Why George... walking backwards SHOULD be a natural for any woman who enjoys
dancing.

We always have to dance backwards as it is!  Hmmm.... (thinking)..... wonder
how THAT got started and why aren't youse guys the ones who're the backwards
dancers? <smiling>

Ohh.. and George... you really should stock some Mexican Yam cream in that
walker's shop and eatery of yours!  GREAT product for walkers.  Just rub that
water soluble bright green cream allllll over your legs and it'll do wonders
for them muscles!  Errrrrr..... make sure ya don't 'SWEAT tho, 'cause the
green cream gets kinda runny and those streaks down your legs will attract
flies and bees.  Of COURSE we have an anti-insect spray made from fava fava
bean extract which will take care of THAT problem in no time.

Ooops!  Gotta go... We're harvesting the Mexican Yams now!

Adios amigo mio.... <sonrisa>  :-)

Barb Mallut
"Lil_Honey" on the PD Chat
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----------
From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of George Lussier
Sent:   Tuesday, February 18, 1997 3:52 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        The BENEFITS of WALKING BACKWARDS      FIRST IN A SERIES OF
    LITTLE KNOWN AND USELESS INFORMATION. THIS IS RATED SERIOUS [NO
  HUMOR HERE] STUFF.

  Dear serious reader,              Very early evening
                                     February 18, 1997
       Among the little items I picked up during my 14-15 year career with
PD is a pair of very tight, weak  and poorly toned Quadriceps You know
which muscle that is? Yes that's right. It's the large extensor muscle in
the front of the thigh that in fact is made up of 4 muscles.Do you know
which muscles they are? The Rectus femoris,the Vastus externus, the Vastus
internus and the Crureus?  Yes, Thats right. Very good!
          I'm a walker by nature. Grew up in Boston and didn't get my
drivers license until I was 23.I could walk anywhere I needed to go. Life
was good......And then along came the BIG PD.At first it wasn't too bad
only restricting my mileage. And then slowly but surely it began to run my
walking
[weak pun there]. I lost my ability to walk a straight line, my fluidity
was run down as was my energy. Eventually I had to use a crutch and that
just about concluded my walking life.Freezing episodes became common place.

      For those of you who do not know me I'm a veteran of two
Pallidotomies. The right brain was done in August of '95:the left brain
September of '96.Prior to the surgeries I was Neurologically a basket case.
I was experiencing multiple freezing episodes, the meds were not working,
dyskinesia controlled
my days and nights. I was generally unable to walk..... But I had an
excellent surgeon and the results
were very positive.  My walking improved a great deal and I don't believe
that I've plateaued yet.
      I used to joke with my care providers about my ability to walk
backward. It seemed by doing something different it, at least for a
while,tricked my system into behaving normally. Eventually  this too faded
into nothingness
      One day recently on something of a lark I decided to walk backward
for a bit . At that time I was walking about a mile a day although my Quads
were extremely tight and were responsible for the clenching that  drove my
toes wild. I found my answer for these two problems by WALKING BACKWARDS.
As of today I'm walking 2 miles a day,about half of it BACKWARDS and not
only have my Quads loosened up but I can feel the strength returning to my
legs. It does not ,at least for the next little while,matter why this is
true. SO........

          The BENEFITS of WALKING BACKWARD     BY G.J. Lussier
         *  You will increase your lung capacity.
         *  You will restore your normal deep breathing.
         *  You will improve on your sense of balance.
         *  You will  be able to relax,strengthen,tone and stretch your Quads.
         *  You will  be able to interrupt the toe clenching/cramping process
               by virtue of the fact that in order to step BACKWARDS the foot
               needs to be able to extend its toes whereas with a forward
               step the toes tend to work in a downward pattern
         *  you will be able to go for walks with friends and have face to
face
               conversations with them as long as one of you  agrees  to
               walk forward.
         *  you will enjoy the adulation of the people who stop and watch as
               you and your BACKWARD WALKING friends ambulate on by.
         *  You will develop a thick skin to deal with those who will shun you
         *  You will marvel at your developing skills in avoiding falling into
               giant pot holes, avoiding speeding cars, turning corners at a
               high rate of speed and other stuff.
         *  AND MOST OF ALL YOU WILL BE PLEASED THAT YOU TRIED SOMETHING A
               LITTLE OFF THE BEATEN PATH. THAT YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN UP ON
               YOURSELF. THAT THERE IS STILL SOME SENSE OF PRIDE,OF ADVENTURE,
               OF DETERMINATION AND OF SELF DETERMINATION

****** OBVIOUSLY THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. INDIVIDUALS WITH
BALANCE PROBLEMS OR THOSE WHO LIVE IN POT HOLE INFESTED AREAS SHOULD FIND
OTHER SUITABLE ACTIVITY.If you have a situation which you can find no
activity please feel free to email me and perhaps I can think of some that
is off the beaten path.

 NOTE !  Do not try WALKING BACKWARDS on your own or with that group of
doubters you hang with. Only WALK BACKWARDS under the direct supervision of
a trained and licensed BACKWARD WALKING professional. Training classes in
WALKING BACKWARDS are offerred daily at the LUSSIER SCHOOL of BACKWARD
WALKING.
[LSBW] The LUSSIER SCHOOL of PROFESSIONAL--CERTIFIED--LICENSED--BACKWARDS
WALKING INSTRUCTORS AND SUPERVISORS [LSPCLBWIS] offers low cost, residental
3 year training programs specializing in The GERIATRIC BACKWARD WALKER and
BACKWARD WALKERS FOR CLINTON.

NOTE !  Visit the LUSSIER HABERDASHERY AND GEORGE'S FISH AND CHIPS
EMPORIUM. Eat while you try on a vast collection of sweat
pants,T-shirts,sweat shirts and fake feet belonging to a clown.Just imagine
yourself strutting down the street BACKWARDS wearing our
no-need-to-ever-wash sweat shirts with clever saying written on the
back/front such as"I know where I've been but Idon't know where I Going" or
"The future is back a way" or"ONE GAINT STEP BACKWARDS FOR MAN KIND and
WOMAN KIND" or "Maybe I don't know where I'm going but neither do you[know
were I'm going that is] Just picture yourself wearing the fake clown's
feet.....No one will know where you are going!{Not recommended for people
suffering from severe Obsessive-Compulsive disorders].


Humbly,
   george

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AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
-----------------------------------