A dose of Reality

It's been a somewhat frustrating time.   I hate writing about that, but if I'm going to write about Parkinson's you should know that I don't always feel optimistic and I am often frustrated.

I take three different medications for Parkinson's.   The one that I feel is the most effective (and truly I don't know this for a fact)  I take 4 time a  day.  I take it at 6:00 AM, 11:00 AM. 4PM and 10PM.   I can feel the moment that it kicks in.   I can sometime feel the moment that it wears off.

The hour before I take each dose is the most annoying.  I can't keep my foot flat on the ground.   Sitting is terribly uncomfortable.  Standing isn't always practical.

At this moment my fingers are working well.  I'm typing, albeit not the way I was taught, but at an acceptable pace.     At 10:30 AM, if I'm still typing, I will be hitting the wrong letters and typing at a Tortoise pace.

I'm pushing myself to walk.   Averaging 2 miles a day.  Yesterday I did 3 miles.  Sometimes it is difficult.  I try to time the walks so they coincide with the apex of the medication's effectiveness.

As I have previously stated, I don't have a typical Parkinsonian tremor.  My tremor is in my legs.  Mostly my right leg.  When a man, almost 6 foot 3 inches and 240 pounds shakes, so does everybody and everything around him.    I was particularly conscious of this while sitting in classes on Wednesday.     Stopping the tremor for a short period of time is possible, but it is difficult.    

Perhaps the most difficult thing is rising from a chair.    When the pills are working, I have no problem, when they are not, I think that it would be easier to light a match on a bar of soap.  (Stan Laurel said that this was impossible, in response to Oliver Hardy's statement, "Nothing is impossible, Stanley.")

My business has improved.   Partially because of the economy.  Partially because I've got this thing in me that says I should never give in.

People have asked if I'm thinking about going on disability.  Not a chance.    I may not love what I do, but it is mine, and for me, quitting is not an option.

So it leaves me just where it always has.  I'll continue to believe that in the realm of things, that I have it pretty good, laugh about what i'm going through and remain happy.  

Some people find this inappropriate behavior.  It's the only way that I know how to cope.