• Oracle TEAM USA Wins the America’s Cup!

    In one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, Oracle Team USA won eight straight races to win the 34th America’s Cup 9 races to 8 after being down 8-1 to Emirates Team New Zealand. Watching them race over the last three weeks you realize what team work it takes to sail a 72 foot catamaran with a 150 foot ‘wing’ sail at speeds over 40 miles an hour on San Francisco Bay.  In fact, at the end of the winning race today, the Team USA helmsman Jimmy Spithill tweeted a comment from his interview after the win  “On your own you’re nothing but when you’ve got a team like this around you, they make you great”.

    I feel the same way about dealing with Parkinson’s, you need a team to make you great.  The team includes your Movement Disorder Specialist, your regular doctor and should probably include a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist and maybe a nutrition specialist. As you can see, it takes a village to deal with the many symptoms and issues with Parkinson’s disease, just like raising a child.

    But as important as your medical team is, the support of my wife, my children and their spouses, my grandchildren, my sisters and a multitude of relatives and friends is just as needed.   I am lucky to have their support, words of encouragement and positive thoughts. As Jimmy Spithill said, I would be nothing without the support of my ‘TEAM’. Thank you all for all you do to help me weather this journey.

    I’ve had about a week on the new dose of medication three times a day and continue to see good improvement in walking and balance.

    This weekend our friends Tom and Marilyn visited from Colorado and we had a great time on the lake cruising, swimming, and catching this shot of the harvest moon rise on the water.  A grand time was had by all.

    One last reminder, don’t forget the Michael J Fox show premieres this Thursday 9/26/2013.

     

  • Parkinson’s Is Not Just Tremors

    “Time and again people with Parkinson’s have to fight against the old stereotype that the condition is just a tremor.” 
     
    “This basic misunderstanding has sentenced people with Parkinson’s to a life of hurtful comments, being refused service in shops and even being shouted at in the street, all because people have mistaken their speech or movement problems – a common symptom of the condition – for drunkenness.”
    Steve Ford, chief executive at Parkinson’s UK
     

     

    I heard these quotes during an interview on BBC Radio the other night and then looked it up on their website. The story is accompanied by a video interview which can be read and seen here.  They recount a study conducted in the UK showing that PWP suffer discrimination because of symptoms other than tremors including the slow gait and balance issues that sometimes make me look like I’ve had one too many before 10 am.  I’ve noticed people looking at me like I might be drunk as we walk into the grocery store and it appears from this study that even if I wore a shirt that said ‘I have Parkinson’s’ they still might think I was inebriated.

    Thanks to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, I carry a card that helps to explain the symptoms and covers various drug interactions in case I need emergency care.

     
     
    The non-tremor symptoms such as slurred speech, facial mask (unable to show expressions), freezing in place, and tipsy gait among others are the little known part of this disease for the general public.  I did not realize how complex this disease can be until I starting researching after my diagnosis but I certainly have a greater understanding now.  I hope that readers of this blog do too.
     

     

    I had a follow up visit with the neurologist last week and he decided to double the medication dosage from .125 to .25 so I have started the increase with my midday dose and then will add the morning and night doses over the next week or two.  The one thing we have already noticed is my soft voice gets stronger after the .25 dose and the balance problems decrease so I am hopeful that .25 three times a day will result in reduced motor symptoms too.  I also received a prescription for physical therapy which we hope will help with the gait issues among others.
     
    I’ve also started a spreadsheet to track symptoms after reading a blogpost by another PWP on the Michael J Fox blog.  I think it is an excellent idea and should be very helpful when meeting with the doctor.  And speaking of Michael J Fox don’t forget his show premiers September 26th.

  • I’m Alright, Just Slow!

    I find myself uttering this remark far too often already 🙂  Unfortunately it was the first of my noticeable symptoms and the one that is still present, even with the improvements from the medication.  While my normal walk in the county park next door has gone from 42 minutes down to 37 minutes since I started the medication, I still have my slow times during the day.  I guess even the walk is still slow, used to be able to complete in 34 minutes a year ago.

    There are many research studies that show exercise helps to slow the progression of PD symptoms so I have been exploring some options in addition to my daily walk.  I have found that the local Tai Chi group has weekly Health Recovery sessions so we plan to give that a try in the next week or so. The instructor said the Health Recovery class is for students who want to address particular health issues with Tai Chi, and also for those who are not able to take the regular beginning class.  The class focuses on a number of exercises rather than on learning the Tai Chi set.  She also indicated that many PWP are able to take the beginning class depending on the severity of their symptoms.  So we’ll start with the Health Recovery class to see how my balance issues effect the training and go from there.  Will give you an update in a future post.

    We also discovered that the National Parkinson Foundation sponsors a retreat every October for newly diagnosed PWP (less than 5 years) and we were able to get into this years offering at the Kripalu Retreat in Stockbridge, MA.  The retreat is the third week of October and covers many topics including yoga, nutrition, medication, exercise, etc.   The retreat is designed for both the PWP and their caregiver so we are excited we are able to attend.

    It’s been a busy couple of weeks since my last post, Mara had her second successful cataract surgery, we celebrated grandson Jacob’s 9th birthday and enjoyed a brief trip to Pickwick Landing state park in the southwest corner of Tennessee to meet up with good friends from Colorado who were attending a family reunion.  And of course we enjoyed many sunsets from the screen porch and a relaxing boat ride on the lake.  I may be slower but Life is good!

    PS Don’t forget the Michael J Fox show, premiering September 26th!!

IT IS WHAT IT IS!

Brrrr, It’s Cold!

Like most of the country this week, we are experiencing bone chilling cold here in East Tennessee. The highs have been under 30 degrees and the lows in the single digits. Not as cold as our neighbors to the north but darn cold after returning home from sunny, warm San Diego.  To add insult to injury (so to speak) our heater decided to stop working yesterday evening so we woke up to a toasty 52 in the house this morning.  Luckily I was able to contact our heat and air repair shop before they closed last night and someone was here by 8:15 this morning and we are back up and warming.
 
I hope everyone had a enjoyable holiday season, we certainly enjoyed our visit in Seattle which included watching our granddaughter perform in the Nutcracker Ballet, a early Christmas and watching Seahawk and Bronco football.  Christmas in San Diego was nice and warm and included good company, good food and drink and trips to the beach most evenings to watch the sunset and the gray whales making their way south.
 
It is a new year and a lot of exciting things are happening in Parkinson’s research and treatment. Here are a few examples
  • The FDA just approved Rytary, a slow release levodopa medication that reduces ‘off’ time and dyskinesa.
  • The personal DNA company 23andMe and Genentech have entered into an agreement for Genentech to completely sequence the genome of 3000 people with Parkinson’s with a goal to identify new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson’s disease.  Currently they have only analyzed about 750,000 genetic data points in any given individuals genome (I was genotyped, not fully sequenced). This new, whole genome sequencing, will allow them to review 3 billion genetic data points within the genome of each participant.
  • NeuroDerm Ltd’s new way to deliver levodopa through a belt worn pump is showing promise as it maintains a consistent dose of levodopa reducing motor complications.
  • The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation has paired with Nature Publishing Group to publish npj Parkinson’s Disease, a new open access, online-only,research journal is dedicated to highlighting the most important scientific advances in Parkinson’s disease research.
  • The Davis Phinney Foundation has released an Ebook version of Every Victory Counts, a manual that gives people living with Parkinson’s – and their caregivers and family members – the tools they need to take control of their own
    Parkinson’s treatment through a proactive approach to self-care.  The book is available free of charge in Ebook or print form here on the Foundation website.
  • And a recent white paper issued by One Research found that patient empowerment is crucial to clinical trial recruitment. The report – which draws on insights from a wide range of stakeholders  including the clinical research sector, pharma, CROs, and patient advocacy groups – says the industry must improve its communication to
    patients, not only to raise awareness of the available opportunities to get involved in clinical research, but also to reassure them of the vital importance of their role. Also, the approach must be truly patient-centric, “ensuring that the priority of research professionals is to work in the interests of the patients”. Sound familiar? You can read more and download a copy of the study here.
 I could go on, but these examples give me hope that 2015 will be the year of the cure! If you haven’t signed up for Fox Trial Finder, you can do so here.  Please join me and 40,000+ other PwP’s supporting the search for a cure.  By the way, if you haven’t signed up for this year’s Mary-Thon exercise program, you still have time to get in corral one which started this week.  Read all about and sign up here.
 
 
Happy New Year!
 
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
 
 

Other Posts

IT IS WHAT IT IS!

Brrrr, It’s Cold!

Like most of the country this week, we are experiencing bone chilling cold here in East Tennessee. The highs have been under 30 degrees and the lows in the single digits. Not as cold as our neighbors to the north but darn cold after returning home from sunny, warm San Diego.  To add insult to injury (so to speak) our heater decided to stop working yesterday evening so we woke up to a toasty 52 in the house this morning.  Luckily I was able to contact our heat and air repair shop before they closed last night and someone was here by 8:15 this morning and we are back up and warming.
 
I hope everyone had a enjoyable holiday season, we certainly enjoyed our visit in Seattle which included watching our granddaughter perform in the Nutcracker Ballet, a early Christmas and watching Seahawk and Bronco football.  Christmas in San Diego was nice and warm and included good company, good food and drink and trips to the beach most evenings to watch the sunset and the gray whales making their way south.
 
It is a new year and a lot of exciting things are happening in Parkinson’s research and treatment. Here are a few examples
  • The FDA just approved Rytary, a slow release levodopa medication that reduces ‘off’ time and dyskinesa.
  • The personal DNA company 23andMe and Genentech have entered into an agreement for Genentech to completely sequence the genome of 3000 people with Parkinson’s with a goal to identify new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson’s disease.  Currently they have only analyzed about 750,000 genetic data points in any given individuals genome (I was genotyped, not fully sequenced). This new, whole genome sequencing, will allow them to review 3 billion genetic data points within the genome of each participant.
  • NeuroDerm Ltd’s new way to deliver levodopa through a belt worn pump is showing promise as it maintains a consistent dose of levodopa reducing motor complications.
  • The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation has paired with Nature Publishing Group to publish npj Parkinson’s Disease, a new open access, online-only,research journal is dedicated to highlighting the most important scientific advances in Parkinson’s disease research.
  • The Davis Phinney Foundation has released an Ebook version of Every Victory Counts, a manual that gives people living with Parkinson’s – and their caregivers and family members – the tools they need to take control of their own
    Parkinson’s treatment through a proactive approach to self-care.  The book is available free of charge in Ebook or print form here on the Foundation website.
  • And a recent white paper issued by One Research found that patient empowerment is crucial to clinical trial recruitment. The report – which draws on insights from a wide range of stakeholders  including the clinical research sector, pharma, CROs, and patient advocacy groups – says the industry must improve its communication to
    patients, not only to raise awareness of the available opportunities to get involved in clinical research, but also to reassure them of the vital importance of their role. Also, the approach must be truly patient-centric, “ensuring that the priority of research professionals is to work in the interests of the patients”. Sound familiar? You can read more and download a copy of the study here.
 I could go on, but these examples give me hope that 2015 will be the year of the cure! If you haven’t signed up for Fox Trial Finder, you can do so here.  Please join me and 40,000+ other PwP’s supporting the search for a cure.  By the way, if you haven’t signed up for this year’s Mary-Thon exercise program, you still have time to get in corral one which started this week.  Read all about and sign up here.
 
 
Happy New Year!
 
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
 
 

Other Posts

Year: 2015

  • Brrrr, It’s Cold!

    Like most of the country this week, we are experiencing bone chilling cold here in East Tennessee. The highs have been under 30 degrees and the lows in the single digits. Not as cold as our neighbors to the north but darn cold after returning home from sunny, warm San Diego.  To add insult to injury (so to speak) our heater decided to stop working yesterday evening so we woke up to a toasty 52 in the house this morning.  Luckily I was able to contact our heat and air repair shop before they closed last night and someone was here by 8:15 this morning and we are back up and warming.
     
    I hope everyone had a enjoyable holiday season, we certainly enjoyed our visit in Seattle which included watching our granddaughter perform in the Nutcracker Ballet, a early Christmas and watching Seahawk and Bronco football.  Christmas in San Diego was nice and warm and included good company, good food and drink and trips to the beach most evenings to watch the sunset and the gray whales making their way south.
     
    It is a new year and a lot of exciting things are happening in Parkinson’s research and treatment. Here are a few examples
    • The FDA just approved Rytary, a slow release levodopa medication that reduces ‘off’ time and dyskinesa.
    • The personal DNA company 23andMe and Genentech have entered into an agreement for Genentech to completely sequence the genome of 3000 people with Parkinson’s with a goal to identify new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson’s disease.  Currently they have only analyzed about 750,000 genetic data points in any given individuals genome (I was genotyped, not fully sequenced). This new, whole genome sequencing, will allow them to review 3 billion genetic data points within the genome of each participant.
    • NeuroDerm Ltd’s new way to deliver levodopa through a belt worn pump is showing promise as it maintains a consistent dose of levodopa reducing motor complications.
    • The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation has paired with Nature Publishing Group to publish npj Parkinson’s Disease, a new open access, online-only,research journal is dedicated to highlighting the most important scientific advances in Parkinson’s disease research.
    • The Davis Phinney Foundation has released an Ebook version of Every Victory Counts, a manual that gives people living with Parkinson’s – and their caregivers and family members – the tools they need to take control of their own
      Parkinson’s treatment through a proactive approach to self-care.  The book is available free of charge in Ebook or print form here on the Foundation website.
    • And a recent white paper issued by One Research found that patient empowerment is crucial to clinical trial recruitment. The report – which draws on insights from a wide range of stakeholders  including the clinical research sector, pharma, CROs, and patient advocacy groups – says the industry must improve its communication to
      patients, not only to raise awareness of the available opportunities to get involved in clinical research, but also to reassure them of the vital importance of their role. Also, the approach must be truly patient-centric, “ensuring that the priority of research professionals is to work in the interests of the patients”. Sound familiar? You can read more and download a copy of the study here.
     I could go on, but these examples give me hope that 2015 will be the year of the cure! If you haven’t signed up for Fox Trial Finder, you can do so here.  Please join me and 40,000+ other PwP’s supporting the search for a cure.  By the way, if you haven’t signed up for this year’s Mary-Thon exercise program, you still have time to get in corral one which started this week.  Read all about and sign up here.
     
     
    Happy New Year!
     
    “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
     
     

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