Hello colleagues on the network: I have been on the network receiving messages
for about a week now. I received a wonderful message from Barbara Patterson
welcoming me, and inviting my message. I have been in the midst of ending a
semester and have been covered up with papers and reports.
I am John Robert aka Bob Newbrough, age 59, professor of community
psychology at George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Nashville
Tennessee. I was diagnosed last January 30 with PD, something that had been
coming for several years but otherwise explained. The DAY OF GREAT NAMING was
really something; my immediate reaction was that it was the beginning of the
end, and that I needed to get my affairs in order. By now I have calmed down
and have settled myself into the longer term.
My initial symptoms were: (1) loss of movement in left shoulder when I
walked; I held my left hand at about 45 degrees; (2) slowness of walking; I
couldn't keep up with my wife; (3) loss of voice volume; I had trouble with
people hearing me across the table, and (4) substantial anxiety when having to
face mylasses; I'd often have to shut the door to my office and rest and
prepare myself in detail several hours before each class. I told my wife that
I was going to have to retire, because I was "losing my nerve."
With Sinemet, I experienced a major recovery from these four symptoms
within a week. My neurologist prescribed 25/100 3x and later deprenyl 5 mg
2x. This is what I've continued since last February.
I was doing running and Nautilus machines 3x a week for an hour; I
have decreased the Nautilus to 1x week and continue running 2x a week. That
seems to be keeping me in pretty good shape. I have to be really careful not
to overdo it; more careful than before. I have also been doing a brief yoga
routine daily in the morning; I have been able to continue that.
And I have added Feldenkreis physical therapy. There is a woman
practitioner who comes to town monthly. I get an hour treatment and she shows
me exercises to do in between times. I am very enthusiastic about Feldenkreis,
it is easy to do, easy on you and very effective in loosening up stiff muscles.
Has anyone had any experience with this?
I had a puzzling experience with it last March, a month after diagnosis.
I went to Boulder for spring break. Got a Feldenkreis treatment on Sunday, on
Monday went skiing and had the best day ever, sie maybe 15 years. Everything
worked. I rested for a day. Went 2 days later, and at the top of the run,
I found that I could not turn left. Nothing worked! I would will it, and
there was no response. I could only turn right, and then only with difficulty.
My wife's hypothesis was that it was dopamine depletion, and that I should have
taken more Sinemet to build up a reserve. The extended exertion and demands
of skiing just used up too much dopamine. Do any of you have any ideas about
that? Does build up and depletion make sense to you?
I look forward to being an active member of the network. Best
regard. Bob Newbrough
