We spent the last two weeks in Sarasota, Florida getting things set up and exploring the community. We are home now but will return at the end of the month for a few weeks before coming back to The Lake Cottage for most of the summer.

We brought our bicycles down to Sarasota and have enjoyed exploring the Village Walk community where our town home is located riding along the various trails that crisscross the community. We ride to the town center to pick up our mail, visit the fitness center or go to the pool. We have also found that by car we are pretty much just 15 minutes or less away from the grocery store, the YMCA, the mall, restaurants and (at least during the off season)
the beach.

We have joined the Sarasota YMCA where they have a Pedaling for Parkinson’s class twice a week along with other classes for seniors. They are also working to get certified as PWR (Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery) instructors and we attended one of the classes last week as ‘guinea pigs’ as they get ready for certification in another week or so. The program was developed by Becky Farley who also developed the LSVT BIG program. The class was great and incorporated chair exercises along with standing exercises using exaggerated movements. You can read more about PWR here.

We found it easy to establish a daily exercise routine in Sarasota. Along with the pedaling classes, being able to easily bike, walk, or work out at the community fitness center provides a good variety of exercises during the week. I have become a firm believer that regular exercise is slowing the progression of my PD in addition to improving my overall health. And after reading “What’s Good for the Heart is Good for the Brain” on NPR this month, I’m hopeful that regular exercise will also improve my cardiovascular health and cognitive function along with slowing my PD progression.

You are probably beginning to notice that I write as much about the benefits of exercise as I do about signing up for the Fox Trial Finder and Fox Insight programs. And I know some of you are saying ‘I can’t exercise” because I have balance issues or I am too rigid or _______ (fill in the blank). I recently read a perfect response to “I can’t” in a post by Natasha McCarthy on her blog A broken body’s Journey where she said:

“I’m always preaching about how the studies prove that exercise is the
only proven way to slow the progression of PD. If you are told there’s
this miracle fix that can ensure your body works the way it does (or
maybe even better) and despite your degenerative disease stays where it is for a long time to come wouldn’t you beg me for the secret? Well,
it’s no secret, you just have to get up and move the more the better.
If you say you “can’t” run anymore “try” walking. If you say you
“can’t” do aerobics “try” water aerobics. “Can’t” handle impact on your
feet “try” biking. Your balance is bad and you say you “can’t” because
you’ll fall, then try a stationary bike with a good seat, or chair
yoga!” (Read the entire post here)

So in addition to clicking on the logos to the right and signing up for Fox Trial Finder and/or Fox Insight, how about checking out the free exercise video available from The Davis Phinney Foundation website. The exercises are designed for PwPs, demonstrated by PwPs , can easily be modified for any level of fitness and they don’t require a gym membership or a swimming pool! Click on the Davis Phinney Foundation logo on the right to check it out.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

Parkinson’s Awareness Month Is….Almost Over

Yep, here it is almost the end of April and the end of my third year going through Parkinson’s Awareness Month (April 1 – 30), and Parkinson’s Awareness Week (April 18 – 24th) and World Parkinson’s Day (April 11th (also Dr Parkinson’s birthday). And today I’m wondering shouldn’t every month, week, or day be Parkinson Awareness month, week or day? I don’t know about you but I’m aware of my Parkinson’s every day, and I don’t think I can get away with ignoring my PD from May to March waiting for the next Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Changing my social media icons doesn’t stop my Parkinson’s and, if we can’t keep the need for a cure in front of everyone all year, how do we expect to secure funding for necessary research, clinical trials etc. Does Congress only meet one month a year? OK maybe so, but they did proclaim April National Parkinson’s’ Disease Month this year. Do I only need to write one blog post a year (or 30 posts during the month of April, or 7 posts during Awareness Week? I don’t think setting aside a month, week or day is the answer!

OK, I’ll take my tongue out of my cheek (or is it put my tongue in?) but I have to say I feel better getting that off my chest. We can’t pretend that PD doesn’t exist the other 11 months of the year, just like we can’t pretend the same for Autism (also April) or Alzheimer’s (November) or Breast Cancer (October) just to name a few. We have made tremendous strides in the past 5 years in PD research because we work to gather the support of family, friends and strangers, not just in April but year around. So, if you didn’t get a chance to change your social icon, or participate in a fundraiser or attend a special PD event this month, you can still do something to help next month, or the month after, or…… Let’s not let up because Parkinson’s Awareness Month is over.

Our East Tennessee Support Group held it’s annual walk on April 16th, it was a beautiful day, we had a great turn out and so far we have raised over $12,500, 100% of which goes to fund research at the seven major Parkinson’s organizations through the National Parkinson’s Unity Walk held April 22, 2016. The National total so far is over $1.2 million. I want again to thank all of my supporters this year, together we will find a cure!

Speaking of the seven major organizations, if you haven’t heard, there is some welcome consolidation going on among the these groups. PAN (Parkinson’s Action Network), primarily our voice on the hill, has become the Policy unit of the Michael J Fox Foundation. In addition, NPF (National Parkinson’s Foundation) and PDF (Parkinson’s Disease Foundation) have signed an agreement to merge during this year. I feel like this is a good thing, all of the organizations have similar goals – Find A Cure- and they don’t need to be in competition.

So we are back from Florida and have been attending the Silver Sneakers Program and using the weight equipment at the local gym. We are shooting to maintain at least one hour per day/5 days per week and we have hit it most weeks so far.

We have rented a town home in Sarasota for a year to give us a chance to experience the area in all seasons, not just when it is cold in TN and warm there. So we will go down and come back up through out the summer/fall seasons plus spend most of the winter there. No plans at the moment to sell the Lake Cottage, but we keep hearing that too many people wait too long to make a decision about moving and end up somewhere they don’t enjoy. We know at some point we need a single story residence and we like the PD community in Sarasota and this opportunity popped up the last week of our stay so we jumped on it. Watch this space for more information about how it all works out.

Couple of last minute items:
1) Partners In Parkinson’s will offer a live video feed on Saturday May 14th. Click here for more information and to sign up. A great opportunity if you haven’t been able to attend a local event.

This year the Fourth Triennial World Parkinson’s Congress will be held in Portland OR, September 20 – 23. Early registration ends July 5th. Mara and I are attending and serving as volunteers. Check out the event schedule and register here.

Finally, I saw this great info graphic on Parkinson’s Journey, a blog I follow by Sherri Woodbridge. This is part of a larger info grapic from the American Parkinson Disease Association. I think it hits the exercise nail right on the head!

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!

This year while at the beach we have really stepped up the exercise routine. In addition to the Dance for PD classes and the Let Your Yoga Dance class, Mara has been attending a Yoga Fundamentals class and a Senior Fitness class while I am spinning away in my Pedaling for Parkinson’s class! After meeting with a fitness instructor at the gym, we are also doing strength training for an hour 2-3 days a week and cardio on the bike or treadmill the other days and still try to fit in a walk on the beach most days.

About now you are saying to yourselves, “Wow, Tom has gone over the edge on this exercise issue, wonder if he has seen any benefits”. And the answer is a resounding YES, I have less rigidity, better muscle tone, sleep better, walk better, and even some improvement in my posture (at least while I’m in dance class!). No I haven’t turned into Charles Atlas, no six pack flat abs or bulging muscles just better movement and improvement in my symptoms and overall health.

Why Exercise?

Davis Phinney says it best: “Exercise is medicine, so don’t miss a dose.” Check out the Top Ten Tips for Exercising with Parkinson’s Disease on the Davis Phinney Foundation website. You can also order a copy of the Parkinson’s Exercise Essentials DVD and exercise guide at no charge from their website. Also available at no charge is the Every Victory Counts Manual with tools for proactive self care.

There are many studies that show exercise to be beneficial not only for overall health but specifically for improvement in PD symptoms. A summary of recent research found on the National Parkinson’s Foundation site ends with the statement that the research presented “…shows that for people with Parkinson’s, exercise is an essential part of managing the disease.”

On the Michael J Fox Foundation website they point out that “There is evidence that exercise may hold specific benefits for people with Parkinson’s in staying active and relatively limber, and improving balance and motor coordination.” You can find several podcasts with tips on how to get started with an exercise program, what exercises seem to be beneficial and current research results. Download one today and listen to it while you exercise!

As you can see there are a variety of possible exercises for Parkinson’s including boxing, dance, walking, running, cycling, yoga, etc. Many of them can be done while seated and they will get you moving. In fact both dance classes that we take and the senior fitness class provide a great workout while seated. So talk to your primary care physician and have a thorough checkup and start exercising and I think you will see the benefits in a short time. Exercise helps keep the PD at bay while research continues to find a cure, so exercise AND sign up for Fox Trial Finder and Fox Insight!

Here are some additional resources that might help you find an exercise program that fits your needs:
Dance for PD – click on classes to find one near you.
Rock Steady Boxing – click on find a class
Delay the Disease – a physical therapy program with DVD’s and Books available to purchase and a growing list of trained instructors and classes. I have reviewed the DVD’s and books and found them well written and the exercises can be done sitting or standing.

Our time at the beach is about up and we return to Tennessee in a week or so, just in time for our Oak Ridge support group Parkinson’s Walk in support of the Unity Walk in NYC. Despite my fumbling attempt last year as MC, they have asked me to perform the same duty again this year. If you are in the area, please join us on April 16th. If you can’t join us, think about donating to our team PK Hope is Alive. Unity Walk is unique because all of the costs are covered by sponsors so that 100% of your donation is distributed to the 7 major Parkinson’s research organizations. Donation information is available on either of the links above.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

Tag: Parkinson’s Disease

Pedaling with Parkinson’s

As part of our stay here in Florida, we became temporary members at a local Gym that provides PwP specific classes along with all the other amenities of a large gym. One of the classes they offer is Pedaling with Parkinson’s, a twice a week spin class specificly designed for PwP’s. The objective of the session is to cycle for 40 minutes, keeping your heart rate between 60% – 80% of your MHR (maximum heart rate), and keeping the cadence (RPM) between 80 and 90 RPM per minute.

In order to take the class, I had an hour long evaluation that covered, among many things, medical conditions other than PD, what PD symptoms I had, and how my balance was – almost made the 30 seconds standing on one foot! Then, after taking my resting heart rate and blood pressure, I spent 20 minutes on the spin bike, upping the resistance until I couldn’t maintain 80 RPM for a minute, which provided my MHR.

I managed to pass the tests so last Friday I joined a full class of 20+ PwP’s for my first forced march on a bike! After adjusting the bike, putting on the heart rate monitor and doing a light warm up spin (you know in the 60 – 80 RPM range) the instructor cranked up the music and off we went, upping the resistance while maintaining the cadence at 80 – 90 RPM for what seemed to be forever. OK maybe it wasn’t forever but it was a solid 40 minute workout, with brief slow downs for hydration before the next song came on. All of our data was captured on a computer which then projected our heart rate and the percent of MHR up on a screen in front of the room. In addition, the bike was equipped with a device showing our RPM, heart rate and % of MHR.

This program is based on research by Jay Alberts, PhD, at the Cleveland Clinic and a demonstration study by the Neuro Challenge Foundation here in Sarasota which have yielded promising preliminary scientific and anecdotal results. The studies have indicated that doing this twice a week helps create new pathways (neuroplasticity) in the brain and participants have reported a reduction in tremors, better balance and gait, regained sense of smell, and increased energy. I have been interested in doing this for some time and I’m glad I get the opportunity to participate while here as they also offer this class at the YMCA in Knoxville if I want to continue when I get home.

The Neuro Challenge Foundation also sponsors the three dance for PD classes we are attending while here along with many other activities for PwP and Care Partners. They provide a Parkinson Disease Resource Guide and offer a one on one Care Advisor Program to help PD Patients find the best treatment and support options available. An excellent resource for PwP in the Sarasota area and one of the reasons we like to come to this area. Speaking of dance classes, our Let Your Yoga Dance for PD class made the local paper, you can view the article here. We have a good time in all three classes and it certainly helps keep me flexible.

Oh, did I mention we caught up with Dale, Monica and grand daughters Angelina and Ariana in San Francisco? OK, maybe we were at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and took advantage of the set. We had a great time with them in Disney World and here at the beach.

We continue to enjoy our beach time in between dance classes and time at the gym and I can’t believe our time here is half over already!

Don’t forget to sign up for MJF Trial Finder by clicking on that large orange button on the top right and then you might as well join Fox Insight by clicking on the logo to your right! Thanks.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

February 21, 2016
It’s a New Year…

and it’s way past time for a catch up blog post. I think the last post of substance was about Giving Tuesday at the end of November, 2015! So this is my attempt to condense a couple of months of activity into one post. Not long after the Giving Tuesday post, we made an unscheduled trip to Traverse City, MI to help out Mara’s sister with her used book store. We have no retail experience and it’s been over ten years since I’ve worked a 40+ hour shift but we had a great time taking care of business. If you are in the Traverse City area, be sure and stop in at her store The Bookie Joint downtown just off Front Street. (yep, a shameless plug!)

We got home just in time to get ready for Christmas and enjoyed the holidays with our family and then it was time to start getting ready for THE BEACH! We arrived last Saturday and were awakened at 3am Sunday morning by the sounds of a tornado (I’ll be darned if it didn’t sound just like a train). Luckily no one in our complex was injured but a lot of the units had windows and screens damaged and a lot of cars suffered broken glass and other damage. We hadn’t planned on being part of the effort to prove the theory of global warning but we are thankful that no one was hurt and our unit and car were not damaged.

On the Parkinson’s front, I was appointed webmaster for the East Tennessee Parkinson’s Support Group and spent a lot of free time during December learning WordPress and upgrading the site to the latest version. When that wrapped up early in January I spent my free time updating the Tennessee Parkinson’s Disease Resource site with maps and adding new information.

Somehow I also managed to take an exercise holiday and I began to notice my symptoms were getting worse, particularly the brady kinesia (ridgity). Since we arrived in Florida, I have been walking at least an hour a day and we have signed up for two Parkinson’s dance classes We are also planning to sign up for additional exercise classes at the Neuro Challenge Institute, a great resource for Parkinson’s Patients in the greater Sarasota area. I am already noticing improvement which once again proves how important exercise is for PWP’s!

We also signed up for a weekly Let Your Yoga Dance class. We were introduced to Let Your Yoga Dance while at the Kripalu retreat in October 2013 and this class reunited us with instructor/founder Megha and Joel and Melissa whom we first met at the retreat and meet up with every year while in Sarasota. Our first class was yesterday and Megha had us doing deep breathing exercises, stretching and dancing in no time. It is a great class that not only provides exercise but brings ‘healing through joy’.

Coming up we will attend the Neuro Challenge Insitute annual Parkinson’s Symposium on Saturday where one of the topics to be covered is the Tasigna trial conducted at Georgetown University. Tasigna is a leukemia drug that appears to stop or reverse some of the PD symptoms during a small test involving 12 Parkinson’s patients. I am looking forward to hearing more about the first trial and the results and will provide more information in the next post.

So there you have it, a short version of a very busy couple of months. Oh, did I mention I am still wearing my smartwatch and providing data for the Fox Insight Trial? If you haven’t signed up you can do it here, and don’t forget to also sign up for Fox Trial Finder at the same time and join over 52,000 of us who have already signed up!

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

January 20, 2016
Giving Tuesday is Almost Here!

Tuesday, December 1st is Giving Tuesday. Black Friday is over and Cyber Monday is almost over and Tuesday will be a great opportunity to take some (or all) of the money you saved this weekend and give back by making a donation to a Parkinson’s Disease organization or another cause of your choice. As in past years, many charitable organizations have a matching plan that will double your Giving Tuesday donation for double the benefit.

In case you need a little inspiration, I am reposting the following article “What is a Parkie? And Why are They so Expensive?“. This article was written by Alan Zimmerman vice president of the East Tennessee Parkinson’s Support Group and posted on their website, PK Hope is Alive . Alan is a strong and active advocate for Parkinson’s research and education. In addition to being Vice President of the group, he is the Assistant Tennessee State Director for the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) and a member of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council.

Take some time on Tuesday and support the cause of your choice, There is a lot of exciting news on the research front and our donations can make a difference! Happy Holidays!!

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

WHAT IS A PARKIE? AND WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE?

by Alan Zimmerman

Parkies are expensive devils. How does $25 Billion per year in the US sound to you? Not only that,we discover another 60,000 Parkies each year, right here in good old America. That number that is guaranteed to rise. And, each Parkie spends about $2500 per year trying to be less Parkie with an assortment of medications and untold more on supplements.

So, what then is a Parkie? It is what people with Parkinson’s disease call each other. Yep, the term is pretty much reserved for those in the Parkie club. They would rather be known by everyone else as people with Parkinson’s (PWP).

I know that you know someone who is a PWP. You may even have a relative with PD. You have seen them taking short steps and all bent over and very stiff and slow, or maybe they are using a walker to get around or perhaps they shake uncontrollably. Maybe you can’t hear or understand them when they talk. Perhaps you, nor they can read their handwriting. The list goes on and on.

Who gets this disease? Men are slightly more likely and most people are in their 60’s when diagnosed. But, about one in ten are 45 or under. By the time your symptoms are bad enough to be diagnosed, one has already lost more the 60% of their dopamine. You see, that marvelous thing called a brain compensates until it no longer can. Unfortunately, that is not the blessing it seems to be. As more interventions are developed, the sooner the diagnosis, the better.

Wait! We have new terms: diagnosis and dopamine.

Let’s take “diagnosis” first because most everyone has had at least one of those. In the case of Parkinson’s there is no definitive way of diagnosing except by physical exam. And, it really needs to be done by a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders. There is no blood test or scan that will determine for sure that the monster called PD has attacked.

What’s “dopamine?” It is a chemical found in the brain. What does it do? Lots of things that we know about and probably some yet to be discovered. For one, it is a communicator. Somehow it signals the muscles to do whatever the brain tells them to do. It also has something to do with mood, pleasure, depression and many other important functions.

What causes this PD thing? Nobody knows for sure but most scientists believe it is probably a combination of genetics and something in the environment, like heavy metals, toxins, or pesticides that trigger the beginning of the disease. That is pretty much where science is. OK, so where does it start? Nobody is sure where exactly but some of the latest thinking is that it starts in the gut or maybe even the intestines.

So, bottom line, what is the cure? There isn’t one. It just gets worse over time as more brain cells die. OK then, what is the treatment? Mostly, at this stage in modern medicine, only symptoms can be treated. A few things may slow it down like exercise programs.

We also have this thing called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Hold on, what’s that? It may scare you if I tell you but here goes. DBS is where a PWP has one or preferably two holes drilled in the scull. Then you insert electrodes into certain places in the brain. Then, you attach all that to a battery which is eventually buried into your upper chest. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Usually the patient is awake when those electrodes are being put in place. Why? So that the neurosurgeon can get feedback from the PWP.

So, I guess we need more research. There is a bunch going on world-wide, but we could always use more. Researchers eat and have families and require laboratories. What that means is that research has a price tag. What a price tag means is that more donations are required.

What else is needed? More movement specialist physicians for one. There are not enough now and certainly too few going to school while the Parkie population increases. So, we need to encourage doctors to devote an extra two years of their life learning the intricacies of movement. Guess what? That too carries a pretty hefty price tag. So, we need more scholarships which means we need more donations yet again.

So, let’s review. People with Parkinson’s are growing in numbers rapidly. The disease is progressive and degenerative. So far, we can pretty much treat the symptoms only. But, through massive research, we believe that disease altering therapies are going to become a reality pretty soon. What is pretty soon? Maybe 5-10 years. But, that only happens with support for research, i.e. donations.

November 30, 2015

Our Sarasota Experiment – Part One

Parkinson’s Awareness Month Is….Almost Over

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!

Where in the world is Tom

It’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month – 9th Edition

We Survived Hurricane Ian!

Nine Years

Other Posts

Where in the world is Tom

It’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month – 9th Edition

We Survived Hurricane Ian!

Nine Years

Tag: Parkinson’s Disease

Pedaling with Parkinson’s

It’s a New Year…

Giving Tuesday is Almost Here!