Dealing with Parkinson's Disease

I'm not very comfortable discussing Parkinson's with close friends and family. Many friends don't ask.They talk to each other, word gets out that I have "something wrong". Friends I do tell? They drift away and say to each other they think I had a stroke, or something.  Online is a little strange, many people don't want to deal with real life events or friends crisis--so I don't post on my own FB page about real struggles. Maybe I should but I don't. As for gofund, etc. Once in a while I post a link to ' relaxsteve '. Imagine if everyone could afford to give $50 to every friend's gofundme. I only setup the gofundme page with the hopes a billionaire might drop me a hundred thousand or two.  But I never campaigned for donors or asked friends/family for help day-to-day struggles. When I first made the gofundme page I wrote "$500,000 minimum" that will filter my close friends and family out and hopefully get $ from a wealthy kind sou...

You're Still You Song by Josh Groban This is not specific to someone with Parkinson's but the title drew me in and the song is beautiful. Through the darkness i can see your light And you will always shine And I can feel your heart in mine Your face I've memorized i idolize just you I look up to everything you are In my eyes you do no wrong I've loved you for so long And after all that's said and done You're still you after all You're still you you walk past me I can feel your pain time changes everything One truth always stays the same You're still you after all You're still you I look up to everything you are In my eyes you do no wrong And I believe in you Although you never asked me to I will remember you And what life put you through And in this cruel and lonely world I've found one love You're still you after all You're still you Source: LyricFind

Music is great therapy. Sometimes I share music inspired by a connection to PD. "Climb This Mountain" is the come-back release of country singer Rob Georg, after he took a break from his career due to the Corona Pandemic and taking care of his parents, who have both been diagnosed with severe illnesses in early 2020. Rob’s dad has been fighting against Parkinson's disease for a long time and the new track ‘Climb This Mountain’ elaborates that struggle and his Dad's process of learning how to live with it, with the support of his loving family. Just like the title suggests, there is a potent dose of optimism in the track. It turned out to be a Parkinson's Awareness song that can motivate everyone.

The Covid plague had a lot of invisible effects on people. Two of the Parkinson’s symptoms that ht me very hard are fatigue and apathy.  If you haven't experienced this combo, it's not easy to imagine having good "on time" when meds are working pretty good and having to decide what you will do during this "on time" window that may close at any moment or stay open for a couple of hours.  I have a list in my head and on paper of things to do when meds are working. In no particular order: Take a shower, cut my nails, pay bills, vacuum, pick up medication, buy some groceries, reply to email, call a friend or relative, shave, do dishes. While I sit frozen in my body, I also think of huge projects, getting physical therapy, replacing appliances, home and auto repairs and moving to more affordable home. Oh I left out one ingredient. Anxiety. Add anxiety to apathy and fatigue. It's not good. And it is horrible for a spouse / partner / care giver who frequently g...

10 Lesser-Known Parkinson's Disease Symptoms August 28, 2015 from the MJFF Feed 10 Lesser-Known Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Before you or a loved one was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, you may have only been familiar with the tremor symptom. Unfortunately, the disease brings with it a range of symptoms, some visible and many not. Lack of awareness around certain symptoms can delay diagnosis. For people with Parkinson's, it can sometimes be difficult to tell when symptoms are a part of Parkinson's disease or from something else. And if you're not aware that something is a Parkinson's symptom, you may also not be aware that it can be treated. It can be overwhelming to hear about a symptom you weren't aware of yet, but as always, knowledge is power. If you're experiencing a new symptom and you're not sure if it's related to Parkinson's, ask your doctor. It may be another part of a complex disease that researchers are always learning mo...

New Study Finds That Gut Microbiome Changes May Be an Early Sign of Parkinson's Disease Long Before Traditional Symptoms Appear The researchers hope these initial findings can help lead to earlier diagnosis (and treatment) of the neurodegenerative disease. A new study published May 2, 2023 in the journal Nature Communications reveals another possible way we might be able to spot Parkinson's disease early—and even before noticeable symptoms arise. According to this research, there are noticeable changes in the gut microbiota during the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease, and this may help doctors diagnose and offer targeted treatment before the disease progresses further. Read article on  eatingwell

"Call on the Fighter" began as a simple idea...create and offer original music to encourage and inspire "fighters" along their Parkinson's journey. Colleen Bridges, owner, and director of Bridges for Parkinson's found the perfect fit in one of her own fighters, Rich Gootee. Rich, an award-winning singer/songwriter, knows all too well the constant and daily struggles as he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2018. Colleen's experience, research, and regular boxing classes have helped Rich and many others discover the fight within themselves to overcome the otherwise debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease. Together, Colleen, Rich, and their team have grown the music idea into an effort to help even more fighters find restoration and hope by raising funds so that nobody will ever have to be turned away from their local program.

April 11 is World Parkinson's Day and April is Parkinson's Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness and advance research toward better therapies and a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD). It's also a day to signal your commitment to a future without PD. Rally your friends and family to make a donation to support PD groups, affordable treatments and finding a cure! About Parkinson's Disease (PD) The symptoms of Parkinson’s are mainly from the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells which control movement. Low levels of dopamine affect how your body moves, making day-to-day activities such as eating, getting dressed or using everyday objects like a phone or computer difficult. The symptoms typically associated with Parkinson’s are tremor, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement, but nothing about PD is typical, everyone will have varied experiences. Parkinson’s can cause a wide range of non-movement related symptoms including chronic pain, sleep disturbance, ...

SCRIPPS News: Man with Parkinson's uses high tech devices to treat symptoms, continue liiving his life. 80% of Parkinson's patients suffer from a symptom called "freezing of gait." It’s when people suddenly lose the ability to take a step.  SOURCE