The Other "C" Word for Parkinson's People....CONSTIPATION!!!!!

  CAN WE TALK ABOUT CONSTIPATION??
         It is difficult to write and post about bodily functions!!  However, maybe some readers have better plans for bodily functions than I have.  I was diagnosed in Jan of 2019 although I think I had PD for close to a year before diagnosis.  Before PD, I was rarely constipated and maybe had to take a stool softener now and then after a trip and ate different foods. Now I have constipation all of the time.  I have found that eating a banana everyday helps a lot!! If I don't eat a banana each day, I have major bowel problems. I usually need to take a stool softener.  It is so uncomfortable to be constipated!! When you can't go, it is all you think about and that makes it even worse!! And then I don't want to leave the house because i don't want to miss an opportunity if I get the urge to go!!   I found the information below online. OK< enough talk about my bodily bowel functions!! I added a lot of cartoons for some comic relief and because this is a weird subject to discuss in a blog,  but  it is a REAL problem for many people who suffer with Parkinson's.!!

The most obvious symptom of constipation is the inability to pass stool. An individual may feel as if they need to or are about to have a bowel movement but cannot complete the action. When this occurs, it is important to avoid straining, as this can cause more problems, such as tearing and hemorrhoids. 

Constipation can be unpleasant and frustrating. And it can happen to anyone. Usually a high fiber diet helps relieve constipation, while a low fiber diet aggravates it.

Some types of common daily food may cause constipation. Those who are bothered by constipation may consider reduce these foods from daily diet. Dairy, red meats, chocolate, unripe bananas and persimmons, and processed grains can cause constipation! 

Constipation is a common yet very annoying disease. It means that your bowel movement happens less than usual and you have difficulty trying to pass. Almost everyone goes through constipation at some point. Frequency of bowel movement differ from person to person. Some people have them three times a day. Others have them just a few times a week. However, doctors usually consider constipation as going longer than 3 or more days without one poop. What are the symptoms? You are likely to experience:

• Few bowel movements
• Having bowel movement trouble (straining to go)
• Hard or small stools
• A sense that everything didn’t come out
• Belly bloating

Why do I have constipation? Some of the most common causes include:

• Changes in your diet or your activities
• Not enough water or fiber in your diet
• Eating a lot of dairy products
• Seldom exercise
• Resisting the urge to poop
• Stress
• Overuse of laxatives
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Some medications (especially strong pain drugs such as narcotics, antidepressants, and iron pills

      I wrote this blog below a year ago and 

so much has changed!!!! I NEVER thought I would be posting about the "C" word!!

 I didn't know that I had Parkinson's Disease. I knew for certain that I had Sciatica and I had no idea that I had Parkinson's.  I attributed all of my symptoms to the painful Sciatica that I had.  I thought that the Hyperbaric Chamber would help me and i thought that medical marijuana would help me.  Neither worked and I feel like i am still at a terrible pain level for Sciatica!! Last year I had so much hope for getting better from Sciatica and I still have it!!!!!!!

DAY 285 of 365 DAYS OF Being THANKFUL  October 12, 2018

Today I am thankful for the beautiful flowers that Dan got for me

He feels bad that I am in so much pain, it is never ending and has gotten worse! He and Olivia went to the farm market and got fruits and veggies and he got the flowers for me. I love flowers!
         I am also so thankful that my pot card came in the mail today!!! Olivia went out and checked the mail about 5:15 and the card arrived! I checked the store hours and they closed at 6 pm.  Dan and I left right away because it was about a 20 minute drive.  We got there at 5:50.  I had to fill out some forms and show my pot card and ID and then we went into shop.  It is a small store. The store looks like a former Dairy Queen store. I spoke to the salespeople and they made recommendations to me.

I got two bottles that you use to put drops under your tongue.  And I got a filled vape pen. I have never used one before. I put a few drops under my tongue but haven't felt any difference.  Dan told me to get a few things to try.   It is not cheap. The small vape pen and two bottles cost $180 and that was with a 20% off first time buyer. Olivia opened my vape pen and had me inhale.  She cracked up watching me which then made me crack up!! The vape pen said Bubba Kush on it which also cracked her up! She told me that is "real marijuana" and I was smoking pot.  All of the stuff I got is real marijuana, I think.  I just gave the pot doc's name to someone else. One of Olivia's friend's mom is also in chronic pain so she wants to also get medical marijuana.
          After I get rid of my pain or most of my pain, I am going to go into a hyperbaric chamber.  There is a location close to where I live.  My friend Jill told me about it.  She also had herniated discs and sciatica and she is now pain free! You have to sit inside a huge bubble which is sealed for an hour. You are supposed to go at least 3 times per week.  And, of course, none of it is covered by insurance.  The same for medical marijuana, it is all out of the pocket cash for doctors and for the marijuana itself. I am claustrophobic so I am not sure I can do the hyperbaric chamber,  but I am going to go and check it out!
   
  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment which enhances the body's natural healing process by inhalation of 100% oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled.  It is used for a wide variety of treatments usually as a part of an overall medical care plan.

Under normal circumstances, oxygen is transported throughout the body only by red blood cells. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluids, the plasma, the central nervous system fluids, the lymph, and the bone and can be carried to areas where circulation is diminished or blocked.  In this way, extra oxygen can reach all of the damaged tissues and the body can support its own healing process.  The increased oxygen greatly enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduces swelling and allows new blood vessels to grow more rapidly into the affected areas.  It is a simple, non-invasive and painless treatment.