William Palmer

Early on in my PD journey, before I was diagnosed, I clomped like a horse for a few days at home: my feet smacked against the bare floor. This happened before my balance grew worse.

Yes, I keep up with daily PD information sources like Parkinson’s News Today. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with information–as if I have eaten too much. Researching can be addictive and can interfere with daily enjoyment of life. I’m trying to find a balance.

Beth, it doesn’t seem healthy for your children and grandchildren to ignore your Parkinson’s. I would feel deeply hurt and confused also. Please consider seeing a therapist to explore this issue. My therapist has been helping me during my PD journey.

I took a webinar with poet Ada Limon who mentioned that she and her husband loved watching  Detectorists during the pandemic. I just watched its three seasons. It’s a British show on Prime (you’ll need to do a search for it) about two mild men who have hobby of metal detecting through fields in rural England. It is quietly comedic, touching, and wonderful.

My complained that my pillow smelled. A new pillow helped address that. But for the past year I have had scalp acne, especially around my neck and ears. My neurologist pointed out that people with PD often have oily skin on their scalps. I never had this before my PD journey. My dermatologist prescribed Clobetasol Propionate Topical Solution ESP…[Read more]

I flinch now when my wife coughs or sneezes. Even when she puts a teacup down on the granite counter, I flinch. My flinching has become a habit. It’s not good for our relationship.

I love Lori’s creativity and optimism here. She expresses truth yet shines a needed glow on it. Thank you.

My speech changes in the morning. An hour or two after I take my carbi-levo pill (8:00), I have trouble saying multi-syllabic words. This wears off by 11:30. Then I speak normally again. For this reason, I try not to make any doctor appointments or go anywhere in the morning.

Same happens with me on my elliptical. I can manage ten minutes. If I try for much more, my walking is labored for an hour or so. Same happens when I mow the lawn–it’s very hard for me now after 15-20 minutes. I take breaks and do what I can. I haven’t found anything to be done for this issue. But if I go to town to shop for groceries, I make…[Read more]

Traverse City, Michigan

Yes, I do. With PD, my brain chemistry has changed. Antidepressants make me feel worse. I can’t tolerate cannabis anymore, which depresses me–smoking pot always gave me a lift. Now it makes my walking and balance worse. I can’t tolerate alcohol for the same reason. I see a great therapist. I pay close attention to being grateful. I practice…[Read more]

I apologize for adding a few more thoughts. I like how Marlene frames PD as an adventure. This is positive. For a while I thought I was doomed with PD–but I let that negativity go. I’ve determined that PD is amazingly variable. One man in my support group, who has a tremor in his right hand, bikes 20 miles a day. When I mow the lawn for an hour,…[Read more]

We had some family over this weekend that we haven’t seen since Covid started. My sister-in-law and her husband both saw me sitting and said, “You look fine,” but they didn’t ask me one question about my PD during three days. I wanted to share what is going on. Their children, who are adults, never asked about it either, even though I was walking…[Read more]

Heat and direct sunlight make me feel much worse, I find. It accentuates my fatigue when I mow the lawn, which I need to do now in two or three sections with breaks in between. If I come into the house with air conditioning, this helps a lot. A month ago I went raspberry picking at noon on a hot, sunny day but had to stop–it quickly wiped me out.