Why Zen and living with Parkinson’s? I added the subtitle as I hope to also chronicle the effects of practicing the principles of Buddhism as I deal with the progress of PD. In particular I think it will be interesting to see how meditation impacts the stress of my day to day dealings with the vagaries of Parkinson’s. I have used meditative techniques for stress and general well being for many years. Those that know me well probably recognize my motto in the title of this blog…It Is What It Is. I am a ‘glass is half full’ kind of guy and I hope to maintain that attitude as I walk this path. Buddha is rumored to have said “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” It is about the journey, not the destination. I am traveling well, enjoying today, not looking to some event in the future to provide me happiness, but enjoying it one day at a time.
Our friends Mary and Judy from Indiana spent a few days with us this week. We had a great time visiting, cruising on the pontoon, and touring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a very enjoyable visit and a good time was had by all! The full dose of medication continues to reduce the stiffness and rigidity in my legs and has helped some with the balance issues so I had limited problems while they were here.
And a reminder, the Michael J Fox show premiers September 26th, check your local listings for the time in your location. I will probably remind you again (and again) as the date gets closer.
The National Parkinson’s Foundation has developed an app for those with Parkinson’s, their caregivers, and anyone wanting more information about the disease. It was recently reviewed by appPicker and the review can be read here. The app is available for Android and IOS and is free. Check it out if you get a chance.
This week I started on the full dose (for now) of my medication. Since most of the symptoms of Parkinson’s are caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain, many of the medications are designed to either temporarily replenish the dopamine or mimic the actions of dopamine. The drug cardidopa/levadopa is the drug used to replenish the dopamine and there are several dopamine agonists used to mimic the actions of dopamine. Dopamine agonists are often the first medication prescribed and I am taking one called Mirapex (Pramipexole). As time goes on, the dose will be increased and caridopa/levadopa will probably be added to the mix.
Although I am on a low dose, I have noticed a steady decrease in the rigidity of my legs and an improved ability to walk without shuffling. Since going to the full 3 pills per day dose, my balance is improving but my feet still “stick” to the floor if I stand in one spot for long, like two minutes sometimes 🙂 The 3 week increase from just one pill per day the first week to the full 3 pills per day the third week is done to help the body deal with the side effects such as nausea, drowsiness, muscle pain or sudden low blood pressure, and seems to work, at least I haven’t had many side effects so far.
Mara and I enjoyed a couple of peaceful days and a wonderful meal at Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week and we are looking forward to friends coming to visit next week. Hopefully the rains will stop and we can get some time on the lake in the pontoon.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Gravida dictum fusce ut placerat. Convallis aenean et tortor at. Mauris sit amet massa vitae. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus. Magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculus. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui vivamus arcu felis. Neque sodales ut etiam sit amet nisl purus in. Elit ut aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis lectus. At volutpat diam ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate.
Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci phasellus egestas tellus. Amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim. Iaculis nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae. Pharetra pharetra massa massa ultricies mi quis hendrerit dolor magna. Vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam. Nisi porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor. Vel turpis nunc eget lorem dolor. Lacinia quis vel eros donec ac odio tempor orci dapibus. Mi sit amet mauris commodo quis imperdiet. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis. Phasellus faucibus scelerisque eleifend donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis. Volutpat ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus nulla.
At tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque. Arcu non sodales neque sodales. Tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac tortor vitae. Vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit ullamcorper dignissim. Donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in. Ut ornare lectus sit amet. Hendrerit dolor magna eget est lorem. Ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Ultricies leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra. Mauris in aliquam sem fringilla. Fermentum odio eu feugiat pretium.
Tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin. Eu ultrices vitae auctor eu augue ut lectus. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu. Hac habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus. Justo laoreet sit amet cursus. Lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa tempor nec feugiat. Mauris pharetra et ultrices neque ornare aenean euismod elementum nisi. Lectus sit amet est placerat. Vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor lacus luctus accumsan. Odio pellentesque diam volutpat commodo sed egestas. Sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. Mi quis hendrerit dolor magna eget est. Nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in aliquam. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Cras sed felis eget velit aliquet sagittis id consectetur purus. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget velit. Imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel. Tempus egestas sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis tristique. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet mattis vulputate enim. Faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Massa sed elementum tempus egestas sed sed. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet. Neque vitae tempus quam pellentesque nec. Cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi. Eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel orci. Quam elementum pulvinar etiam non quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum. Non enim praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed. Lorem sed risus ultricies tristique nulla. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti. Diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Mattis vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing. Libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget nullam non. Libero nunc consequat interdum varius.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Gravida dictum fusce ut placerat. Convallis aenean et tortor at. Mauris sit amet massa vitae. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus. Magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculus. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui vivamus arcu felis. Neque sodales ut etiam sit amet nisl purus in. Elit ut aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis lectus. At volutpat diam ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate.
Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci phasellus egestas tellus. Amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim. Iaculis nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae. Pharetra pharetra massa massa ultricies mi quis hendrerit dolor magna. Vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam. Nisi porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor. Vel turpis nunc eget lorem dolor. Lacinia quis vel eros donec ac odio tempor orci dapibus. Mi sit amet mauris commodo quis imperdiet. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis. Phasellus faucibus scelerisque eleifend donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis. Volutpat ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus nulla.
At tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque. Arcu non sodales neque sodales. Tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac tortor vitae. Vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit ullamcorper dignissim. Donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in. Ut ornare lectus sit amet. Hendrerit dolor magna eget est lorem. Ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Ultricies leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra. Mauris in aliquam sem fringilla. Fermentum odio eu feugiat pretium.
Tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin. Eu ultrices vitae auctor eu augue ut lectus. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu. Hac habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus. Justo laoreet sit amet cursus. Lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa tempor nec feugiat. Mauris pharetra et ultrices neque ornare aenean euismod elementum nisi. Lectus sit amet est placerat. Vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor lacus luctus accumsan. Odio pellentesque diam volutpat commodo sed egestas. Sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. Mi quis hendrerit dolor magna eget est. Nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in aliquam. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Cras sed felis eget velit aliquet sagittis id consectetur purus. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget velit. Imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel. Tempus egestas sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis tristique. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet mattis vulputate enim. Faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Massa sed elementum tempus egestas sed sed. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet. Neque vitae tempus quam pellentesque nec. Cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi. Eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel orci. Quam elementum pulvinar etiam non quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum. Non enim praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed. Lorem sed risus ultricies tristique nulla. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti. Diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Mattis vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing. Libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget nullam non. Libero nunc consequat interdum varius.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Gravida dictum fusce ut placerat. Convallis aenean et tortor at. Mauris sit amet massa vitae. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus. Magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculus. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui vivamus arcu felis. Neque sodales ut etiam sit amet nisl purus in. Elit ut aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis lectus. At volutpat diam ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate.
Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci phasellus egestas tellus. Amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim. Iaculis nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae. Pharetra pharetra massa massa ultricies mi quis hendrerit dolor magna. Vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam. Nisi porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor. Vel turpis nunc eget lorem dolor. Lacinia quis vel eros donec ac odio tempor orci dapibus. Mi sit amet mauris commodo quis imperdiet. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis. Phasellus faucibus scelerisque eleifend donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis. Volutpat ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus nulla.
At tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque. Arcu non sodales neque sodales. Tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac tortor vitae. Vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit ullamcorper dignissim. Donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in. Ut ornare lectus sit amet. Hendrerit dolor magna eget est lorem. Ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Ultricies leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra. Mauris in aliquam sem fringilla. Fermentum odio eu feugiat pretium.
Tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin. Eu ultrices vitae auctor eu augue ut lectus. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu. Hac habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus. Justo laoreet sit amet cursus. Lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa tempor nec feugiat. Mauris pharetra et ultrices neque ornare aenean euismod elementum nisi. Lectus sit amet est placerat. Vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor lacus luctus accumsan. Odio pellentesque diam volutpat commodo sed egestas. Sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. Mi quis hendrerit dolor magna eget est. Nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in aliquam. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Cras sed felis eget velit aliquet sagittis id consectetur purus. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget velit. Imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel. Tempus egestas sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis tristique. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet mattis vulputate enim. Faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Massa sed elementum tempus egestas sed sed. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet. Neque vitae tempus quam pellentesque nec. Cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi. Eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel orci. Quam elementum pulvinar etiam non quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum. Non enim praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed. Lorem sed risus ultricies tristique nulla. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti. Diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Mattis vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing. Libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget nullam non. Libero nunc consequat interdum varius.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Gravida dictum fusce ut placerat. Convallis aenean et tortor at. Mauris sit amet massa vitae. A condimentum vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus. Magnis dis parturient montes nascetur ridiculus. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui vivamus arcu felis. Neque sodales ut etiam sit amet nisl purus in. Elit ut aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis lectus. At volutpat diam ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate.
Fermentum et sollicitudin ac orci phasellus egestas tellus. Amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim. Iaculis nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae. Pharetra pharetra massa massa ultricies mi quis hendrerit dolor magna. Vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam. Nisi porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor. Vel turpis nunc eget lorem dolor. Lacinia quis vel eros donec ac odio tempor orci dapibus. Mi sit amet mauris commodo quis imperdiet. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis. Phasellus faucibus scelerisque eleifend donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis. Volutpat ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus nulla.
At tellus at urna condimentum mattis pellentesque. Arcu non sodales neque sodales. Tincidunt ornare massa eget egestas. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac tortor vitae. Vestibulum rhoncus est pellentesque elit ullamcorper dignissim. Donec adipiscing tristique risus nec feugiat in. Ut ornare lectus sit amet. Hendrerit dolor magna eget est lorem. Ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce. Ultricies leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra. Mauris in aliquam sem fringilla. Fermentum odio eu feugiat pretium.
Tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin. Eu ultrices vitae auctor eu augue ut lectus. Enim sed faucibus turpis in eu. Hac habitasse platea dictumst quisque sagittis purus. Justo laoreet sit amet cursus. Lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in massa tempor nec feugiat. Mauris pharetra et ultrices neque ornare aenean euismod elementum nisi. Lectus sit amet est placerat. Vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor lacus luctus accumsan. Odio pellentesque diam volutpat commodo sed egestas. Sapien eget mi proin sed libero. Ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. Mi quis hendrerit dolor magna eget est. Nunc scelerisque viverra mauris in aliquam. Sapien faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit. Cras sed felis eget velit aliquet sagittis id consectetur purus. Porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget velit. Imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel. Tempus egestas sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate dignissim suspendisse.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis tristique. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet mattis vulputate enim. Faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis. Massa sed elementum tempus egestas sed sed. Nunc consequat interdum varius sit amet. Neque vitae tempus quam pellentesque nec. Cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi. Eu scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo vel orci. Quam elementum pulvinar etiam non quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum. Non enim praesent elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam maecenas sed. Lorem sed risus ultricies tristique nulla. Elementum facilisis leo vel fringilla. Ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti. Diam in arcu cursus euismod quis viverra. Mattis vulputate enim nulla aliquet porttitor. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing. Libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget nullam non. Libero nunc consequat interdum varius.
I know this is my second post in less than 30 days! I think I have too much free time on my hands while practicing this social distancing routine! Today I will catch up with what’s happening in PD School 2020 and talk a bit about how I have implemented what I’ve learned so far. If you aren’t aware of Dr. Mischley’s PD School 2020 you can read more about it my posts here and here. And check out the coupon offer at the end of this post!
The last lesson I covered was lesson 3 so I will quickly catch you up on lessons 4, 5, 6 & 7 just touching on highlights and things I found interesting. Lessons 4 and 5 cover the topics of food and nutrition. Lesson 4 discusses what to eat and lesson 5 discusses when and how to eat. In lesson 4 Dr Mischley covers foods that are “Good” for PwP and also foods that are “Bad” for PwP. The data to support the designation comes from the ongoing longitudinal research trial she runs at Bastyr University.
The good foods below are listed in order of decreasing impact, that is fresh vegetables had a greater impact than fresh fruit and so on.
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruit
Nuts and seeds
Fish (not fried)
Wine (yessssssssssssssss!)
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Fresh herbs
The bad foods below are listed in order of greatest negative impact.
Canned fruit
Diet soda
Fried foods
Ice cream (noooooooooooo!)
Canned vegetables
Beef
Pasta
Soda
She also discusses how eating can impact medication absorption particularly when you eat protein just before or just after taking your meds. Various diets are discussed and her recommendation is go as vegan as you can and follow the Mediterranean diet.
Lesson 6 discussed the laboratory tests she requests for her patients. Several of the tests are not normally requested by your neurologist or PCP and some are not covered by insurance or Medicare. She notes at the end of the lesson that she is working on trying to set something up to provide the test to any PwP at a reduced rate (she hopes around $500 instead of $2000).
I was interested in this lesson because she pointed out that most PwP’s are low in both vitamins D and B12. A B12 deficiency can result in neuropathy, cognitive decline and loss of sense of smell. In addition tremor, trouble walking and balance may also be effected. Vitamin D deficiency can result in constipation, falls and balance issues, depression and cognitive decline.
I have been taking both B12 (120mg) and D (2000 iu) supplements for the last several years. My PCP tested me for both vitamins this year and I was within range as far as the lab was concerned. Dr Mischley provides her recommended reference range for the tests and I am below her recommended range in both. I was particularly surprised at the vitamin D result with all the sunshine I get here playing tennis, etc. Looks like I need to increase my supplement amounts of both vitamins.
She covers several other lab tests she conducts and why and I think you will find this lesson very interesting.
Lesson 7 discusses gut and intestinal health. This lesson includes a presentation by Dr Samantha Evans who practices with Dr Mischely in Seattle. Dr Mischely provides the introduction and overview pointing out that 50% of the dopamine neurons are located in your intestinal tract. She also discusses the need for gastric acid to breakdown food and medications. She points out as we get older the gastric juice becomes less acidic and recommended taking our medication with a glass of water mixed with 500 mg powered vitamin C to increase the acid level.
Dr Evans discusses how much of what happens in the intestinal tract impacts PwP’s. She discusses SIBO (Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth) and Leaky Gut and how it impacts PwP, particularly medication absorption issues.
So there are a few highlights from lessons 4,5,6, and 7. The next class is Do I need to take supplements? and will be available on the 28th of the month.
Quick timeout for some fine print! Before I discuss how I have implemented parts of these classes I just want to remind everyone I am not a medical practitioner and you shouldn’t rely on the information below as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on It Is What It Is .
And we are back.
I have enjoyed these classes and have started trying to put some of what I have learned in to practice. In lesson 2, Dr Mischley discusses the success she has had with treating dyskinesia with high doses of DHA fish oil for 30 days and then adding CDP Citicoline twice a day to improve absorption of Levadopa. Since we eat salmon 4-6 days a week, I decided to test taking the CDP Citicoline as she recommended (2 250 mg capsules twice a day).
I began the test on February 2 and tracked the effects daily through April 4. As she mentioned in the lesson, my dyskinesia actually started getting worse because the supplement was improving the uptake of the medication and after 3 weeks I started to slowly reduce the amount of Sinement,Rytary and Mirapex over the next two months. My goal was to reduce my levadopa intake, reduce dyskinesia and not increase off periods.
By April 4 I had reduced the Mirapex from 1.5 mg to .5 mg (67%) and my Sinement from 2.5 tablets 3 times a day to 2 tablets 3 times a day (20% reduction). My dyskinesia is barely noticeable and off episodes are unchanged. I believe I could stop taking the Mirapex completely except the .5 mg helps reduce my restless leg syndrome which I had before my PD diagnoses but went away with the Mirapex which is also prescribed for restless leg.
I have also tried to do a better job of not taking meds too close to mealtime particularly high protein meals. And I have reduced my dairy intake, even ice cream! I’ve ordered some powered vitamin C which should arrive next week and I will test out taking medications with water mixed with vitamin C. Now if I could just figure out how to get Dr Mischely to remove ice cream from the bad food list!!
Just In!! It’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month and Dr Mischley is offering a coupon for $50 off the PC School for this month (All 24 courses for $100). If you haven’t signed up or have friends or relatives that might find this program useful, please send them this link to the course and the coupon code: AWARENESS. http://pd-school.teachable.com/
