Ida wrote:
> While in hospital I walked friends who visited to the door, had trouble to
> reach the stair and than came down quick and flexible. I saw the disbelief in
> the eyes of others. And maybe for this reason it is not much talked about on
> this list because PWP's hardly believe it themselves."
Tom wrote:
> A PD subject who is undermedicated has an attenuated stride length -
> sometimes as little as 2 or 3 inches (indeed sometimes none at all).
> Walking forward requires an anterior displacement of ones center of gravity
> beyond the fall point. A normal person knowing that he has an adequate stride
> length availble will perform this manueuver fearlessly.
> The PD person is inhibited by an overwhelming feeling of an impending fall
> should he displace his center of gravity beyond the fall point. This is a
> consequence of a perceived inability to extend the leg far enough or fast
> enough to catch himself.
Hi Tom,
I never heard this explanation before. Is it something you invented ad hoc
or does it has some broader funding.
Although interesting, I did not get an "AHA Erlebniss" (AHA experience; is
that english?)
Whatever makes walking so difficult, it does not feel like fear. How it
feels is: something is withholding all my muscles from moving. I had to
fight this something. As soon as I started doing things like walking
backward or swimming or walking downstairs, this something disapeared as a
stain in a detergent ad. This disapearing feels as an overall reaction. As
if something else takes over executive power.
A few years after starting with PD it happened that I had to fight going
downstairs too. However, when I was in the Alps, walking down a narrow and
steep path and next to the path a deep abyss, the something else was in
power, to my surprise. Talking about this with my neuro, he was not surpri-
sed. He had heard this kind of stories before.
Walking down the same path nowadays would be suicidal because of my
deteriorated balance wich does not give up his power so easily. But in one
condition it is beaten for a few seconds. When I am tripped by something, I
restore my balance without falling like everybody else. Though I am
startled by it, nevertheless it gives me a few seconds with the something
else in power.
It seems that another neural circuit can take over in special circumstan-
ces. This only describes what is happening and it does not explain anyt-
hing. But what is worse, to have power over this circuits is beyond my
power.
Ida Kamphuis, 52/12+
Holland
