POSITIVE with PARKINSONS

   I have NO IDEA why someone reported my blog as spam to Facebook. I know that I am not breaking any of the community standards. I haven't used foul language  or asked anyone for money and I don't make any financial gains from my blog.  So here is a link if you want to follow my blog. Copy and paste the link http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=7348046165&blog=20295421&frame_type=none      Click on subscribe and then i think it will be delivered to your email!           My best friend Priscilla is so wonderful. She has been putting all of my photos on a CD for me so that I have them on my computer. I know it is taking her hours and hours to do it and I really appreciate it. She has a scanner. And she got me the most amazing gift.  It is a two sided ornament type photo of Amy when she was little. SWEET AMY        Amy was such a beautiful baby and person inside and outside. I always thought I was going to have all boys so when the doctor said...."it&#

        Today I got up after sleeping four hours in a row. I figured it would be a good day PD wise!  After I got up, showered and dressed, I came downstairs and read my emails. I am so annoyed that Facebook keeps denying my blog posts.  This just started yesterday. If I ask them to review the post, they then review it and allow the posting but it takes several days.  So if you want to continue to read my blog posts please join People with Parkinsons Facebook group.        I went to the cardio class this morning.  I noticed that I am having such a difficult time doing transitions from one exercise to the next!  I finally get the exercise correct and then the instructor goes and switches the exercise!  I must look cray but I keep trying to get them right!! I also found out that i like walking with hand weights. I can walk with two 3 pound weights and I find it enjoyable!! That is a first because I hate to exercise. I went to Kohls after the exercise class, I had to return something and

  I tried to copy the link from you tube but it went against community standards and I wasn't permitted to post it! I couldn't go to the gym today because they had no water which meant no toilets, showers, etc.  So I stayed home and searched you tube videos for exercises for Parkinson's Disease. The water at the gym is supposed to be back on by tomorrow so I won't have any excuse not to go!  Today I went on you tube and did these balance exercises.  I had typed in the video but it went against community standards and I wasn't permitted to post it. Just type in balance exercises for Parkinson's. They were all fairly simple to watch and to follow.  I had difficulty doing the exercise where you have to hold your one leg up in the front while balancing. I had to keep holding onto the chair!  The nice thing is that you can do them at your own pace in the privacy of your home!  Everyday I am going to try to do one or more of these youtube exercises for Parkinson's

     I couldn't go to the gym today because they had no water which meant no toilets, showers, etc.  So I stayed home and searched youtube videos for exercises for Parkinson's Disease. The water at the gym is supposed to be back on by tomorrow so I won't have any excuse not to go!  Today I went on youtube and did these balance exercises.  I had typed in the video but it went against community standards and I wasn't permitted to post it. Just type in balance exercises for Parkinson's. They were all fairly simple to watch and to follow.  I had difficulty doing the exercise where you have to hold your one leg up in the front while balancing. I had to keep holding onto the chair!  The nice thing is that you can do them at your own pace in the privacy of your home!  Everyday I am going to try to do one or more of these youtube exercises for Parkinson's.  I would say that it is a good plan to have a chair nearby.  I needed to grab onto it for the balance exercise wh

        Today I received my free PD Care Kit. I sent away for it less than two weeks ago! There are lots of useful items in the bag. It contains a PD ID bracelet, a place to list all medical info including doctor's names and phone numbers a medication booklet and an informative booklet.  The best part is that the kit is free!!   This morning I slept in until almost 9:30 am because I had been up most of the night tossing and turning! I was meeting a few bereaved mom friends for lunch at 11:30. We had so much fun hanging together and chatting and laughing and catching up with each other!  They all thought that I looked good for having PD and I guess I was walking OK. It's hard for me to stand, I am OK sitting or walking.   After lunch I went to the library book club. The librarian was away at a conference and she had asked me to run the daytime meeting.  It is so easy to run that meeting because she always has a short video for us and a list of book club questions! I think th

        Today I am in pain but it is a really good pain!  I had insomnia most of the night, but fell asleep from 5 a m until 9:30 a m.  Sleeping four hours in a row is just a wonderful feeling! When I got up, dressed and showered I met my sister at the gym. The class we wanted to attend was cancelled but we walked on the treadmill, rode the bikes and went in the weight room.  After our hour at the gym I came home and made lunch/dinner. I was hungry for real food so I made breaded chicken cutlets and baked potatoes.  My Physical Therapist Emily came for our 1 hour in home therapy.  I really like working with Emily, she is sweet and she gets it that my brain just doesn't always process everything the way I want it to.  The chicken was cooking while I was doing the exercises and I was so so hungry!! We started the LSVT BIG program.  I was OK doing most of the exercises but it is difficult for me to switch to the next one. I guess my PD brain does not make transitions easily.   I am in

         I wrote a blog post about exercising a few days ago. This is how I started the post........I think that exercising is really the best medicine in every situation!  The beginning two words were .............I THINK.  I wasn't preaching or ordering anyone to do anything. Someone wrote a comment telling me to stop telling him what to do and that he would do what was best for himself.  If he doesn't like what I blog about, then he shouldn't be reading my blog. When I read that comment, I thought to myself........YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!!!! To the best of my knowledge, everyone is supposed to exercise to stay healthy, especially if you have a movement disorder. My neurologist tells me that I should try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day!!         Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and shares information!!           Someone else commented on my blog about drinking urine as a medicine. He said he does it and he has felt so much better!  Are you kidding me?  I lo

        Today my PT came to evaluate me. My neuro sent a  slip for me for PT.  I could do so many more things now that I couldn't do last year. It is all because my Sciatica is about 50% less than it has been.  I don't know why  I don't care why, I just am glad that I can walk without excruciating pain 24/7. I still have sciatica pain but it is so much more manageable now!! I was really happy to see Emily,!  She is going to work with me for two weeks in PT and then she and the OT are going to do the LSVT BIG program with me!!   We had planned to do it last year but my pain was so terrible that I just could NOT even do any of the exercises! Now I did much better on the assessment. Most of my issues now are Parkinson's related, not as much Sciatica related. ( LSVT BIG® can be delivered by a physical or occupational therapist and is administered in 16 sessions over a single month (four sessions per week). This protocol was developed to address the unique movement impai

         Per usual, I was awake off and on all night. Yesterday I exercised at home for about 45 minutes and that usually helps me sleep.  But there is no rhyme or reason with PD and what constitutes normal any more.  I woke up after sleeping about two hours from 7 to 9 a m.  I scrunched over and dangled my legs off the side of the bed and waited to feel movement in my feet. Then I got up and hobbled to the bathroom with my rolling walker.  I ran the shower and brushed my teeth. Then I took what use to be a ten minute shower(and now is at least 25-20 min) and dried off. I put on my serum moisturizer and brushed my hair.  By the way, I use No. 7 face products and they are great. They can be found at Target and Walgreens and can be purchased online.  After getting dressed, I cleaned the bathroom counter/sink and cleaned the toilet. I am anal about cleaning.  I made my bed and looked at the clock. I carried down the trash from my bathroom trash can. Whenever I am carrying something, I nee

        I have noticed that food doesn't taste as good as it use to taste. I think some of my taste buds are diminishing.  I hope it doesn't continue because I really LOVE food. I would hate to not be able to taste so many delicious things.  I seem to need more salt, more seasoning, etc.  I am hoping that if it continues that it takes a long time to lose all taste. I don't even know if that happens to PD people.I looked online about PD and loss of taste buds and this is the conclusion I found online (  Impaired  taste  appreciation was found in about 27% of patients with clinically defined  PD . There were no important effects from age, disease severity or smell sense). A lot of people online have reported that their food tastes like cardboard, or nothing tastes good, and they have no desire to eat.  Some PD people have reported that their taste buds come and go. Some people have reported loss of smell. There are not any treatments for lost sense of smell. However, reduced

         Today I called and made an appointment with my doctor because I have had a cough from the flu for over two weeks.      It is so annoying and I just can't seem to shake it off.  I couldn't see my regular doc because he was booked so I had to see one of the other docs! He said that some people have effects of the flu for over 4 weeks!  Yikes! I thought it would be over by now and I had gotten a flu shot!  So much for the flu shot! He gave me an antibiotic and prescription cough medicine with codeine, hopefully it will work!  While I was there I asked him about taking Statins with PD. I told him that someone in one of  the PD  groups told me that statins are really bad for people with PD. I read a few articles online that said they can exacerbate the effects of PD.  He told me that he hadn't read anything about it at all and it was better for me to check with my neurologist.  Below is the latest information I have found about PD and statins! :  Recent studies hav

         Tonight I went to my first PD support group meeting!   I kept planning to go and finally I did tonight! For some reason, I expected it to be very small, like a group of 9 or 10 people!  There were at least 30-35 people in attendance! I think there were twice as many males as females.  Two PTs came to talk about their new program/business. In addition to doing the regular prescribed PT sessions or the BIG program, they are also going to offer follow up classes for PD people!  They said that after PD patients finish the BIG program and/or private PT sessions, there really is not another program geared especially to PD people unless they join a boxing program.  I think that is a great idea, they are definitely thinking outside the box!  They are also going to have a nutritionist/dietician available for hire and a massage therapist!  And they are going to start a chair yoga class. I have that class at my gym so I will stick with the one I am in. The classes will cost $20/sessio

        I think that exercising is really the best medicine in every situation!  Wouldn't it be nice if our bodies craved exercise like they crave chocolate??  Some people seem to really enjoy exercising, to me it is a necessary evil!  I know the benefits but I have chosen to ignore them until now.  With PD, exercise is a MUST! When my Sciatica is raging, I feel like it is a reason to choose not to exercise but when it is quieter, I really should be doing it!! I am forcing myself to go to day!  I talked my sister into joining my gym but she has to work today. Hopefully, she will go with me tomorrow.  It is always more fun to go with a friend than to go alone and there is accountability with going together!! She will make me go because I talked her into joining.        Last night I slept for six hours straight!! I was so tired during the day yesterday but I would not allow myself to lie down. I barely slept on Sat night so I really needed to get a few hours sleep last night  I hope

        Sometimes I get so tired, so fatigued for absolutely no reason. I am sure it has to do with Parkinson's.  Some days I just feel like I would just like to sleep the day away! Most nights I have terrible insomnia. But if I exercise I usually can sleep for a few hours and then I am not as tired in the morning. However, some times, even if I exercise, I don't sleep well at night!  And sometimes even when I sleep for a few hours at night, I still am fatigued the next day. There is no rhyme or reason to this disease. I figured out that exercising helps me more than most things, and I try NOT to nap during the day because that just aggravates my insomnia! I think we all need to find out what works best for us. When I get fatigued during the day, I have to force myself not to sleep.  If I sit down, I am done for!! I have to make myself do something physical, such as dust or clean, so that I don't allow myself to sit because I would be asleep in less than a few minutes!    

        Last night I went to the local library writer's group. It is open to anyone who enjoys writing and sharing and listening to things others have written.  It was  a small group of about six people. .I shared that I blog almost everyday and have blogged for years as well as just write short pieces  because I enjoy writing.  I mentioned the name of my blog and the person sitting next to me told me that she also has Parkinson's Disease.  She looked so young!  I enjoyed chatting with her, she attends the local support group which I have been thinking about going to check out! I will definitely go now that I know a nice person who is part of the group and who is very upbeat!          Yesterday I took my sister to my gym and she joined!! She enjoyed the class we attended. I am glad she joined because I will be more motivated to go.  She was working today but I still went to the cardio workout class for silver sneakers!  I really enjoyed the class. I  met a woman who told m

        My legs often feel like they are made of lead, especially when I wake up in the middle of the night.  They are stiff and rigid, and I have so much difficulty rolling over or just moving to the edge of the bed to get up and out. I sort of feel like I am pulling my legs up and out of quicksand! After I have been in bed sleeping or just sitting on a couch for a few hours, my legs are stiff and rigid! I already wake up several times during the night due to my PD sleep disorder.  I am rigid on both sides of my body.  My muscles are stiff and resist moving. At night when I wake up, I have to take my right arm and pull up my left arm from under my body if I am sleeping on it or vice versa!  I can't just pull up my arm by itself....so annoying!!!          My friend Debbie, also a bereaved mom, sent us a box of Valentine goodies!  I already finished my bag of candies. The flowers are for Amy, Debbie never forgets her.  And her adorable granddaughters Brielle and Paige always send m