hi all

At 21:39 1999/11/10 -0700, you wrote:
>Janet, what's the Mars Mambo Express with Bern...sounds exciting.
>I used to love to dance...(one of the saddest things for me,
>losing my sense of rythym--I can feel the beat, but I can't
>keep time to it.) but maybe by then I'll be able to dance again?

hi brenda

once i started on sinemet
the stiffness and rigidity which had prevented me
from tapping my foot to music
disappeared

that is still the case now
during my 'on' times

if i am 'off' i am virtually immobile

when my meds are 'kicking in'
i transform from a frozen statue
to a 'normal' walking talking dancing human
in a matter of minutes

i would think that sinemet would give you the same benefit
i don't think it affects one's 'sense of rhythm'...?

here's some background to the mars mambo silliness:

janet


--------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 10:23:47 -0700
From: J. R. Bruman <[log in to unmask]>
Subj: Re: LIST: Restrict Your Incoming ListMail by Topic
--------------------------------------

janet paterson wrote:
> Hi all;
> I have activated a Topics feature in our LISTSERV
> software.

It's a topical heatwave! Everybody mambo!!

Joe

--------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 02:56:19 -0400
From: janet paterson
Subj: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

     estrangement

     a strange meant
     a making strange
     a losing touch
     a shutting out
     a shutting in

     shut the door
     close it off
     end it

     put a stop to it
     make it final
     no more

     all out of fear
     intolerance
     out of fear
     jealousy
     out of fear
     anger
     out of fear
     fear
     out of fear

     fear of hurting
     fear of losing
     fear of giving
     fear of taking
     fear of needing
     fear of wanting
     fear of loving


     1999/09/01


--------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 10:57:52 +0200
From: Bernard Shaw
Subj: Re: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

Dear Janet,

Your poem got to me, are you feeling depressive today
or are you generally having a bad time.?
I have a saying which goes like this.
If your face wants to smile, Let it.
If it doesn't, Make it.
Easy for me to write but I honestly try to smile no matter how I
feel. The world is for most Parkinson patients one big up and down,
mainly downs when I am to be honest. I hope that I have made a
mistake about your Poem and that you feel on top of the world.

Bern.

--------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 09:59:56 -0400
From: janet paterson
Subj: Re: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

hi all

At 10:57 1999/09/03 +0200, bern wrote:
>Your poem got to me, are you feeling depressive today
>or are you generally having a bad time.?...

neither!

that 'pome' was some musing on thoughts and observations
which had been percolating in my head for awhile

i will take your reaction
as one of the nicest compliments about my writing
that i've ever had!

>I have a saying which goes like this.
>If your face wants to smile, Let it. If it doesn't, Make it...

sort of like an old song about whistling
"whenever i feel afraid...."

>Easy for me to write but I honestly try to smile
>no matter how I feel. The world is for most Parkinson
>patients one big up and down, mainly downs when I am
>to be honest...

i think it's important that we 'allow' ourselves
to feel lousy when we feel lousy

it was also important to me to realize
that i could actively make a conscious choice in how i looked at
... everything!

>I hope that I have made a mistake about your Poem
>and that you feel on top of the world. Bern.
>http://members.teleweb.at/bernard.shaw/poetry.html

i don't know if i would call it a 'mistake'
if my words grabbed your heart and did a little twisting there

maybe it's a case of my words having the 'power' to grab
maybe it's a case of your heart being open and 'twistable'

janet

--------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 16:23:53 +0200
From: Bernard Shaw
Subj: Re: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

Janet

I am so pleased that you are alright. Your poem did touch me
but then nowadays so much touches me that I did not consciously
see before Parkinon's. A piece of music .a child that is in
distress, a poverty stricken person anywhere in the world. My
heart goes out to them. Is it possibly all this Sinamet.? Does
it cause our brains to react differently or is it Old Age creeping
up.?
I tell everone that I meet,  I will live to be a hundred,
Parkinson or no Parkinson. I want to see the civilisation jump in
the next thirty years. Perhaps I too will be able to go to Mars or
even the Moon. I have alwayss been an optimist so perhaps I will
reach the 100 mark.

Bern


--------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 08:29:45 -0400
From: janet paterson
Subj: Re: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

hi all

At 16:23 1999/09/03 +0200, bern wrote:
>... Is it possibly all this Sinamet.? Does it cause our
>brains to react differently or is it Old Age creeping up.? ...

Our brain chemistry is an amazing micro-internet all on its own.
I think that there is a great deal more to pd than its physical
symptoms. There is a definite link with clinical depression; dopamine
is associated with addiction, euphoria, has been named 'the feel good'
neurotransmitter. [funny - Dr. Burns' book on cd is called 'Feeling
Good']

One of the secondary symptoms of pd is 'a tendency to tears'. Since
tears are a physical manifestation of strong emotion, I tend to think
that this symptom description is a tad limited.

I would venture a guess that pd changes our brain chemistry in a way
that makes us more vulnerable and open to emotions; brings them all
up closer to the surface. And I am starting to think that this
emotionality is something separate from simply a reaction [anger,
denial, etc.] to our pd diagnosis and the ongoing daily realities of
our 'affliction'

>I tell everone that I meet,  I will live to be a hundred, Parkinson
>or no Parkinson. I want to see the civilisation jump in the next
>thirty years. Perhaps I too will be able to go to Mars or even the
>Moon. I have alwayss been an optimist so perhaps I will reach the
>100 mark.

if i've done my arithmetic right
when i join you on board the Mars-Mambo-Express
i will only be 82!

janet

--------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 1999 15:19:24 +0200
From: Bernard Shaw
Subj: Re: NONPD: a pome
--------------------------------------

Well Janet

I hope they allow young ones to travel with out an accompanying
adult or we will both have to stay here on Earth and let the
others go in our place. (:-) )lol

bern

--------------------------------------


janet paterson
52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
e-mail - [log in to unmask]
web-site -  http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/