I hate the Stairmaster. There is a constant "give and take" between my Physical Therapist and me.
PT: Do you want to start on the stairmaster?
MS: Do I want to? I did it.
PT: When?
MS: Three weeks ago.
So I start on the bike. Go to the treadmill. Then we begin again.
PT: Did you go on the stairmaster?
MS: Yes, last time that I was here.
Ultimately she wins. Despite they're insistance, that I exercise on the stairmaster, they treat me well. They even let me choose the music. There was no need to change the station, Buddy Holly was singing "Everyday." There I am climbing to a song that I love.
Every step, I a steppin slower
Goin slower then an unplugged toaster.
My PT sees that at 2 minutes, the approximate length of the song, I'm about ready to stop partaking in this foolhardy venture, so she switched to THE BOSS. Now Rosalita is coming out tonight, and I'm still climbing. He's telling Jack about his wife and kids in Baltimre and I;m still climbing, He's Dancing in the Dark and I'm still climbing.
I was on that contraption for 15 minutes. The new Sherman indoor, freestyle, stupid exercise record.
So although, Bruce and Buddy are both among my favorites, For exercising, I'll stick to Springsteen.
Showing posts with label Physical Therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Physical Therapy. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November 30, 2010. Look at me, I can be Centerfield!
So much of our well being is in our head. I went to the Gym today. I worked out with my therapist/trainers. These are wonderful, intuitive professional people. They know that i react differently with a ball in my hands. Part of the session is tailored to that. I can walk in dragging my feet, but let me throw a ball and I'm taken back to a place that I loved. It then makes the subsequent exercises that much easier.
Today, on the drive there, I was a Parkinson's patient. When I left, I felt differently. My walking was better, my driving was better. Some of this is the adrenaline, but a firmly believe that some of this is an attitude change that I get from throwing a ball.
Michael J. Fox plays hockey. Muhammed Ali works on the speed bag. Their Parkinsons has progressed far more than mine. What they have in common is attitude. They are both very positive people.
So all I have to say is, "Put me in Coach. I'm ready to play today."
Today, on the drive there, I was a Parkinson's patient. When I left, I felt differently. My walking was better, my driving was better. Some of this is the adrenaline, but a firmly believe that some of this is an attitude change that I get from throwing a ball.
Michael J. Fox plays hockey. Muhammed Ali works on the speed bag. Their Parkinsons has progressed far more than mine. What they have in common is attitude. They are both very positive people.
So all I have to say is, "Put me in Coach. I'm ready to play today."
Saturday, November 20, 2010
November 20, 2010
When did my PD start?
Nobody knows. The first signs that there was definitely something wrong came about a year and one half prior to being diagnosed. That evidenced itself, in of all places, my handwriting. My penmanship, which was bad to begin with, got progressively smaller. This, I later learned is a common symptom for people with PD called micrographia.
What caused this?
Again nobody knows. Sure they can give the chemical answer that "Parkinson's disease is caused by the progressive impairment or deterioration of neurons (nerve cells) in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra." http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/parkinsons-causes. Say that to me and I say that, "I thought that it was because I had an overextended Humperdink that rubbed against my Frumpsh." It has no meaning to me.
Is it hereditary? In rare cases. Not in mine. I know of no blood relatives who have had the disease.
My physical therapist, thinks that a car accident that I had when I was 25 may have been partially to blame. I'm not convinced.
When I look back now, I was always unusually stiff and clumsy. Is there a possibility that I've always had the disease? Nobody has convinced me otherwise.
Parkinson's strikes one side first. Mine was my right side. Since I am extremely dominant right handed, I'm not sure we would have diagnosed it yet had it been my left side.
What lies ahead, is retraining my brain. "My brain: it's my second favorite organ." (Woody Allen, Sleeper, 1973). I can still do most things, however my brain just doesn't know it. (Feel free to put in punchlines).
When my Doctor diagnosed me, all that I knew about the disease was that Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali and Janet Reno all suffered from it. I asked my Doctor, "What's the Prognosis?" I don't remember his exact answer, but I do remember thinking that it isn't fatal and the course is unknown.
Nobody knows. The first signs that there was definitely something wrong came about a year and one half prior to being diagnosed. That evidenced itself, in of all places, my handwriting. My penmanship, which was bad to begin with, got progressively smaller. This, I later learned is a common symptom for people with PD called micrographia.
What caused this?
Again nobody knows. Sure they can give the chemical answer that "Parkinson's disease is caused by the progressive impairment or deterioration of neurons (nerve cells) in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra." http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/parkinsons-causes. Say that to me and I say that, "I thought that it was because I had an overextended Humperdink that rubbed against my Frumpsh." It has no meaning to me.
Is it hereditary? In rare cases. Not in mine. I know of no blood relatives who have had the disease.
My physical therapist, thinks that a car accident that I had when I was 25 may have been partially to blame. I'm not convinced.
When I look back now, I was always unusually stiff and clumsy. Is there a possibility that I've always had the disease? Nobody has convinced me otherwise.
Parkinson's strikes one side first. Mine was my right side. Since I am extremely dominant right handed, I'm not sure we would have diagnosed it yet had it been my left side.
What lies ahead, is retraining my brain. "My brain: it's my second favorite organ." (Woody Allen, Sleeper, 1973). I can still do most things, however my brain just doesn't know it. (Feel free to put in punchlines).
When my Doctor diagnosed me, all that I knew about the disease was that Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali and Janet Reno all suffered from it. I asked my Doctor, "What's the Prognosis?" I don't remember his exact answer, but I do remember thinking that it isn't fatal and the course is unknown.
Friday, November 19, 2010
November 19, 2010
I went back to the Gym today. The Gym that I use is associated with New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), and is situated on their beautiful campus on the Northern Boulevard in Old Westbury. The Gym is used by Parkinson's patients and the Physical Therapists are experts on Parkinson's Disease. They are also wonderful people! I've come to count them among my friends.
I've spent my life doing the least possible. I was a very bright, but very lazy student. Although I always played hard, I never prepared. Never stretched, always pulled muscles. So it's no surprise to me that I've been remiss in my exercise.
My therapists tailor part of the session to my talents. I tap a basketball against the wall, as if I were tipping in a rebound. I also throw a ball against a "pitchback." When I do these activities, I don't have Parkinson's Disease. Whether it's adrenaline or "muscle memory," I feel like that kid in the playground. What a wonderful feeling.
I don't envy kids today. I grew up in a young neighborhood. The weather warmed and we would get as many as possible for softball. It cooled down out came the football, the basketball and my favorite, my hockey stick. Today kids play video games on "playdates." Mention stickball and you get a blank stare. Gone are the sandlots. Part of the blame is greed.
I loved baseball. First came watching, then playing it. In 1965, I ran home from school to see Sandy Koufax pitch in the World Series. The game lasted a little more than 2 hours, leaving time for my friends and me to play ball.
If a Jewish kid from Brooklyn can make it, why not one from Queens? I was almost 9. My older brother who was 13, would tell me to watch his curveball, "It falls off the edge of a table!" He was right, it did. Today the series starts at 8:00 P.M. Because of the way that the game has changed, it invariably lasts almost 4 hours. Nine year olds can't stay up for that, and are missing, what I consider cherished memories.
The Jewish Kid from Queens never followed in Koufax's footsteps. This is something that can't be blamed on laziness, I wasn't that good. Though for about 10 minutes today, in the Gym, I was Koufax. I was again that little boy.
I've spent my life doing the least possible. I was a very bright, but very lazy student. Although I always played hard, I never prepared. Never stretched, always pulled muscles. So it's no surprise to me that I've been remiss in my exercise.
My therapists tailor part of the session to my talents. I tap a basketball against the wall, as if I were tipping in a rebound. I also throw a ball against a "pitchback." When I do these activities, I don't have Parkinson's Disease. Whether it's adrenaline or "muscle memory," I feel like that kid in the playground. What a wonderful feeling.
I don't envy kids today. I grew up in a young neighborhood. The weather warmed and we would get as many as possible for softball. It cooled down out came the football, the basketball and my favorite, my hockey stick. Today kids play video games on "playdates." Mention stickball and you get a blank stare. Gone are the sandlots. Part of the blame is greed.
I loved baseball. First came watching, then playing it. In 1965, I ran home from school to see Sandy Koufax pitch in the World Series. The game lasted a little more than 2 hours, leaving time for my friends and me to play ball.
If a Jewish kid from Brooklyn can make it, why not one from Queens? I was almost 9. My older brother who was 13, would tell me to watch his curveball, "It falls off the edge of a table!" He was right, it did. Today the series starts at 8:00 P.M. Because of the way that the game has changed, it invariably lasts almost 4 hours. Nine year olds can't stay up for that, and are missing, what I consider cherished memories.
The Jewish Kid from Queens never followed in Koufax's footsteps. This is something that can't be blamed on laziness, I wasn't that good. Though for about 10 minutes today, in the Gym, I was Koufax. I was again that little boy.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 17, 2010
It's been a rough couple of days. Walking can be strenuous. A slightly hunched over position causes a pain in my neck. Added to that, I may carry 6 or 7 files, along with my laptop in my backpack.
I've also been terribly remiss about attending Physical Therapy. I've been weighing the balancing the benefits of the physical therapy against the lost time at work. I chose poorly. I'm back at the Gym this Friday.
Aging is a funny thing. When we're young we absorb almost anything we're taught. I had an almost photographic memory. I could take copious notes, rewrite them, and the entire semester would be memorized. The shutter is now broken on this photographic memory. That's is more a function of age.
Math came easy to me. The employees at my Dad's store would test me on double digit multiplication. I was could do it faster, in my head, then they could do it on a calculator. That also may be a function of age.
Not everything is more difficult. I'm a far better writer now. I also enjoy that a lot more. I'll get some strange idea in my head, and let it take it's own course. What caused this? I think that it is a lack of inhibition that comes from age and mortality.
How life has changed! Just 5 years ago, I was driving more than 30,000 miles a year. Now I'm avoiding driving. Living in New York makes this adjustment a minor inconvenience.
What I do miss is the Theater. It's difficult sitting still for 3 hours in a cramped seat. At a sporting event I can always get up and walk around. I don't have that option in the Theater.
As I wrote the last sentence I felt embarrassed. How little appreciation am I showing of my lot in life, if my biggest complaint is that I miss the Theater. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to learn to keep things in perspective.
I've also been terribly remiss about attending Physical Therapy. I've been weighing the balancing the benefits of the physical therapy against the lost time at work. I chose poorly. I'm back at the Gym this Friday.
Aging is a funny thing. When we're young we absorb almost anything we're taught. I had an almost photographic memory. I could take copious notes, rewrite them, and the entire semester would be memorized. The shutter is now broken on this photographic memory. That's is more a function of age.
Math came easy to me. The employees at my Dad's store would test me on double digit multiplication. I was could do it faster, in my head, then they could do it on a calculator. That also may be a function of age.
Not everything is more difficult. I'm a far better writer now. I also enjoy that a lot more. I'll get some strange idea in my head, and let it take it's own course. What caused this? I think that it is a lack of inhibition that comes from age and mortality.
How life has changed! Just 5 years ago, I was driving more than 30,000 miles a year. Now I'm avoiding driving. Living in New York makes this adjustment a minor inconvenience.
What I do miss is the Theater. It's difficult sitting still for 3 hours in a cramped seat. At a sporting event I can always get up and walk around. I don't have that option in the Theater.
As I wrote the last sentence I felt embarrassed. How little appreciation am I showing of my lot in life, if my biggest complaint is that I miss the Theater. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to learn to keep things in perspective.
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