Parkinson’s Disease can be a very lonely disease. When you are diagnosed with it, the doctor tells you that it’s progressive, chronic, and that they are sorry. I know a lot of diseases are depressing, however, PD could be considered to be a slow death sentence. You can live a long time with PD and you can also live with painful symptoms and side effects from drugs needed for the disease. For me, the drugs took a toll on my tummy. I was debilitated to the point of ending up in an emergency room. Then I have dyskinesia, a side effect of the main drug carbidopa-levodopa, which is very necessary for movement; any movement. When you have PD, you lose dopamine a chemical housed in a part of the brain called the Substantia Nigra. The dopamine cells are neurotransmitters that help control movement and coordination. So, we have symptoms of a movement disorder. Each person with PD has their own set of symptoms.

It’s not only manifested by tremors, but a person could have slowness or bradykinsia which is slowness. You could have rigidity which for me is very painful. I have it in my back and thighs. And, you could have balance problems. Those are the main four symptoms.

Then, there are others symptoms. These are freezing and I don’t mean cold! It’s getting stuck while walking. Not fun! Your arm doesn’t swing as much or at all when walking. You can have a soft, low voice, problems with swallowing, blinking, trouble sleeping, changes in your speech, handwriting, and taste or smell. You can have dizziness, difficulty with memory and concentration, vivid dreams and/or nightmares, and impulse control. There are other symptoms that I haven’t mentioned, but I am getting depressed listing them. Oh, yeah, that’s another symptom; depression. And anxiety comes along with the depression. Sounds like a blast, doesn’t it?

Then you are ridden with fear. I wonder why!

I know all this sounds like people with PD were dealt a bad hand. Maybe we were, but we also have a choice. We can give into it or we can fight this demon. I choose to fight it! I try to do anything and everything to help slow the progression. Of course I have bad days, doesn’t everybody? You can have Parkinson’s and live a long happy life. Some of the things that I do is do some kind of exercise every day. This might be Yoga, walking, boxing, some form of cardio and using weights. I also do some form of meditation and plan an activity every day. I have a good support system. That’s important! My family and friends are available to me most of the time. My daughter, Marni, is my best friend who is so understanding and knows the right things to say and support me. My sons, Justin and Jordan, are available to talk or cry to most of the time. They always have good advice! My friends are always understanding and available. If not one, I can reach out to another!

I also play Bridge to help my memory and concentration. I make sure I have some sort of plan or project on most days. Nights can get lonely but I have my dog, Yogie. She is so cute. She is a pain to walk but she gets me out of the apartment!! The only problem with her is she can only be my date for dinner when it is warm outside. She can’t go inside restaurants! But summertime, we always go to dinner together!

I’m getting tired. It’s been a long day. I’ll be back soon😍