[Marie]

My husband has been taking turmeric also for years as a supplement for pain. Now he has read that the supplements helped with Parkinson’s as well. I read the same article and like you I could not find any essential oils either. So he still takes the supplement.  I take them as well, I find them helpful as Advil bothers my stomach at times. I will post if I find a source of the oils.

 

[Marie]

Well today is a perfectly good example of how covid has impacted me as a caregiver.. I generally getaway with my sister for a long weekend. No trip last year.. ? and now I am in a rut of not hardly ever leaving the house. So I am in a bad headspace. I took a nap and had seriously weird dreams that were so real, I told my husband it’s time to commit me.   I have not been getting enough sleep due to our aging dog, and my husbands pain and night terrors. Oh and insomnia!   What I do is read… thank god I have been able to read again. For the first six month of lockdown, I could not read a thing. That was torture for me. Candy crush.. and word play. And then I some nights put in my ear buds and play my sleep play set. I did a sleep meditation or spa sounds, and I feel my heart racing. Back to music.

I am fortunate that I have a strong network of friends and family who are available for me to vent to at any time. I also belong to this forum, and several others for support.

[Marie]

My husband started on 20 mg. Didn’t notice any change. The doctor prescribed 40mg about three weeks ago. I asked him just the other evening if he thought the nourianz was helping. Of course my timing was perfect. He was half awake, or half asleep. No one really sleeps in this house, and now we have an aging dog having accidents even after going out to to do her business. But there is no dyskinesia or other side effects that I have or my husband have noticed.

Someone mentioned constipation from  this medication. My husband has been fortunate and only had that issue once with a change in diet. But I know from personal use of magnesium for migraine prevention. But if I take it daily it causes quite the opposite.  My husband takes 400 mg of magnesium oxide daily to keep all flowing so to speak.

I will update when I ask my husband again how he feels with the meds.

 

[Marie]

I choose a calm time to discuss with my husband. If he has night terrors, there is usually something to laugh about.. because he curses like a sailor, and he never curses when awake, or one night called me something not so nice.. as he was flailing his arms and knocking things off his dresser next to his sleep chair. But I pick my battles. He knows what he needs to do, and is candid with his doctors. The worst I feel about is his pain. I cannot help him. I can do nothing to help. Some days I want to run for a month.. but I’d be happy with a getaway with my sister..  none last year.. fingers crossed a weekend this year!

[Marie]

This has been on my mind so much the last week, as I become more and more resentful, angry, tired, annoyed, and whatever other adjective you use to describe my life these days. My husband was diagnosed 8 years ago,. And he was until about two years ago able to pretty much of everything. Now since some breakdown a year ago,  that was, thank god, not a small stroke, nor an aneurism, but his decline has been steady as has his acceptance of having Parkinson’s.  That still is an issue 8 years later, why me??

Covid shows up, and then more panic sets in. He has always gotten pneumonia clear out of the blue for as long as I have known him so he was convinced he was going to get covid and die. Mind you, he hardly ever leaves the house but to maybe to to a drive through to get food for himself.   So since my son is the only one working in the house, we self quarantined in separate rooms, ate alone, which has made the dog totally confused,  and we got through the worst. Now once or twice a week we will eat a meal together depending on his work schedule as he works nights.  And my son now spends time in the room my husband spends most of his day in together watching tv, movies or just talking, as they have a great relationship.

But as of late, if I am driving anywhere the whole car ride back and fourth is “i do not feel good” or “I am in so much pain.”  But this goes on 24/7. I get calls from him because he will not come downstairs to get food or his medicine unless I put it together for him and bring it up for him. I am no longer a wife… I am can you please bring me…. If I bring anything up, I do not understand, I am unsympathetic, etc.  I suffer from migraines.  And this August has been so bad for me, as it has been nothing but humidity.. so I do what I can for the house.. which is barely nothing… I take care of him first, my son, the dog and I am last. Which I know is wrong, but lately is not good, at all I know this.  I honestly do know how much more longer I can be there. He does tell me he cares, and appreciates me, but I do not think he means it… because if he did, he would move more. Moving is so important in Parkinsons patients… he says he knows.. but does less and less movement all the time… to say I am stressed is an understatement.

[Marie]

My husband did purchase something after I purchased something for his socks.. I will snap a pic of it.. he so rarely wears socks but when he does he use the sock helper.. I have to dig it out.. it’s summer now.. LOL.. I got mine from the The wright stuff.com they have all kinds of neat stuff. I did purchase a non slip tray from QVC.. it’s a tray that has silicone so plates, cups, the tray itself does not slip. Helps when I am carrying a lot up the stairs… here the pics.. well I cannot seem to upload the pics.. here is the item number on QVC

Set of 2 Large Rectangle Nonslip Serving Trays</h1>

[Marie]

Hello Ally,

I am hoping for a getaway with my sister.. but I worry about going, our senior dog is continually getting on his nerves.and. but in the same breath he would be devastated if she were to pass, and I am the caretaker of the dog. So his annoyance annoys me. My son is here, and he is a great help. So I do have help in that way.. so a two day getaway should not be an issue.  We do NOTHING as a couple anymore, not even out to lunch, it’s all very sad. I have been getting  out to do a small walk with the dog around this time of day. She does her business. And comes home. And I will sit outside with her in the backyard, but in the warmer weather she doesn’t want to be out long,  and then when the big bugs make their appearance from their 17 year nap, I am not going I am not going out side at all!

I have tried an audio book also, the reading person had such a soothing voice, I was out quickly. How do people run or walk with them.. accident waiting to happen!