To an onlooker, Diane Hastings has a charmed life.

But eight years ago Diane was diagnosed with the degenerative brain disorder Parkinson's disease.

She was only 39 years old and the news came as a devastating blow to the family.

Disbelief, anger, tears and depression rocked her to the core.

But resilient Diane did what she knows best — she got on with life.

Now 47, she controls her symptoms with medication and is firmly in control.

Diane was referred for tests and scans at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital. Parkinson's was diagnosed straight away.

She said: "I was gobsmacked. I thought Parkinson's only happened to old people. I was 39.

"At the time Gavin was in Australia at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. I had to phone him with the news. It was not a good time.

But she said: "I didn't know much about Parkinson's so I looked on websites and to be honest, they go into too much detail and aren't very positive.

"So I stopped that. Of course I cried and I had my black moments.

"It took a few weeks to sink in but by the time Gavin was due home, I had my head round it.

" I realised this was the card I'd been dealt, and there was nothing I could do about it."

"Medication made me feel completely well. The stiffness improved, my energy levels went up and I realised that living with Parkinson's isn't a death sentence."

"When you have something like Parkinson's private healthcare won't cover you but my NHS treatment has been superb.

"My doctor and consultant are just an email away if I need help, and the neurologist is the same one I had when I was in private healthcare."

"I look after myself, watch what I eat and we've now got two dogs so I exercise them for an hour every morning. I'd never have done that before, but now, when I miss a morning, I really miss the benefits.

She said: "I'm extremely proud of Gavin and the kids. Gavin is going to be 50 in January so we're planning something special.

"He's climbing Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the Funding Neuro charity. We met the founder Bryn Williams, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 36, through a mutual friend, so Gavin does a lot of fundraising for Wobbly Williams.

"When Gavin's away, we usually Skype but I don't think he'll be able to do that on the top of a mountain!"

Diane understands the devastation of a Parkinson's diagnosis but insists there is hope.

She advised: "Accept it, take the medication and enjoy your life.

"Of course, I'd rather not have it, but things could be a whole lot worse."