I haven't been doing a lot of writing for this site (or me) lately for a couple reasons. In short, they all lead to feeling exhausted. In short, when I get home, the bed is calling, and I feel like hitting the reset button a fair bit, though restful sleep hasn't been very easy to do.
As with many of you, there comes a point where we're pulled from all ends, and something has to give. Hence, I've taken the past couple days to do nothing much after having my between the trees therapy turn into a forced march up to Hawk Rock on the Appalachian Trail in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, on Friday afternoon.
Usually, a fairly short hike like that (2 miles), even with elevation gain isn't that rough, but I just haven't felt 100% in about 3 weeks. Friday was a slow walk with a bunch of stops, though the top was worth it, as it always is. However, I was a sweaty hyperhidrosis mess very quickly. Nevertheless, since then I've pretty much just binge watched television and slept.
So yeah, I'm definitely feeling Parkinson's these days for many reasons. The first of these is that I've seemed to run out of time somewhere between here, there, and everywhere. The second of these, as I alluded to, is that I've been pretty run down with sciatica, allergies, and seasonal changes. These hit me hard, and they're tougher with limited ability to take medications and Parkinson's.
The third of these is that my Amantadine is now affecting my sleep. What this means is that I sleep really hard when I fall asleep, but when I wake up a few hours later, I have to force myself back to sleep so that I get enough rest to avoid the afternoon siesta. Other nights, I find myself up later. Some medications do this. Of course, there is a lot of dreaming, too, but at least they're not scary. Gotta love Parkinson's and sleep.
The final reason is that when I have been writing, I've been writing for Health Union's Parkinson's site (I've been doing that since April). I encourage you to check them out.
They have a really great platform over there with lots of great writers like Allison "Perky Parkie" Smith, Michael and Gretchen Church, Karl Robb, Angie Hott, and Maria Deleon as well as comics by Peter Dunlap-Schol. These are just some of the writers that have been published recently (my apologies to anyone unintentionally left off).
I recommend checking these writers out. They're all really good, as are the editors who post a lot of great info on Parkinson's and the other conditions they cover. You'll definitely like their site for the professional help and the voices of Parkinson's.
My latest posts:
Zombie Walking 101: Parkinson's Gait and Us
My wife informed me that we have a friend’s Halloween party coming. With over a month to go, there’s so much pressure to be something cool. I’ve already been informed that the character “the Nun,” from the movie of the same name, will be popular this year. My wife said, “You’re allowed to pick your own costume this year.” This made me smile. Last time I wasn’t, so I went as a ringmaster and she played the bearded lady. Costumes are expensive (and never used again), so it’s important to work with what we have. Can we borrow or recycle or create something cool? Thanks to my Parkinson’s gait being solidly established, I can easily play the role of a mob victim with a cement shoe, chain gang member, or a zombie.
Read the rest HERE.
Sensory Overload: A Mount Vesuvius of Anxiety
My wife and I were traveling to Virginia for Labor Day weekend. With her at the wheel, she was able to navigate the rain, traffic, sounds, and lights so I could count down the miles while listening to Pitbull repeatedly scream, “MR. WORLDWIDE!” Besides, that combination of mental effects and anxiety is way too much for my Parkinson’s state of being. On Route 81, which runs parallel to the Shenandoah Mountains, rush hour on Fridays can get dicey. For the most part, we knew it was going to be a long drive in the dark. Hence, my wife chose to battle the road to keep me out of overload status.
Read the rest HERE.
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