Alan M

Wow Richard!  Reading your latest post is like taking a page out of my daily diary!

Like you, I struggle with fatigue and apathy.  I seem to need a mid-day rest every day now and sometimes I might nap twice in one day — depending on how I cope (or not cope) with what’s going on around me.

The apathy robs me of desire to perform exercises or p…[Read more]

T’is true Ally.  Some have noticed this allergic connection as early as 2018.  See https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/news/migraines-ocd-seasonal-allergies-may-be-risk-factors-for-parkinsons-large-study-suggests/

It also occurred to  me that maybe, in a similar way, PD is somehow linked to inflammatory response as a result of exposure to harmful pa…[Read more]

Like Ken intimated earlier, I believe PD is triggered by both genetic and epigenetic causal factors.

GENETIC CONTRIBUTORS

On my maternal side, two of my mother’s sisters succumbed to PD.  One is still with us.  Nothing on my father’s side, except a prevalence of alcoholism and Alzheimer’s.

I can’t help but wonder if dementia-like diseases a…[Read more]

Ally,
Like Judy’s hubby, I’m in my late 60’s and have made the difficult decision to “hang up my spurs” this December.
I went from working 5 days per week to three days/wk — and I’m hoping I can keep busy enough to allow me to retire fully doing all the things I enjoy (not that I never enjoyed being a therapist).

I hope I can spend the rest of…[Read more]

Hey Ally:

My three sons have three cats — in order of age —- Lucy (13), Nermal (11) and Mittens (6)
Their parents feed them daily, let then sleep on their bed, take them to the Vet when necessary, and ensure they are safe and well cared for.

Wish I were a cat in our family.

DREM is the bane of my existence at the moment.  I seem to need to take an afternoon siesta daily as a result.  One hour’s rest does me.  But I’m ready for bed by 9:30 – 10:00 pm and can’t seem to wake up until 9:00 am.  The Neurologist prescribed me Clonazepam to be taken just before bedtime.  I heard that due to its highly addictive char…[Read more]

In  Scotland, my hied says “go Central, old man” (to the Central Highlands, from Speyside to the north, to Dundee, Perth and the south end of Lock Lomond to the south).

I’d love to tour all of New Zealand.  Monies and time will dictate how much of it I can truly travel to.  A train journey from north tip of the N Island (at Cape Reinga) to the so…[Read more]

This is likely the most prevalent issue to do with my mental health since my diagnosis, Mary Beth.  Thank you for your astute query.  Let me begin by saying, I think this is a mental issue more than physical, for me at least.

I’ve lost most of my motivation for life.  My job stopped making any sense years ago.  The only reason why I keep wor…[Read more]

Hi all:

PICKLEBALL — never heard of it until this very moment!   What a kewl concept.  I had to Google YouTube to find out the rules etc.  I hop it’s OK to show the URL – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn2nenHT9hdxC_WmStTXYMQ/videos

Would it be easier to start if one had past experience with Badminton or tennis before being diagnosed wit…[Read more]

Hey Marla & Mary Beth:

I’m still a practicing therapist which requires I keep a plethora of notes for every session.  Because we follow a strictly confidential code of practice, no one but me can record these scribbles.  Nor can anyone transcribe them for me.  So Like Marla’s partner, I’ve taken to using MS Word 365 “voice to text” and try to re…[Read more]

Nope — n’er a word from my Neuro… but I had a visit from our new PD Nurse in my area a month ago.  She mentioned it to me.  She suggests a “Mediterranean Diet” instead.  I’m still working on this change, Mike.  Changes in diet are the mmost difficult on a limited budget.

Thanks for you sound and rationale advice, Mike.  I need to have another visit to my GP — hopefully she can help me sort things out before the Neuro drops by our regional hospital again.

Cheers and stay well, Alan

I have learnt so many “favs” from Michael (my tutor) in the past 6 – 8 mos it’s really difficult to pick just one, Ally.

My fav genre is slow airs, waltzes, laments and folk ballads.  The slow pace ones suit my current level of prowess, I guess.

As far as tunes go, I’ve learnt to love: Hector the Hero, Cork Hill, Cullen Bay, the Mill O’, the…[Read more]

I started on Sinemet (25/100) in October of 2021.  I take it three times daily.  Taking it routinely, I find the “on times” no where near long enough, to subdue the motor and non-motor PD symptoms.

The thing I find the most disturbing is the unpredictability of how well changes to these meds will improve their efficacy.  I see my Neuro twice a ye…[Read more]

Funny you should ask tis, Ally!  I’ve been trying to break into the MJFF – PPMI study for months now.  But because I don’t live in the USA I’m not eligible to participate as a patient.

I heard of a NZ / Italian collaboration through Daphne Bryan who mentions a group called the HDT Foundation.  Sadly, its founder, a Dr. Costantini died in May 202…[Read more]

Hey Ally:

You raise great topics for us to reply to.  Thanx.

I was diagnosed with PD in late April of 2021 by my Neurologist, at the age of 66.  I reckon I was experiencing certain early symptoms about 18 mos to 2 years before this, including wee tremors in my RH.  I always thought PD was a degenerative disease like ALS and MS but was shocked to…[Read more]

Hi hi Wobblygirl,

Like you, I’m tying to learn an new instrument (badly) — the Scottish small pipes.  I’ve got no one to hide behind.  It’s an instrument that sounds good alongside a fiddle, or guitar, mandolin, or button accordion.  But I live in an area of NZ where traditional musicians are scarce.

My instrument is bellows-driven — and si…[Read more]

Hey Mary Beth:

Only tele I will watch is Al Jazeera News and ABC News — and “Two-&-a-Half-Men”.

We tend to watch NetFlix and Neon more… series like:  OutLander, The Vikings, Vikings Valhalla, The Great, Shameless, GoT, Jamestown, The Matrix Trilogy, The Handmaid’s Tales, Sex Education, and the Start Trek series.

Don’t recall watching too…[Read more]

Sorry for the delay in responding, Mary Beth.  I play the Scottish smallpipes — requiring both hands to play the melody (on a chanter that resembles a recorder kids play in school), but it also requires a vigorous right elbow/arm to drive the bellows to keep the three drones alive.

I see a metaphor between playing this instrument and staying th…[Read more]

That’s brilliant John.  I never imagined these benefits playing keyboard!  Neurologically speaking, I guess using both hemispheres of our brain while playing has some definite cognitive benefits.  And then there’s the whipped cream atop — the Dp produced while listening to ourselves succeed in playing.  No downside.

I play the Scottish sma…[Read more]