Medicine is magical and magical is art

Temperature today is forecast for a high of +7C (45F). This in itself is a miracle. In fact, Paris today will be colder than Winnipeg. Our normal high temperature for today is -10C (14F). Normal low -20C (4 below F). Global warming here, ice age in Europe. The warmth actually makes my morning walk more difficult as the snow semi-melts, leaving a type of slippery sludge in places.

I went to the movement disorder clinic on Friday and saw the doctor for about 5 minutes. He spoke to me about the dangers of obsessive behaviour when taking Mirapex (third time a doctor has brought it up). I told him I had not experienced any that I knew of. For awhile, I ate more than usual, but that has stopped. In fact, I have lost a few pounds. From what I have read, the thinking of some physicians is that people who get these compulsive side effects are people who had a predilection for them in the first place. On the other hand, I have predilection for doing as little as possible - a quest at which I am remarkably successful! Obsessive behaviour would just be too much work.

I have been using the bosu ball and, with a hint from my brother about tightening my abs, I am now able to balance easily on two legs and momentarily on one leg. I stretch each morning and can actually move my neck a little more than 180 degrees, side-to-side, a feat that I could not have achieved a couple of weeks ago, due to stiffness. In fact, these exercises, combined with my running, walking
and weight training have put me in better shape than I have been in several years. All the marvellous mobility systems in my body being controlled by a failing brain.

I was at the dermatoligist earlier in the week. He had taken a section out of a growth on my chest to see if it was cancerous. It wasn't. He likes to chat and we got on to PD. He said that if we were having this talk 10 years ago, he would have felt sorry for me (or words to that effect). Today, however, advances in medication......... and he went on, giving me an optimistic view that through the miracle of medicine, a cure is not far away and medication will only improve while we wait for that cure.

Every day holds the possibility of that miracle. If I were religious, I would pray for the miracle but I kind of feel that would be like asking God to not make two times two equal to four. I will just have to wait and count on the magic of medicine.