Sciatica is preventing me from Parkinson's Exercises and Boxing Programs.

         Sometimes when I first wake up in the morning, I totally forget that I have Parkinson's and sciatica!  If I can walk to the bathroom without my walker, my diagnosis stays hidden for a while longer. My sciatica usually rears it's ugly head when I am standing at the sink washing my face and brushing my teeth. I want to slay the sciatica dragon but it is more powerful than I am at the present time.             

I am trying to learn everything I can so that I can get rid of the monster.  At the current time, the only Parkinson's symptom that I have is my gait.  The Levodopa usually helps me to walk  without a walker even though it is painful. The painful sciatica, however, DEMANDS that I use a walker. The two things are always at odds...my sciatica pain and my goal to not be dependent on the walker.  If I can walk without the walker, I do it even though it is painful. Some days are better than others. I have had to use a walker most of the day yesterday and today. I need the walker because of my sciatica not my Parkinson's disease.  My in home PT wants me to do the BIG Program  but she said she can't do that with me until we get the sciatica to be less painful.  I fond these sciatica exercises on youtube. I am going to try these exercises tomorrow.

  
This guy EXPLAINS everything in layman's terms.  I am going to do his exercises for a few weeks and then blog about the results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDkw-Zi5M

        I want to start the Parkinson's BIG program so that I can get a jump start on living with Parkinson's. I am glad that I don't have tremors now but I feel them under my skin. The goal of the BIG program is to retrain your brain because Parkinson's disease makes movements smaller. I don't have any problems with balance now but I would love to never have any problems with it.
         I have been reading PINTEREST boards because my sister is having a small shower for my niece.  She is due in Aug. It is fun looking at all of the shower decorations, especially the decorations for girls.  My niece is having a girl! I am going to do a clothesline with baby clothes hung on it as a decoration and as a gift.  I did a clothesline for Renee's wedding shower.  I hung her christening gown, her First Communion Dress, her Prom gown and her Graduation cap and gown.   I wrapped the white pearl beads I used as the clothesline in blue netting because that was the color of the bridesmaids dresses.  I also hung pictures of Renee in each outfit!

         Some people, like my friend Joanne, are so creative and so talented!  When my daughter Renee gets pregnant, my friend Joanne is going to help me with the decorations and my friend Priscilla is going to help me with the favors.  We are gathering tea cups to fill with candy kisses and a tea bag and wrap them in pink or blue netting.  Priscilla has found so many  tea cups in her travels! It is important to have friends!  The other day I was in Acme and went in the self check-out line.  I was having problems with my coupons and getting the register to accept them.  My old work friend/acquaintance Helen works in Acme and she came over and helped me.  Helen use to be a secretary in one of the school districts I worked in years ago.  I was always so nice to her because she was a very nice person.  I didn't recognize her at first when she started working at the Acme in my neighborhood but she recognized me right away!
         Dan went to pick up Olya at college,  and he and Olya will be back home tomorrow! I am so excited that she will be home for the summer!  I hope she got good grades this semester because she worked so hard. Her last exam is tomorrow and Dan will go watch trains while he is waiting for her.  Then they will pack up the car with her boxes.  We already took one load home when we went to visit her for Easter!  I hope they fit everything that is left in the car!
         Today I am having lunch with my friend Deb.  I just LOVE being with Deb, she is such a positive and upbeat person.  Her stepdaughter is dealing with a medical condition that is serious. Those conditions always effect everyone in the family. I hope she has all positive results!

The BIG program is an adaptation for muscular disorders of the clinically proven Lee Silverman Voice Training (LSVT) LOUD method, which was developed in 1987 to improve voice and speech in individuals with Parkinson's disease. LSVT BIG is an intensive, effective, one-on-one treatment created to help people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurological conditions address walking, balance and other activities of daily living (for example, writing, dressing and getting up from low chairs) or even job-related tasks