed away since the last WPC. Obviously, any discussion of Tom Isaacs is going to be a mix of sorrow at his passing and smiles recalling memories. But I found her personal story as a caregiver to be extremely insightful, as she touched on her struggles, reaching her breaking point, and finding a way forward.
When she was struggling, she found inspiration in a book, which advised “Don’t be such a good carer…try and be a bit more of a selfish pig.”
This is a quote from “The Selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring” by Hugh Marriott. The book is available from Amazon in the UK (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Selfish-Pigs-Guide-Caring-emotional/dp/0749929863), but seems to be a little more difficult to find elsewhere. Nature Journal has a good book review at https://www.nature.com/articles/3101585
As a patient, I fear that I may be a little too much of a selfish pig at times…I look forward to reading this book.