Statistics

Weekly Stats Report: 17 Jul - 23 Jul 2017 
Project: parkinson's
URL: http://www.wpgchap.blogspot.ca

Summary

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total	Avg
Pageloads	24	12	41	21	22	13	37	170	24
Unique Visits	18	11	28	15	12	9	17	110	16
First Time Visits	6	2	9	2	3	1	4	27	4
Returning Visits	12	9	19	13	9	8	13	83	12

From around the world 83,436 page views

It is easy to become an old-timer, just don't die.

I wanted to live my life in an astounding manner. As I look back,I may have achieved that goal in a small percentage of my life time. Life itself got in the way. Certainly the birth of my children and grandchildren astounded me and my marriage is not far behind. I doubt I can achieve it now. l don't have much time left. I have one foot in the grave and figure on another 10 - 15 years of existence. The one big complication is, I have PD. It won't kill me, so how will I die with PD? I just hope it will be a dignified death.

The problem is that we all know our time on earth is limited and death is a part of the journey. But, what if you are like me, a 25 year old in a 71 year old body? If you are dealing with the same nonsense as I, you think you are going to live forever, or not far off forever. But then something happens to bring you face-to-face with your maker.

I have been in those situations twice this week; witness:

1. my wife with three grandchildren and I had been trudging around the zoo for 3 or 4 hours. it was a hot, humid day, and the kids were getting antsy so we decided to take the little shuttle back to the entrance. Unfortunately, it was full and there were two big, tough, mean-looking fellows sitting on one bench, waiting for the next shuttle, and the children and wife took up the other bench. I leaned against a pole dividing the two benches, in a spot that would not allow me to look in their direction, and thereby perhaps incite, the huge fellows on the first bench. I hunched up against the pole using my walking stick to help, restraining PD symptoms that were trying to appear, when one of the guys tapped me on my shoulder, "Excuse me sir. Would you like to take my seat?" one of the fellows said. "Gladly", I replied and turned to see the gentle giant's soft smile.

   Lessons learned: You can't tell a book from its cover and I am getting old, (not "older", just "old") not only in appearance, but in my actions as well.

2. The chevy Equinox is a great car but for PWP getting in and out is a problem. It often takes me 30 seconds.

   My wife and I went to garage sales this weekend and, since the beach is in a rural area, water drainage is by way of ditches. When you pull your car over to park, two wheels are very near the edge of the ditch. My wife was driving. I started to get out the passenger side, having all the usual difficulties compounded by PD shaking and by the fact that the edge of the ditch was wet and slippery, but I was certain I could handle it. A man saw my struggles and came quickly over, "Do you need a hand old-timer?"

   OLDTIMER!!??

   The man looked as old as I felt (mid thirties). He stuck out his hand and pulled me to the road.

   Lessons learned: There are still guardian angels and they walk among us in disguise and I am one more day closer to eternity

I was grateful for both helpers being there. In both cases, I could have handled it alone, but, truth be told, they made my life a little better. Yes, as Steve Martin said, "A day without sunshine is, like, you know,.... night."

PD can bide its time out on the slow lane

My PD is progressing rather slowly but I am acutely aware that could change at any time. Why? I've been good. Tried to be nice to my friends and enemies. I like dogs and other small animals. If I rapidly decline, it will not be fair!

OK, let's get this straight. Fairness, good or bad, is not the cause of any sudden PD decline. When, and, if and only if, I experience rapid deterioration, I shall be ready. The net has articles on the subject, so let's hear from the experts.

Here are the top10 reasons for rapid decline ( devised by Brian Megennis, parkinson's disease nurse specialist, Mater Misericordiac University Hospital, Dublin)

1. Constipation
2. illness / surgery, infection
3. Stress related episode
4. Dehydration
5. Withdrawal / change in meds /non-compliance
6. Use neuroleptics or other contra-indicated drugs (neuro what?????)
7. Depression
8. Acute/chronic paid
9. Anxiety, panic attacks
10. poor sleep / lack of sleep

Well, just another in a long list of the joys of PD. But, it won't happen to me. No way. Why?

Here is why.

1. I used to suffer from the Aztec 2-step. Constipation is welcome.
2. I don't believe that I will ever get THAT sick
3. No stress. I am the embodiment of mellow yellow
4. I drink the required amount of water daily
5. I won't need a change in meds. The ones I have, work well.
6. I don't know what these are and I refuse to look them up.
7. I have never suffered from a serious depression. Why would that change?
8. I have had chronic pain and I could deal with it then and will deal with it if it arises in the future.
9. Not likely to happen.
10. Sleep! Who needs sleep?

No, I won't be a victim of the rapid loss syndrome. It is not in my future (here the writer touches wood. You know......Just in case.)

Another day, another......

No boxer in the history of boxing has had Parkinson's. There's no injury in my brain that suggests that the illness came from boxing. (Muhammad Ali)

You have to admit he had a point there. If he was the only boxer in history, to have had parkinson's, it kind of rules out head trauma as a cause of the condition (notice I said "condition"; parkinson's is not a "disease"). Look at George Chuvalo, five times Canadian champ and was never knocked down. He was battered and bruised by the likes of Terrell, Frasier, Foreman and twice by Ali but last I heard he was going strong at 79.

Maybe Ali was right.

As for me, boxing is going OK. It is a decent workout but I still do my morning workout. A lady in my class has had PD for 14 years and you would never know it! She credits her condition to exercise.

Workout whenever you can. Become obsessive .

I hope my obsession with exercise keeps me symptom free for 14 years. I see people in the class who cannot control their tremor, others that are stiff and stooped and I hope I never deteriorate that far.

I went to my neuro yesterday. Here is our conversation.

Doc: How are you doing?
Me: Good.
Doc: You are just here for your 6 month checkup. I have no other agenda.

A discussion ensues about my medication; he checks my hands (no tremor) and tells me Rock Steady Boxing is good for me.

Silence falls.

Doc: Well, I,......
Me: Will see me in another 6 months?
Doc: Right

I get up and leave. The whole appointment lasted less than 5 minutes. Not that I am complaining. The brevity of my appointment just means I am doing well. I hate the thought of longer appointments...you know what that means.

I leave you with this fact concerning parkinson's:

People are much less likely to get Parkinson's Disease if they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, have high cholesterol, and drink too much coffee.

I wonder if they exercise?

"Everybody has a plan, until they get punched in the face" - Mike Tyson

Boxing is OK. The problem is, I am not very good at it (well, I am better than 50% of the boxers ... the 50% that are in a higher PD stage than I.) Some of the participants can hit the heavy bag, when I am holding for them, so hard, it knocks me back a couple of steps. And fast! They're two times as fast as I am. It is a tad frustrating and demoralizing.

Who knew the sport was so complex! Each session we practise combinations. To be effective, and not look like an enfeebled, unathletic, lacklustre, bozo, these combinations have to be automatic. Not for me! I tell my brain, "it is jab, cross, side hook, upper cut". Sometimes my brain will co-operate, but more often, it replies something like "jab, cross, damn, I don't remember the next move!"

Have you ever tried hitting the small speed ball. Never going to happen for me. Talk about discouraging! That thing is impossible and yet about 50% of the class is proficient at making it dance.

However, all I need to know is it helps slow the progress of PD and is a good workout.

"Hague (an original founder) says while it may seem counterintuitive to think that boxing would be good for someone with Parkinson's, research has shown that any sort of forced activity is good for the brain. Every time members throw a punch or learn a new set of punches, Hauge says they are building new pathways in their brains that allow them to work better.

'First of all, we don't hit each other,' he says. 'We do a lot of stretching and we're making our brains work differently again as people with Parkinson's tend to curl up and stop moving.'

For Hague, a former nurse of 21 years, the program provides something essential for its participants.

'I see all of these people, a lot of them who were not exercising and suffering from depression, now finding friendship and camaraderie,' he said.

"They're fighting back against this disease."

I would like to show this disease who is boss....but perhaps by some other method.

My father was a boxer. He was an excellent athlete. He won some kind of boxing championship in the Canadian army. I can still see him sitting in his chair, pipe in hand, and ducking and weaving as if he were both boxers in the fight he was watching on television. He would be disappointed if I quit and so, I will carry on and hopefully get better.

I always thought of boxing as a primitive sport. I don't anymore. It is symbol of masculinity that has been lost over time. Two gladiators fighting for the prize and doing it with practised excellence. What a picture!

I am just glad we don't hit each other.

readers might notice the change in similes in paragraph 2. A reader, a good friend and quasi-editor pointed out that there was something wrong with the phrase "like a weak little girl." There was. It was lazy writing and sexist,