Day 37
Today is the 30th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
I did not get the Pramipexole from the pharmacy due to $107.00 copay! I am hoping that it will be cheaper from express scripts. If it is not, however, I will have to buck up and pay it. Between the co-pay for the prescriptions and $15 for each doctors, OT, PT & AT appointment, Parkinson's disease is going to be expensive!
I am hoping to start taking trapeze every other week. I am not certain that I am strong enough, but there is only one way to find out…
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
New Day-New Drug-New Therapy
Day 35
Today is the 28th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
After discussing it with my doctor, I have decided to take an additional drug, Pramipexole. Hopefully, this will help with my current symptoms. Of course, there is a laundry list of side effects, but the ones most common in younger men (most of my doctor's patients are all between 70 and 90, so I am a younger man), are sleepiness, impulse control, binge eating & hyper sexual activity. My wife told me to get a mistress!
I went to PT today and learned three new exercises to preserve my balance. My PT has also suggested that I become involved in "dynamic sports". There is some evidence that suggests involvement in these activities slows the progression of Parkinson's. The PT suggested basketball and I just laughed. What I wanted to do was to hold out my hand and say, " meet the last kid picked gym class!" I suggested single point and static trapeze and he has asked me to send him some video clips to see if they count as a dynamic sports. I hope so, because I really need to get up in the air and out of my head.
I went to my first occupational therapy session today and set some goals.These include using my right hand to button my left shirt sleeve cuff, brush my teeth and work the mouse. If someone told me two years ago that I would be setting the above items as "goals" I would have laughed in their face!
I am waiting on insurance approval for some assistive technology sessions. My OT thinks that it might be possible for me to receive further training on Dragon speech software. Currently, I am only using it for typing, but I know that it can be used to open files, save documents, send email and open and close windows. I have already ordered the updated version for my Mac at work.
Enough for now.
Today is the 28th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
After discussing it with my doctor, I have decided to take an additional drug, Pramipexole. Hopefully, this will help with my current symptoms. Of course, there is a laundry list of side effects, but the ones most common in younger men (most of my doctor's patients are all between 70 and 90, so I am a younger man), are sleepiness, impulse control, binge eating & hyper sexual activity. My wife told me to get a mistress!
I went to PT today and learned three new exercises to preserve my balance. My PT has also suggested that I become involved in "dynamic sports". There is some evidence that suggests involvement in these activities slows the progression of Parkinson's. The PT suggested basketball and I just laughed. What I wanted to do was to hold out my hand and say, " meet the last kid picked gym class!" I suggested single point and static trapeze and he has asked me to send him some video clips to see if they count as a dynamic sports. I hope so, because I really need to get up in the air and out of my head.
I went to my first occupational therapy session today and set some goals.These include using my right hand to button my left shirt sleeve cuff, brush my teeth and work the mouse. If someone told me two years ago that I would be setting the above items as "goals" I would have laughed in their face!
I am waiting on insurance approval for some assistive technology sessions. My OT thinks that it might be possible for me to receive further training on Dragon speech software. Currently, I am only using it for typing, but I know that it can be used to open files, save documents, send email and open and close windows. I have already ordered the updated version for my Mac at work.
Enough for now.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
People notice
Day 33
Today is the 26th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Today was Welcome Day at our college and Omarion was the entertainment. Jeff the sound technician has done the audio for our Welcome Program for the last 6 years. Although, I only see Jeff once a year for three or four hours, I just know that is a great person. I cannot explain how I know, I just do. At the end of the day, Jeff looks at me with a sad expression on his face and asks, "what's wrong?" I respond by asking, "what do you mean?" Then, Jeff states, " Come on man. I saw you walk across the entire quad twice, I know something is wrong with you." So, I tell him the truth and let him know that while the news is bad, the prognosis is good.
The entire point of the short post is that people notice. When they mention it, you can tell them the truth or you can just pretend nothing is wrong. At this point, the truth seems to take less effort...
Today is the 26th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Today was Welcome Day at our college and Omarion was the entertainment. Jeff the sound technician has done the audio for our Welcome Program for the last 6 years. Although, I only see Jeff once a year for three or four hours, I just know that is a great person. I cannot explain how I know, I just do. At the end of the day, Jeff looks at me with a sad expression on his face and asks, "what's wrong?" I respond by asking, "what do you mean?" Then, Jeff states, " Come on man. I saw you walk across the entire quad twice, I know something is wrong with you." So, I tell him the truth and let him know that while the news is bad, the prognosis is good.
The entire point of the short post is that people notice. When they mention it, you can tell them the truth or you can just pretend nothing is wrong. At this point, the truth seems to take less effort...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Day 32
Today is the 25th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Tomorrow is one of the two busiest days of the year for me. 2100 new students and 200 to 400 returning students will come to campus for the welcome program. There is a ceremonial march, greetings from the college president, meals, fun and the major concert. In short, there are a lot of moving pieces and many things which could go wrong. Surprisingly, my level of anxiety is very low. Maybe it is because this is the eighth time that my staff and I have run this event. My anxiety seems to be caused over little things and I wonder why this is.
I had a great deal of muscle soreness when I woke up this morning and I am certain the Parkinson's disease is the cause of much of it. I did a lot of stretching and got the soreness down to a level that was tolerable. Note to self, "must stretch more and stay flexible…
Today is the 25th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Tomorrow is one of the two busiest days of the year for me. 2100 new students and 200 to 400 returning students will come to campus for the welcome program. There is a ceremonial march, greetings from the college president, meals, fun and the major concert. In short, there are a lot of moving pieces and many things which could go wrong. Surprisingly, my level of anxiety is very low. Maybe it is because this is the eighth time that my staff and I have run this event. My anxiety seems to be caused over little things and I wonder why this is.
I had a great deal of muscle soreness when I woke up this morning and I am certain the Parkinson's disease is the cause of much of it. I did a lot of stretching and got the soreness down to a level that was tolerable. Note to self, "must stretch more and stay flexible…
Monday, August 24, 2015
Day 31
Today is the 24th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Today marks one month since the diagnosis. I have been on the full dosage of this medication (Azilect) for over three weeks now and I am not seeing the results that I had hoped for. I am shuffling my feet less and at times, it no longer feels like my right foot is stuck to the floor. I would describe my right arm as feeling "looser" than before. It still, however, feels awkward when using my right hand to sign my name, use the mouse or brush my teeth. When I spoke to my neurologist/movement disorder specialist last week, she said that the results would not be "too dramatic," but once again, I had hoped more. I think that I will give the medication a few more days and then call the neurologist back. I am hoping that this is not the "new normal."
I thought that I would attach pics of the pond that I swam in last week. It was very relaxing.
Today is the 24th day of taking a full dose of my medication.
Today marks one month since the diagnosis. I have been on the full dosage of this medication (Azilect) for over three weeks now and I am not seeing the results that I had hoped for. I am shuffling my feet less and at times, it no longer feels like my right foot is stuck to the floor. I would describe my right arm as feeling "looser" than before. It still, however, feels awkward when using my right hand to sign my name, use the mouse or brush my teeth. When I spoke to my neurologist/movement disorder specialist last week, she said that the results would not be "too dramatic," but once again, I had hoped more. I think that I will give the medication a few more days and then call the neurologist back. I am hoping that this is not the "new normal."
I thought that I would attach pics of the pond that I swam in last week. It was very relaxing.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Day 30
Today is the 23rd day of taking a full dose of my medication.
The other day, my son asked my wife, "Does daddy have Park Slope?" I guess that I will have to be more careful of talking in front of him. What would Park Slope Disease entail? OK, just for the hell of it, here are the symptoms.
Suffering from the delusion that:
You are the most important person in the world
You are the only person that ever had a child
Your dog is a child
Your dog is special and leash laws do not apply to her
You really need multiple SUVs in "No Park Slope"
Pedestrians do not have the right of way in a cross walk
I just spent 6 days in Treadwell NY. I had fun with my wife, son, brother and sister in-law and my two nieces. We swam in a pond, ate good meals and relaxed. It was very a very calming break, but I was home for a few minutes and the anxiety was back. While I have some reasons to be anxious, the severity of it is simply a symptom, so I am labeling it "not real" and turning on the TV.
Today is the 23rd day of taking a full dose of my medication.
The other day, my son asked my wife, "Does daddy have Park Slope?" I guess that I will have to be more careful of talking in front of him. What would Park Slope Disease entail? OK, just for the hell of it, here are the symptoms.
Suffering from the delusion that:
You are the most important person in the world
You are the only person that ever had a child
Your dog is a child
Your dog is special and leash laws do not apply to her
You really need multiple SUVs in "No Park Slope"
Pedestrians do not have the right of way in a cross walk
I just spent 6 days in Treadwell NY. I had fun with my wife, son, brother and sister in-law and my two nieces. We swam in a pond, ate good meals and relaxed. It was very a very calming break, but I was home for a few minutes and the anxiety was back. While I have some reasons to be anxious, the severity of it is simply a symptom, so I am labeling it "not real" and turning on the TV.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Day 28
Today is the 21st day of taking a full dose of my medication.
I have spent some time with my family at Croton on the Hudson and I am now in Franklin which is in Delaware County, NY near Oneonta. It is an idyllic setting with cows, trees, grass and a pond to swim in.
As I think, "I am feeling better..", I am still typing with just my left hand.
Today is the 21st day of taking a full dose of my medication.
I have spent some time with my family at Croton on the Hudson and I am now in Franklin which is in Delaware County, NY near Oneonta. It is an idyllic setting with cows, trees, grass and a pond to swim in.
As I think, "I am feeling better..", I am still typing with just my left hand.
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