Barbara Ford

The diagnosis was  made in 2013, but Looking back, the noticeable symptoms began maybe as early as 2005.

<p style=”text-align: left;”>To everyone on this thread: thank you for sharing the challenges you face. The first 7 years since being diagnosed, my symptoms were, for the most part, noticeable only to me. When the tremor in my right foot became a bit pronounced, Sinemet worked magic. For the past year, my symptoms have been gaining me and now I…[Read more]

Dreams have always been part of my REM sleep. PD diagnosis and treatment began in 2013 and in 2016, the nightmares began. Usually they occur 2 or 3 in a week’s time, then weeks of peaceful sleep. Recently, there have been fewer nightmares and more dreams that are busy and intense. These are often acted out, much talking out loud – mostly g…[Read more]

For years before I was diagnosed with PD, I would have strong full body jerks when falling asleep. I thought it was just my body relaxing after a stressful day, and was “natural “.  The jerks still occur, no more and no less than before my diagnosis.

The dreams I have range from fussing at someone to being attacked by someone who comes out of nowhere. Sometimes I move around but I have never struck my husband or jumped or fell out of bed. I always shout or scream and my husband wakes me up and we go back to sleep.

Beth, I can relate to your issue of not being able to eat like I should. My sense of taste and smell are working, and even if it is a food I like, a few bites and I just can’t eat any more. Unfortunately, this does not extend to sweets!

I do have digestive issues.  Everything appears normal to the doctors, but my lower intestine hurts, I feel ex…[Read more]

In the 8 years of treatment for Parkinson’s, I have learned that the list of “typical “ symptoms, such as stiffness, tremor, tiny handwriting, etc. are far from being all the symptoms one might experience. The difficulty is trying to figure out what is and what is not related to Parkinson’s. Add aging (I am 74) to the mix, and the mystery expands…[Read more]

In past years, the garden club I belong to, filled my winter gardening void. We would meet monthly and it was an opportunity for socializing, learning and sharing. As Vice President, I had an opportunity to be imaginative and creative. This was fun and fulfilling for me.
Then the pandemic came. No more socializing. No more sharing. No more reason…[Read more]

My anxiety has definitely increased over the past Covid year. An exercise routine has never been part of my life, but that doesn’t mean I get no exercise. Gardening has been my activity. There is a lot of walking, lifting, digging and carrying. This past Covid summer allowed me to include plenty of social interaction. Offer free plants and p…[Read more]

Ally,

To follow up on my post last month about feelings of depression and not having my garden work to distract me, I continue to slide down the slippery slope.

I am apathetic about doing much of anything positive. Fatigue and IBS are a crushing weight. Stress is a major factor in the out of control IBS, yet most days, I cannot identify any…[Read more]

Throughout most of the year, I find peace and calm while working in my Texas Native front garden, and my shaded pocket gardens in the back yard. Even with Covid spreading fear through the summer of 2020, there was no lack of visitors to my gardens. Being out of doors and observing social distancing, did not pose a risk, according to my physician.…[Read more]

The longer I have Parkinson’s, the more pain I have. My neurologist sent me to a pain doctor and she has done some nerve blocking injections in my leg when the pain gets to a level that the opiates don’t help.

As bad as the leg pain is, (it is a sharp pain down the side if my left calf), the cramping, feels like flesh is twisting, unbearably int…[Read more]