I had been so looking forward to being a granny, and not just so that I could legitimately join Gransnet. There were all the adorable little outfits and toys to share and of course, teaching the baby to swim, to cycle, taking long walks along the lovely cycle path here in Bristol, identifying the birds and their songs, collecting leaves and stones - you know…

And then came the shock of my life. A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, and the baby wasn't even born, so I had already "lost" six months, degenerating, miserable, despairing - then angry. Why me?

I ran and cycled, swam and skipped, never smoked - though bizarrely, smoking seems to be a protective factor - didn’t drink (too) much and had just retired, feeling optimistic, energetic and ready to embrace this new stage of my life.

I cried a lot, retreated into myself, exhausted my very patient friends and family, and then regrouped.

I had been given medication for the slight movement difficulties I had, I noticed I wasn't actually deteriorating, I made myself run and swim again and the baby was delightful and didn’t seem to notice my Parkinson's at all!

And I started to write - first a book about a granny and her little grandson, Jake, in which the granny had Parkinson's, but it didn't make any difference. "Does it hurt, granny?" seemed to be what bothered Jake most, but as it didn't, they could get on with life.

Then some poems.

Then I went on to the offensive. Why shouldn't a granny with Parkinson's give a voice to other grannies, and to those whose children and grandchildren were afraid of the word and of the illness? So four other books followed, about Jake and granny cooking and gardening, going to the seaside and to Alton Towers. "Steady on, granny", says Jake in the third book as granny is determined to do it all while she still can. And so far, I can.

Two years into this disease, I am relieved to feel and look - as far as my friends, family, doctors and specialists report, and that will do for me - fit and well.

I have joined a choir, volunteer as a reader at a local children's centre, which I love, swim and cycle, run and skip. I love skipping. You should give it a try again.

I drive from Bristol to London every week to look after my little grandson, now 18 months old, so still not quite ready for Alton Towers, but I'm watching out for the signs. I spend two glorious days with him and it is the highlight of my week.

Stories are so much better than Q&A, don't you think? An oblique reference where the child says "Oh, Parkinson's. Isn't that what granny's got?" can open the dialogue. Testimonials on my website are witness to the power that fiction has, and the first mission statement of Parkinson's UK is to "change attitudes".

Try a story.

All profits from Dawn's book go towards research into the disease - try a story this Parkinson's Awareness Week.