Day 15
Today
is the 7th day of taking a full dose of my medication and once again, I brushed my
teeth this morning with my right hand and it felt less
awkward. My right arm seems to be a little more relaxed but my right foot is still arching and having my toes curl under is driving me crazy!
Had a wonderful time today at Rockaway Beach with my family today. For Ocean and I it was our first time at the "Irish Riviera." Just like the NJ shore, the food at the beach was totally over priced, but unlike the food at the Point Pleasant Beach board walk, it was actually good!
My son loves standing up to his knees in the water while the waves crash. He loves the pulling feeling of the water as the waves go back out and his feet sink deeper into the sand. He was just standing there, trying to balance and giggling. Then, he looked up at me and exclaimed, "...the earth is moving..."
It was a good day!
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Day 14
Today is the 6th day of taking a full dose of my medication and I brushed my teeth this morning with my right hand! It actually felt a little less awkward! Is this a placebo effect or are things beginning to change?
Moments ago, one of my employees delivered a signature stamp to the office. My hope is that I will not need it for very long, but I will have to use it until the medication kicks in. About two months prior to my diagnosis, I started to go back to therapy and I am so glad that I did. I cannot imagine going through this period of my life without a therapist. The mold, the temporary relocation of my family, the news that I will need yet another dental implant and the Parkinson's diagnosis would have been too much to bear on my own. Everyone needs a therapist. Last night, Nicole, my therapist and I discussed the possibility of telling my parents about my diagnosis. If you have been reading this blog then you already know that originally, I was going to spare them the bad news. They are both about to become octogenarians, so with any luck, they will never see me display any visible symptoms. The reason that I am rethinking this decision is that I would hate for them to hear about from someone else. My current plan is to tell the next time my family and I visit.
Any advice? Should I tell them? Join the blog and leave a comment.
Today is the 6th day of taking a full dose of my medication and I brushed my teeth this morning with my right hand! It actually felt a little less awkward! Is this a placebo effect or are things beginning to change?
Moments ago, one of my employees delivered a signature stamp to the office. My hope is that I will not need it for very long, but I will have to use it until the medication kicks in. About two months prior to my diagnosis, I started to go back to therapy and I am so glad that I did. I cannot imagine going through this period of my life without a therapist. The mold, the temporary relocation of my family, the news that I will need yet another dental implant and the Parkinson's diagnosis would have been too much to bear on my own. Everyone needs a therapist. Last night, Nicole, my therapist and I discussed the possibility of telling my parents about my diagnosis. If you have been reading this blog then you already know that originally, I was going to spare them the bad news. They are both about to become octogenarians, so with any luck, they will never see me display any visible symptoms. The reason that I am rethinking this decision is that I would hate for them to hear about from someone else. My current plan is to tell the next time my family and I visit.
Any advice? Should I tell them? Join the blog and leave a comment.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Day 13
Today is the 5th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Today is the 5th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Not much to post about today. I am still tired of using my left hand to work the mouse and I am experiencing some soreness and muscle cramps. I think that these cramps are Parkinson's-related. I have had cramps before, but not in the same muscle groups. In addition, unlike past cramps, these do not go away regardless of the amount of water I drink and bananas I eat.
I would get a massage, but how do you ask another person to massage your quads and glutes?
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Day 12
Today is the fourth day of taking a full dose of my medication and I am eager to see results.
I began the day by teaching my two spinning classes. For over 15 years, I have taught spinning at Credit Suisse, many of my students have been there since day one and they feel like family. I know all about their children and their accomplishments, their aging parents and illnesses in their families. Two of them know about my diagnosis and I find it helpful to talk to them about it.
After my classes, I went to the New York Stem Cell Research Center and had a biopsy done for a Parkinson's study. I posted yesterday that I thought that doing something for others would make me feel less powerless and I was right. The people there are really nice and the entire process was quick and painless. As an added bonus, they gave me a $50 American Express gift card! I am going to give it to my wife for putting up with all my shit!
By 1:30pm I was at my first physical therapy appointment. Waiting in the lobby was thoroughly depressing. While there was one person about 15 years older than me, most of the patients had at least 20 years on me. Many of them were caught up in the downward spiral of injury leading to inactivity, leading to gaining weight, leading to further injury. On the positive side, the physical therapist thought that I was doing great and said that I would probably only need three or four visits for now! He is going to ask the doctor to write a script for occupational therapy, but he feels that this could be handled in three or four appointments as well. The therapist was a nice guy, but I could have done without the laundry list of Parkinson's symptoms! Especially when he implied that they were all an eventual reality. It is boutique disease after all!
Special note to those in the medical profession: Offer to help Parkinson's patients who have to fill out medical forms! I really like NYU medical center, but there are a few things that they could do to improve. First, based on the diagnosis, ask the patient if she or he needs help filling out forms. Second, since they have all of your records already, they should have certain fields on the forms fill in automatically. What do they call that? Auto fill? How many times do I have fill out a form listing my name, address, date of birth and cell phone number? What were the photo and finger print scan for anyway?
Random thought: "I need a massage!"
Overall, it was a very good day.
Today is the fourth day of taking a full dose of my medication and I am eager to see results.
I began the day by teaching my two spinning classes. For over 15 years, I have taught spinning at Credit Suisse, many of my students have been there since day one and they feel like family. I know all about their children and their accomplishments, their aging parents and illnesses in their families. Two of them know about my diagnosis and I find it helpful to talk to them about it.
After my classes, I went to the New York Stem Cell Research Center and had a biopsy done for a Parkinson's study. I posted yesterday that I thought that doing something for others would make me feel less powerless and I was right. The people there are really nice and the entire process was quick and painless. As an added bonus, they gave me a $50 American Express gift card! I am going to give it to my wife for putting up with all my shit!
By 1:30pm I was at my first physical therapy appointment. Waiting in the lobby was thoroughly depressing. While there was one person about 15 years older than me, most of the patients had at least 20 years on me. Many of them were caught up in the downward spiral of injury leading to inactivity, leading to gaining weight, leading to further injury. On the positive side, the physical therapist thought that I was doing great and said that I would probably only need three or four visits for now! He is going to ask the doctor to write a script for occupational therapy, but he feels that this could be handled in three or four appointments as well. The therapist was a nice guy, but I could have done without the laundry list of Parkinson's symptoms! Especially when he implied that they were all an eventual reality. It is boutique disease after all!
Special note to those in the medical profession: Offer to help Parkinson's patients who have to fill out medical forms! I really like NYU medical center, but there are a few things that they could do to improve. First, based on the diagnosis, ask the patient if she or he needs help filling out forms. Second, since they have all of your records already, they should have certain fields on the forms fill in automatically. What do they call that? Auto fill? How many times do I have fill out a form listing my name, address, date of birth and cell phone number? What were the photo and finger print scan for anyway?
Random thought: "I need a massage!"
Overall, it was a very good day.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Day 11
Today is the third day on my full dose of the medication.
Since this is a "journal" style blog, it really only makes sense if you start reading from the very first post. I have kept the posts short, so starting from the beginning should not be that challenging. I will be the first to admit that I hate blogs and only read one or two authored by friends. So if you just want to skim this and not join please do not sweat it. While it would be nice if a few people joined and made comments, I will continue to write for my own therapeutic reasons regardless of the number of followers and comments posted.
Tomorrow is my first physical therapy appointment. I have had physical therapy before for frozen shoulder (which I now know was probably caused by Parkinson's disease), but I do not know what to expect this time. I am thinking that I will stop at the New York Stem Cell Foundation and allow them to do a skin biopsy, which will be used for Parkinson's studies. Other than taking my medication, going to physical therapy and staying active, there is not a whole lot that I can do. I am hoping that giving a skin biopsy and taking part in the research study at NYU will help others and be somewhat empowering.
Today is the third day on my full dose of the medication.
Since this is a "journal" style blog, it really only makes sense if you start reading from the very first post. I have kept the posts short, so starting from the beginning should not be that challenging. I will be the first to admit that I hate blogs and only read one or two authored by friends. So if you just want to skim this and not join please do not sweat it. While it would be nice if a few people joined and made comments, I will continue to write for my own therapeutic reasons regardless of the number of followers and comments posted.
Tomorrow is my first physical therapy appointment. I have had physical therapy before for frozen shoulder (which I now know was probably caused by Parkinson's disease), but I do not know what to expect this time. I am thinking that I will stop at the New York Stem Cell Foundation and allow them to do a skin biopsy, which will be used for Parkinson's studies. Other than taking my medication, going to physical therapy and staying active, there is not a whole lot that I can do. I am hoping that giving a skin biopsy and taking part in the research study at NYU will help others and be somewhat empowering.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Day 10
Second day on the full dosage of Azilect.
People have begun to ask, "How is Kate doing with all of this?" (Thanks Bill Borden.) I asked her and she said, "It is a relief, because now we know what it is and we know what to do... ...I am a little worried because there are no guarantees, but then again, there never are..." Before the diagnosis when we only thought it might be Parkinson's she said, "Now let me be strong for you..."
I love that woman.
Random thought "I like this remix," There is a better version on her new album.
Second day on the full dosage of Azilect.
People have begun to ask, "How is Kate doing with all of this?" (Thanks Bill Borden.) I asked her and she said, "It is a relief, because now we know what it is and we know what to do... ...I am a little worried because there are no guarantees, but then again, there never are..." Before the diagnosis when we only thought it might be Parkinson's she said, "Now let me be strong for you..."
I love that woman.
Random thought "I like this remix," There is a better version on her new album.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Day 9,
Today, I finally started taking a full dose of my medication! I cannot wait for my current symptoms to go away! Other than the toes on my right foot constantly curling under (which was driving me crazy), today was a great day. I spent the entire day with my son at soccer class, the Splash Pad at Prospect Park, and then at home with my wife, son and good friend Sam.
A few times while writing these first nine posts, I have felt the urge to type up a laundry list of everything bad that has ever happened to me end with something trite like, "How much more can I take?" Instead, I just shrug and think, "There has been more good than bad... ...a lot more."
Today, I finally started taking a full dose of my medication! I cannot wait for my current symptoms to go away! Other than the toes on my right foot constantly curling under (which was driving me crazy), today was a great day. I spent the entire day with my son at soccer class, the Splash Pad at Prospect Park, and then at home with my wife, son and good friend Sam.
A few times while writing these first nine posts, I have felt the urge to type up a laundry list of everything bad that has ever happened to me end with something trite like, "How much more can I take?" Instead, I just shrug and think, "There has been more good than bad... ...a lot more."
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