I recently discovered Qi Gong. I find the energy and breath work rewarding. Qi Gong uses the breath and movement to bring relaxation. It is easy to do and feels fantastic! When I have Parkinson symptoms that are bothering me, I find that Qi Gong is easy to do. It is easier than yoga and aerobics. When I practice Qi Gong because I am shaking or anxious it calms me down. The change in my energy and mood is rapid. I laugh with joy during the practice of shaking your stress away. The YOQI channel on YouTube is very important enjoyable. Take a look and see if Qi Gong helps you relax. Enjoy!
Diversion
COVID and wearing masks is on everyone’s minds. Many of us are staying at home to avoid contracting COVID-19. We are all trying new ways to adjust to the new normal because none of us have ever been through anything like this. I keep remembering, when I was working, all I wanted to do was stay home. Now that I’m staying home, I want to go out. Isn’t that the way? We always want something else. I realize that I should only refer to myself. I’m sure all the readers of this blog are not wanting to get out of the house.
What do we do to get through this? One of my goals is to get outside, so I have been walking in the park regularly. Distraction is the best way to deal with staying home. Do you have projects around the house you can do? Fun projects, not the maintenance or decluttering project: painting, coloring, crafting, sewing, knitting, crocheting? Start working on the project again and see if you can finish it. I’m going to do the same thing myself.
I find that baking can be a nice diversion. Certainly, looking for delicious desserts is fun. I found two links to different cheesecakes:
- The first recipe is from OMG Chocolate Desserts for Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake and it looks simply scrumptious.
- The second is for gluten-free and vegan readers and is a Vegan Cheesecake from The Big Man’s World.
Now, I have never made these, but that’s the fun of it, right? Cook or bake something you have not made before. Take up a new hobby: drawing, coloring, painting, knitting, crocheting, or crafting? Any hobby will work. Hopefully, this time will pass quickly and we shall soon see our family and friends. In the meantime, be safe.
Squeeze the Good Out of Parkinson’s
Last week I attended an online educational summit sponsored by the Davis Phinney Foundation. It was inspiring, and I received a great deal of information to work with and ponder.
In this post, I am focusing on one person who impressed me the most. Her name is Amy Carlson and she is an Ambassador for the Davis Phinney Foundation. She spoke about her philosophy on Parkinson’s, which is pretty simple but profound.
Embrace Parkinson’s, make it your friend, and squeeze every last good thing out of it that you can.
Amy Carlson, Amy Carlson Squeezes all the Good out of Parkinson’s
I was inspired by that phrase. Squeeze every last good thing out of Parkinson’s. Amy Carlson says that Parkinson’s is a way to try something new and stop doing things that are obligatory. Dance is a creative outlet and is one of the wonderful things she discovered since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Her mantra is live for today and feel the very best you can.
I have been living with Parkinson’s since 2014. Living with my body feels very different than before the diagnosis. It feels like the body is separate from the mind. That is contradictory because the mind is what controls the body. The Parkinson’s mind decides what direction the body will go. It’s like navigating a mine field. You are not in control of your body. You never know where to step and when the symptoms will blow up. The videos below expose the insider view of living inside a Parkinson’s body. The poems are written by Wayne A. Gilbert, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2005. These poems flow together to reveal the mystery of living in a Parkinson’s body. Both are profound and soul-stirring. If you are so moved, please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Give Thanks
It’s Thanksgiving week and many of us will say a prayer of thanks before eating Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been thinking about gratitude. More and more, I hear that gratitude has a positive effect on your life, and it seems that being grateful is an intention. You deliberately make a point to feel gratitude. So, what is gratitude?
Benedictine monk, Br. David Steindl-Rast, suggests that two qualities belong in our basic definition of gratitude. The first is appreciation: You recognize that something is valuable to you, which has nothing to do with its monetary worth. The second quality is that gratitude is gratis: freely given to you.
Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, also argues that gratitude has two key components: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received.”
In the second part of gratitude, he explains, “ recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves…We acknowledge that other people…gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.
https://gratefulness.org/resource/what-is-gratitude/
Last week, I attended a webinar entitled Growing through Gratitude. The presenter Melissa Kirkpatrick, is a speaker, author, and life coach. She always has a positive attitude and believes that gratefulness will help you grow. When you are thankful for someone or something, look deeper inside yourself into why you are grateful. For example, if you give thanks for a place to live, be thankful for the builders who built your home. If you have groceries and food, thank the grocery store clerk and the truck driver. You will find that goodness and gratitude will not only lift your spirits but will remind you that kindness continues in the world.
Gratitude begins by looking at all the good things in life. Psychologists have found that gratefulness will improve your mood, your happiness, and your health. (See Psychology Today Gratitude) When you are grateful, you are reducing your negative thoughts and feelings. Grateful people are less depressed, less stressed, and have fewer mental health issues. Feelings of gratefulness bring gladness to your heart and chase away the blues.
This Thanksgiving, we all may feel like there is little to be grateful about. Many of us will be staying home instead of visiting with family. That may make us feel depressed and sad. I encourage you to look for what you can be grateful for: your health, your home, your spouse, your family, the food on your table. Go one step further and give thanks for the ones you love, and remember why you are grateful for them. Do they bring you joy? Have they provided for you in your life? Will they be there for you no matter what? When you are grateful for someone or something, your focus changes; you see goodness and kindness, not irritation or anger. Make a practice of gratitude and see how you feel.
I am going to commit to writing down three things I am grateful for every day. They will be different things each day. I can tell you that my spirits feel lifted just writing about gratitude. We find joy inside when we are grateful. This week, when you prepare your meal, think about the things or people you feel gratitude for and why. Share with your family or friends and encourage them to share what makes them feel grateful. May this bring peace to you and your family. Happy Thanksgiving.
The Right Stuff
One of my family members fell off a cliff by the ocean a couple of weeks ago. His injuries are numerous including skull, back, and neck fractures. We were all worried that maybe he would not be able to walk or resume a normal life. He fooled us and walked out of the hospital two days after being in the ICU. The nurse said that in 33 years she had not seen anyone walk out of the hospital with that many injuries. He decided that he was going to be alright and would heal fast. He says he is fine. He is optimistic and full of hope. He has the “right stuff” for healing. He has a great and positive attitude.
I was thinking about attitude during this time. When you first hear that you have Parkinson’s Disease, your heart sinks. Your emotions range from sadness to depression to denial. Once you get through that, you have a decision to make: how are you going to handle this in your daily life? Parkinson’s is a life long disease, so you must look ahead and decide how you will handle managing your disease.
According to the Parkinson’s Disease in America 2018 study, significant numbers of people diagnosed with PD lose hope and find their emotional well being derailed. Over 50% of those surveyed report being quite a bit, or very, sad or nervous. Nearly 70% report a significant loss of hope. They fear mental health issues and a general dip in emotional well being. Although it is normal to experience a loss of hope or bouts of fear about what the future holds, keeping a positive attitude, and maintaining an upbeat outlook can make life more enjoyable. This approach is actually beneficial for everyone, whether or not they have Parkinson’s, or care about someone else who does.
Staying Positive When You Have Parkinson’s · October 23, 2018
Here are some things you can do to remain positive:
- Listen to music
- Call a friend
- Focus on what you can do
- Create a gratitude journal
- Be compassionate towards others
- Help someone in need
- Exercise
My very favorite thing to be positive is exercise. This makes me feel so much better. I practice some type of aerobics or yoga six days a week. I have gained strength and balance. Exercise will reduce your Parkinson’s symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. I am also a volunteer for a Parkinson’s non-profit organization. Meeting others who have Parkinson’s enriches my life and helps me get through the tougher times. It helps to know that I can call someone who understands.
The young man that fell is doing fairly well. He returned back home and is resuming his normal life. He may not be doing everything he used to, but he is up and moving. The message for today is to think positively and think happy thoughts. You will be surprised at how much it helps.
Hope During COVID
Hope. Let’s talk about hope. It is not something we usually talk about. We say we hope you feel better, we hope you have a better day tomorrow. Hope is an internal feeling that you find in the core of your soul. Hope is a mindset that gives you the ability to face another day. Hope can lift you when you are feeling down or your physical issues are difficult to handle that day. There are times when you need to find hope externally. You need someone to let you know you are strong, you can get through the difficult day or moment.
I know some people who have little hope. They think Parkinson’s stops you from doing anything fun or being physically active. I’m sure you have heard we are headed for a “dark winter” due to COVID 19. During this time, we must have hope. Hope that the bad days won’t be so bad and that the dark times will turn to light. We must hold onto our hope that yes, we can get through another day. We must hope that the “dark winter” won’t last forever. There will be an end and we will see the light soon.
When we get down or have difficult days physically, we must look for hope and believe that tomorrow will be better. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you through the dark times.
The Parkinson’s community is large, and the people are so nice. Reach out to any Parkinson’s group that interests you. The Parkinson’s Support and Wellness website list all the Parkinson’s support groups in the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky areas. There will be people who have first-hand knowledge of what you are going through. They will support, listen, and commiserate with you.
There are also many online activities for people with Parkinson’s. From the Parkinson’s Foundation site:
The Parkinson’s Foundation is dedicated to bringing the Parkinson’s (PD) community virtual educational and wellness programs through PD Health @ Home. As some of us continue social distancing, we do not want members of our community to emotionally isolate, which is why PD Health @ Home provides weekly online events
I’ll leave you with a quote from Thomas Merton who was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. His book The Seven Storey Mountain was his account of spiritual journal. It is among the National Review’s list of 100 best non-fiction books of the century.
Grateful for Today
Today, I feel grateful! I began the day with an online yoga class, then went for a walk in the woods. Last year, I was very ill. I could not do any of those things. I was walking with a cane or walker and was not doing that well.
Movement is critical to Parkinson’s. Movement is medicine. Exercise is a top priority for me and many other people with Parkinson’s. Each day I want to remember last year and be grateful. Grateful for the movement I can achieve that day. Each day is different. Your abilities change, your balance changes. Moving is the key and exercise of any type, will help. Move in whatever way is accessible to you today. Even if you just stretch your body. Stretch your arms up in the air. You will feel a change and feel better.
Gratitude is important and I keep coming back to it. Gratitude lightens the heart and turns a frown upside down. Gratitude will remind you to appreciate the people you love and those that return that love. Gratitude gives you a positive feeling about your life and your condition. A little gratitude will go a long way. Gratitude pushes you forward into a better mood, better attitude and better energy. I am not always grateful, which is why I’m writing about it. Today, I am grateful and feel happy!
Oh, the Places You’ll Go
“Oh, the Places You’ll Go”. Dr. Seuss has it right. You never know the places life will take you. Parkinson’s can lead you to unexpected places. There’s always a surprise waiting around the corner.
I document my medications when there are issues. One medication, for sleep, is particularly difficult. I just can’t decide if it helps. I realize that I expect the medication to work my way. It did not comply with my wishes. This got me thinking. My expectations can cause confusion for me. I want the medicine to work magically. I want the problem totally fixed. The medication let me down. I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for the “magic pill”. I often wish for one pill, one cure, to end Parkinson’s, for good. So, I don’t know why or where my expectations come from. I think the magic pill theory comes into play.
So, now I’m attempting to look at the medication realistically. What is its real purpose? What is the intention of this medicine? This leads to understanding that the medication is helping. It is not a cure. This makes me wonder how often I put unrealistic expectations on medications. From now on, I will start learning more about the medication’s mission. I am always hopeful for the “magic pill”. Maybe one day we will see the magic cure.
Yoga: Reunite with Your Breath
I LOVE YOGA! I take classes at a local studio. Ok, not exactly. The classes are live streaming during COVID. I love yoga because it makes me pay attention to my breath. Yoga just feels good and helps you relax. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always pay attention to the most important thing in my body: Breathing. Sometimes the body reminds me that I need to pay more attention. I have asthma, so at times, I literally cannot control my breathing. I appreciate the breath. I am grateful for the breath.
Yoga with Adrienne offers a great segment for breathing called Reunite with Your Breath. She tells you to raise your arms as you inhale. We all can do that, right? She continues and asks you to stop raising your arms when the inhale stops. I thought for sure I was inhaling the entire time my arms were raising. Nope. My arms stopped a little over half way. Shocking! The conclusion is that I inhale and exhale in a shallow manner. Well, so now I am working on taking deeper and longer breaths. Reuniting with the breath is something to come back to when your breath is shallow. All of us get in that place. It’s important to breathe and be aware of the breath. Take some time today and focus on the breath.
Planning for a doctor visit or hospital stay
Click here for presentation resources
Last year was very bad year for me. I became very ill, and landed in the hospital four to five times throughout the summer. Thankfully, I made a full recovery and feel wonderful!
This leads me to today’s topic: Preparing for a Doctor Visit or a Hospital Stay. Parkinson’s Support and Wellness is hosting an educational program for people with Parkinson’s and their advocates. The presentation is How to Prepare for a Doctor Visit or Hospital Stay and will be Saturday, October 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The program is part of their regular PD EDU series which you can view at http://parkinsoncincinnati.org/pd-edu. You can register on that page, or you can go directly to the registration page. Since this is a zoom conference, you must register to get the zoom link.
It is so important to be organized for either a doctor visit or hospital stay. Your visits to either place will go much better if you prepare. We will discuss getting things organized for the doctor or hospital. I hope you will join us on Zoom. See you Saturday!
Inside Parkinson's 