If the title of this entry is correct, then I am screwed! My word retrieval skills are declining. I know what I want to say but I can't think of the word and anyway, my mouth lags behind my brain even when I know the word. This results in awkward hesitations or complete pauses as I search for the word, can't find it, and search for an alternate word. I can see people trying to adjust to my speech patterns and patiently and politely wait until the words come out.
This doesn't happen all the time. If I am totally stress free and not trying to make a point, or depart scholarly information, or win an argument, I am hesitation free. However, when it does occur, it can be embarrassing.
Fortunately, it does not affect my writing. The words come quickly and easily for me and there are no difficulties with word retrieval when I write.
I start intensive speech therapy next week. It is designed to increase the volume of my voice; perhaps it will help with word retrieval.
Until then, I will sit around looking wise, saying nothing and grunting.
counter
Monday 26 March 2012
Friday 23 March 2012
Life After Diagnosis
As I have said, I was diagnosed a year ago and so far, it's not so bad. I can't run as fast as I used to, but I can still run. I tremor at the slightest stress (last evening, I tremored during The Sons of Anarchy - great show but violent) but I am rarely, if ever, distressed, so that is good. Every so often I think of my future but, I try to avoid doing so, for I see it as being somewhat bleak. Einstein once said, "I don't think of the future, it comes soon enough." I should follow that advice but the future lurks in the shadows of my mind and surfaces every now and again. Fortunately, there are people out there who have had the condition longer than I, and I can use them as sorts of soothsayers and I can see there will be life after diagnosis.
One such personal seer is a man named Chris who lives in the UK. I read his blog and found this entry:
http://www.wearingoff.com/blog/post/148-poetry-and-parkinsons-disease
If you read it, you will understand why his entry perked me up. I am feeling good today. I am optimistic even if my optimism whispers while my pessimism shouts.
One such personal seer is a man named Chris who lives in the UK. I read his blog and found this entry:
If you read it, you will understand why his entry perked me up. I am feeling good today. I am optimistic even if my optimism whispers while my pessimism shouts.
Wednesday 21 March 2012
“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”
Received a subpoena today. I have to give evidence in a trial that is set for 12 days. I will probably be on the stand for at least half a day. I can just see it. The slightest stress causes my symptoms to surface - hand tremor, dry mouth, problems with word recall and last, but not least, tiredness. Fortunately, it doesn't cause me any distress which would probably multiply the symptoms by a factor of 10 and might cause the PD to get worse faster.
Still, watching "Luther" today on Netflix, my hand started to vibrate when the villain shot acid in his victim's eyes, using a water pistol, so I should expect some exacerbation of the symptoms while on the stand.
Oh well! Fortunately, both lawyers are decent fellows.
As Oliver North said, put your trust in God and a good lawyer. (or something like that)
I am certain there is such a thing as a "good lawyer". I will let you know. Trial is not until October.
Still, watching "Luther" today on Netflix, my hand started to vibrate when the villain shot acid in his victim's eyes, using a water pistol, so I should expect some exacerbation of the symptoms while on the stand.
Oh well! Fortunately, both lawyers are decent fellows.
As Oliver North said, put your trust in God and a good lawyer. (or something like that)
I am certain there is such a thing as a "good lawyer". I will let you know. Trial is not until October.
Sunday 18 March 2012
“FOREFINGER, n. The finger commonly used in pointing out two malefactors.”
My granddaughter, 8 months, is learning among other things, to point with her forefinger. Very cute! I am learning not to point with any finger, but especially with my forefinger. Why? Because I can no longer control that finger on my right hand. Immediately upon pointing, it starts to mindlessly jump up and down and can lead to rather embarrassing moments. For example, when I tried to change movies on the airplane by touching the TV screen, it took a few tries to get my finger on target. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my seatmate, a stranger, with a curious look about him. I used my left hand after that; however, it is beginning to imitate the right hand forefinger, although not with the same intensity. This finger waving is at its worse in moments of stress or tiredness; although, even now, first thing in the morning, there is a minor vibration and I involuntarily click the mouse button every now and then and have to redo something. Just another of PD's special jokes!
“White collar conservative flashin' down the street, pointing that plastic finger at me. They all assume my kind will drop and die, but I'm gonna wave my freak flag high.” (Jimi Hendrix)
“White collar conservative flashin' down the street, pointing that plastic finger at me. They all assume my kind will drop and die, but I'm gonna wave my freak flag high.” (Jimi Hendrix)
Friday 16 March 2012
For Glae - Some sgtrane facts about PD
STRANGE FACTS ABOUT PD
1. Many people in the Pacific island of Guam have developed Parkinson's Disease, due to feasting on flying foxes, a species of bat that can be as big as six feet across. This is because the bats eat cycad seeds which contain a potent neurotoxin.
2. In 1875, Henri Huchard had a patient that had all of the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease who was only three years old.
3. In the seventeenth century, Nicholas Culppepper claimed a variety of substances to be useful in the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson's Disease that included "oil of winged ants" and earthworms.
4. People are much less likely to get Parkinson's Disease if they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, have high cholesterol, and drink too much coffee.
5. James Parkinson, whom Parkinson's Disease was named after, never knew that Parkinson's Disease was called Parkinson's Disease.
(source: http://viartis.net/parkinsons.disease)
STRANGER STILL!
The normal high in Winnipeg at this time of year is 0C but today, there is no snow; it is 20C, and my grandchildren are running naked and jumping in a child's "swimming pool"
Is it weird in here or is it just me?
1. Many people in the Pacific island of Guam have developed Parkinson's Disease, due to feasting on flying foxes, a species of bat that can be as big as six feet across. This is because the bats eat cycad seeds which contain a potent neurotoxin.
2. In 1875, Henri Huchard had a patient that had all of the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease who was only three years old.
3. In the seventeenth century, Nicholas Culppepper claimed a variety of substances to be useful in the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson's Disease that included "oil of winged ants" and earthworms.
4. People are much less likely to get Parkinson's Disease if they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, have high cholesterol, and drink too much coffee.
5. James Parkinson, whom Parkinson's Disease was named after, never knew that Parkinson's Disease was called Parkinson's Disease.
(source: http://viartis.net/parkinsons.disease)
STRANGER STILL!
The normal high in Winnipeg at this time of year is 0C but today, there is no snow; it is 20C, and my grandchildren are running naked and jumping in a child's "swimming pool"
Is it weird in here or is it just me?
Thursday 15 March 2012
Some interesting facts about PD
1. The incidence of Parkinson's disease is increasing at a rate that is faster than the population is aging.
2. Parkinson's disease affects an estimated 1 in 1,000 people over age 55.
3. Parkinson's disease affects about 1 in 100 people age 65 and older.
4. Some 20 percent of people with Parkinson's disease may be diagnosed under the age of 50.
5. About 8 percent to 10 percent of people with Parkinson's disease may be diagnosed under the age of 40. Well-known people who have had or have Parkinson's disease include Pope John Paul II, Francisco Franco, Muhammad Ali, Yasir Arafat, Janet Reno, Sir Michael Redgrave, Adolf Hitler, Vincent Price, Morris Udall, Margaret Bourke White, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and Michael J. Fox.
6. There has been excellent progress with research into the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This includes stem cell technology in which very basic cells are grown in the laboratory, and can be easily cultivated into large populations. Researchers have succeeded in turning these stem cells, in the laboratory, into dopamine producing nerve cells, like those cells in the substantia nigra of the brain that produce dopamine.
7. Human trials have already begun and been published using retinal epithelial cells, and human trials using stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's disease should begin in the foreseeable future.
Intellectually, people with PD usually remain normal. But because speech and everyday tasks take longer to execute, it may appear that they lack comprehension or understanding - when actually they know exactly what they want to do but are unable to process their thoughts or actions in a timely manner.
(source: http://ehealthmd.com)
Try this to see if you are a "great mind":
Only great minds can read this!!
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
2. Parkinson's disease affects an estimated 1 in 1,000 people over age 55.
3. Parkinson's disease affects about 1 in 100 people age 65 and older.
4. Some 20 percent of people with Parkinson's disease may be diagnosed under the age of 50.
5. About 8 percent to 10 percent of people with Parkinson's disease may be diagnosed under the age of 40. Well-known people who have had or have Parkinson's disease include Pope John Paul II, Francisco Franco, Muhammad Ali, Yasir Arafat, Janet Reno, Sir Michael Redgrave, Adolf Hitler, Vincent Price, Morris Udall, Margaret Bourke White, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and Michael J. Fox.
6. There has been excellent progress with research into the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This includes stem cell technology in which very basic cells are grown in the laboratory, and can be easily cultivated into large populations. Researchers have succeeded in turning these stem cells, in the laboratory, into dopamine producing nerve cells, like those cells in the substantia nigra of the brain that produce dopamine.
7. Human trials have already begun and been published using retinal epithelial cells, and human trials using stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's disease should begin in the foreseeable future.
Intellectually, people with PD usually remain normal. But because speech and everyday tasks take longer to execute, it may appear that they lack comprehension or understanding - when actually they know exactly what they want to do but are unable to process their thoughts or actions in a timely manner.
(source: http://ehealthmd.com)
Try this to see if you are a "great mind":
Only great minds can read this!!
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Monday 12 March 2012
Trip from hell, part II (see last August 12 for part I)
Right now I am sitting in Toronto International Airport. My plane to Winnipeg is an hour late. My hand is jumping around badly. As I type,I keep repeating letters and having to correct. Why is that? You might ask.
Sit tight and I will tell you why I may never go to Miami again.
We got on the plane in Miami, on time, but didn't move because there was something wrong with the cargo door and maintenance had to fix it. We sat there for about an hour until it was fixed. We began to taxi. The flight attendants seemed to be rushing to and fro. Something was up! The captain came on the intercom and said, "Sorry folks, we have to return to the gate as a piece of paneling has come loose and is falling on a passenger's head." WHAT? "We will be going back to the gate and maintenance will repair it." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I turned to look and sure enough, part of the ceiling (2' x 2') had come loose and was hanging by some wires. The plane was falling apart! This did not inspire confidence. An hour passed; the ceiling was fixed and we began to taxi. We stopped when the pilot advised there was a "ground hold in effect but it should only last 15 or 20 minutes." I chose 15, but I lost. So two hours and 20 minutes later, we actually took flight, only to arrive in Toronto to discover, as I said, our connecting plane was an hour late.
I was just glad we made it, seeing as how our plane appeared to be a lemon.
Is it any wonder my hand is doing a two-step!
An announcement was just made......"We will be further delayed as there is a slight maintenance problem on the plane."....... NOW WHAT?
Sit tight and I will tell you why I may never go to Miami again.
We got on the plane in Miami, on time, but didn't move because there was something wrong with the cargo door and maintenance had to fix it. We sat there for about an hour until it was fixed. We began to taxi. The flight attendants seemed to be rushing to and fro. Something was up! The captain came on the intercom and said, "Sorry folks, we have to return to the gate as a piece of paneling has come loose and is falling on a passenger's head." WHAT? "We will be going back to the gate and maintenance will repair it." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I turned to look and sure enough, part of the ceiling (2' x 2') had come loose and was hanging by some wires. The plane was falling apart! This did not inspire confidence. An hour passed; the ceiling was fixed and we began to taxi. We stopped when the pilot advised there was a "ground hold in effect but it should only last 15 or 20 minutes." I chose 15, but I lost. So two hours and 20 minutes later, we actually took flight, only to arrive in Toronto to discover, as I said, our connecting plane was an hour late.
I was just glad we made it, seeing as how our plane appeared to be a lemon.
Is it any wonder my hand is doing a two-step!
An announcement was just made......"We will be further delayed as there is a slight maintenance problem on the plane."....... NOW WHAT?
The Richter Scale
About 30 years ago, I practiced law downtown and each lunch hour I would go to the public library to relax. One day I was sitting in an easy chair in the library when I felt a rumble go through me. I wondered what it was and looked to see the reactions of other patrons. There were none. Now we don't have earthquakes here on the Canadian prairies, so I put it down to the rumble of traffic; although, the rumble had been quite dramatic. Over the next few weeks, it happened a few more times, in various locations, with never any reaction from others around me. That is when I realized, it was an internal rumble or tremor. It was inside me!! I was going to go to the doctor to complain, but the rumble disappeared and never returned.
Now I wonder if that was not the first warning symptom of PD. It seems possible.
Speaking of earthquakes, here is my Richter scale for hand trembling down here in Miami Beach. (1 = minor tremor; 5 and above = major tremor.)
Doing morning stretches = 1
Walking with my right arm unengaged and hanging loose = 3
After a hard run on the beach in cool weather (74F) = 5
After a hard run on the beach in warm weather (85F) = 5.5
Relaxing on the beach trying to read a book = 6
Relaxing on the beach with my hand in my lap doing nothing = 7
Running along the topless beach = WHOA!!!
For any of these, I have strategies to reduce the tremor including, for higher Richter values, for example, I carry an ipod in my right hand and hold it tightly and for lessor Richter values, I make a fist in my right hand and squeeze it tightly. For the topless beach, I employ a face-saving strategy; I try to keep my eyes straight, while trying to avoid running into other runners.
For, as Will Rogers once said, "I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
Now I wonder if that was not the first warning symptom of PD. It seems possible.
Speaking of earthquakes, here is my Richter scale for hand trembling down here in Miami Beach. (1 = minor tremor; 5 and above = major tremor.)
Doing morning stretches = 1
Walking with my right arm unengaged and hanging loose = 3
After a hard run on the beach in cool weather (74F) = 5
After a hard run on the beach in warm weather (85F) = 5.5
Relaxing on the beach trying to read a book = 6
Relaxing on the beach with my hand in my lap doing nothing = 7
Running along the topless beach = WHOA!!!
For any of these, I have strategies to reduce the tremor including, for higher Richter values, for example, I carry an ipod in my right hand and hold it tightly and for lessor Richter values, I make a fist in my right hand and squeeze it tightly. For the topless beach, I employ a face-saving strategy; I try to keep my eyes straight, while trying to avoid running into other runners.
For, as Will Rogers once said, "I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
Saturday 10 March 2012
Wall-to-wall people
It is spring break down here and I hate crowds. I have never seen the beach this crowded so, with the exception of my two runs today, I have stayed indoors. Too bad, because the tremor I experienced yesterday, and had to hide in my pocket when I went out, has all but disappeared and I am feeling good again.
So, I complain about crowds. How trivial is that?
A man endures misfortune without complaint (Shubert)
Screw that!
So, I complain about crowds. How trivial is that?
A man endures misfortune without complaint (Shubert)
Screw that!
Friday 9 March 2012
PD is trying my patience!
I had a good day yesterday with a visit from a special person and her husband. I showed no symptoms of my PD, except for a softening of my voice. I gave myself a "good" on the Patients Like Me website.
It was too good to be true. Today was less than good. My wife and I went for a walk and my right hand was jumping around and I couldn't control it. Add to that a couple of quick twitches in my left hand and you can imagine my disappointment. I took extra mirapex and went for a 4 mile walk and my hand settled down. As I write this, 6 hours later, I have not had a recurrence of the hand jive, but I feel like there is a boulder hanging above me waiting to crush me. Of course, I hope that doesn't happen, but I realize, somewhat pessimistically, that tomorrow's hope is just a disguise for today's disappointment.
I remind myself of D.D. Eisenhower's words that pessimism never won a battle (or something like that). I will keep you posted.
My God! It is hot down here.
It was too good to be true. Today was less than good. My wife and I went for a walk and my right hand was jumping around and I couldn't control it. Add to that a couple of quick twitches in my left hand and you can imagine my disappointment. I took extra mirapex and went for a 4 mile walk and my hand settled down. As I write this, 6 hours later, I have not had a recurrence of the hand jive, but I feel like there is a boulder hanging above me waiting to crush me. Of course, I hope that doesn't happen, but I realize, somewhat pessimistically, that tomorrow's hope is just a disguise for today's disappointment.
I remind myself of D.D. Eisenhower's words that pessimism never won a battle (or something like that). I will keep you posted.
My God! It is hot down here.
Sunday 4 March 2012
I don't feel old. I don't feel anything till noon. That's when it's time for my nap.
Addendum to yesterday's post. An old friend read yesterday's blog and reminded me that age is a factor in word retrieval. I wondered how much aging was involved in the inability to retrieve words. So I googled it. How did we ever get along without google! Anyway, here is what I found:
It is normal for word-finding problems to increase as we age
It is normal for us to be slower in processing information as we age
Difficulty in retrieving words does not mean the words are lost; there is no evidence that we lose vocabulary in normal aging
There is little evidence for any change in semantic structure (the organization of words in memory) with age
Older adults probably have more trouble dealing with large amounts of information
Older adults may develop different strategies as they age, probably to accommodate their decline in processing speed and processing capacity
Google is a third lobe of our brains. It is getting harder to remember a time when I would have had to go to a library to look in a book to discover this information. Who knows, there may come a day when we all will long to do just that, because as someone once said, "True knowledge is knowing that you know nothing."
It is normal for word-finding problems to increase as we age
It is normal for us to be slower in processing information as we age
Difficulty in retrieving words does not mean the words are lost; there is no evidence that we lose vocabulary in normal aging
There is little evidence for any change in semantic structure (the organization of words in memory) with age
Older adults probably have more trouble dealing with large amounts of information
Older adults may develop different strategies as they age, probably to accommodate their decline in processing speed and processing capacity
Google is a third lobe of our brains. It is getting harder to remember a time when I would have had to go to a library to look in a book to discover this information. Who knows, there may come a day when we all will long to do just that, because as someone once said, "True knowledge is knowing that you know nothing."
Saturday 3 March 2012
Some guy hit my fender, and I told him, 'Be fruitful and multiply,' but not in those words. (Woody Allen)
I am losing my ability to find words when I speak. Awkward hesitations haunt my daily speech. Consequently, I am loath to contribute. The other day, while talking about the fact that Israel was surrounded by Hamas, Hezbollah and Fatah and the possibility of them losing a war with Iran, I said, "Remember the 6 day war? 50 million arabs against 2 million.........hesitation..." I could not think of the word "Israelis", so I quickly substituted "Jews". I am afraid that substitution did not make me sound too scholarly.
I googled the condition and found the following:
"Speech is about expressing ideas via the use of language. Language is a cognitive ability that can be present even when you cannot speak. In the case of people with PD, they may exhibit word-finding difficulties and grammatical difficulties. They tend, for example, to use simplified sentence structures with an increase in the ratio of open-class items (nouns, verbs, adjectives) to closed-class items (determiners, auxiliaries, prepositions, etc.), as well as an increase in the frequency and duration of hesitations and pauses." (Patrick McNamara, Ph.D.)
I my case, I find that misused words generate misleading generalities. The solution is to remain silent and be thought a fool rather than opening my mouth and removing any doubt as to my intellectual ability.
Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-hats all folks....(Porky Pig)
I googled the condition and found the following:
"Speech is about expressing ideas via the use of language. Language is a cognitive ability that can be present even when you cannot speak. In the case of people with PD, they may exhibit word-finding difficulties and grammatical difficulties. They tend, for example, to use simplified sentence structures with an increase in the ratio of open-class items (nouns, verbs, adjectives) to closed-class items (determiners, auxiliaries, prepositions, etc.), as well as an increase in the frequency and duration of hesitations and pauses." (Patrick McNamara, Ph.D.)
I my case, I find that misused words generate misleading generalities. The solution is to remain silent and be thought a fool rather than opening my mouth and removing any doubt as to my intellectual ability.
Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-hats all folks....(Porky Pig)
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