 |
 |
---dear Jerry, I am glad you said what you did. I know it is hard to find yourself not mobile as you would like. I too, deal with the same frustrations. As long as I could be independent, I was reasonably content. Life is not to be a piece of cake. The saying the more you have the more you have to take care of....I believe is so true. I date October 24,1998 ,early in the morning prowling around the house, not being able to sleep, as the time of the big change, The big challenge. I have had my uninvited guest for 12 years. I was to that point fairly stable, could go anywhere I wanted. As I have written in the past, the challenge of Parkinson's, is like playing chess. You make a play and the challenge is will it be successful or did the move miss direct your game? My moving that night and because I was tired ,I slipped on the carpet. I felt the impact to my upper arm and then my head. Thinking, oh! great. The pain in my head immediately disappeared but the arm did not, the pain was so intense. I could not bare my husband helping me up. I finally crawled to my bed and with help, got in bed. We knew, it was something. The exrays revealed a fracture. All I remember was it was in an area that was complicated but by the same token, it had gone back in place. i was given a removal material sling to wear and pain pills Never having experience a fracture before, I was not prepared for the loss of use of my arm, in a normal way. Having been using the Y,for a few years, I have included in my regular exercise program, I have designed for myself. I do laps around the pool then get in the hot tub. I have found this addition very encouraging. I ache all over. I ache because i refell the following week in October, on same arm. I rebroke the earlier break. I found as the days passed, i became unsure of myself and it was because of my balance, the loss of it. It's funny ..............when you live with a person for the length of time that my husband and I have ,will be 37 yr.. this summer, You are able to anticipate their needs or actions. While browsing through an outlet he came upon a folding cane and one with 4 prongs. The way I walk I was tripping on the 4 prong. I take the other with me all the time.Things kept getting worse. Not sleeping at night ,too tired during the day, I stopped trying to keep up with the house and my extended family is pushing me to get weekly help. i do not do any cooking in my beautiful 5 year old kitchen. My husband as it turned out, since his retirement is an excellent chef and his final productions are artistically presented. Using the latest drugs and having therapy for the arm I still was not improving . I felt that I was reverting. My support group meets in Winston-Salem, NC on the third Sunday @ Highland Presbyterian church @3pm. In the meantime I continued to fall........ I fell in my den when I turned too quickly, as I would normally do . but now should not. i must do everything slowly because of the balance. It's hard to do when you are a person who is always quick to get things done. Hearing about the Advanced Magnetic Research, MME, I knew this was for me. By this time we were into March. Getting back to the den, I leaned over to give a plant attention,doing this, instead of in a frontal position caused me to fall and this fall was hard. I got up and started to walk out to the room. My rib cage felt bruised. I then,being stunned and not realizing i should just stay on the floor to recover. Walked into an overstuffed chair knocking it over and breaking a leg off. I really felt pain in my rib cage. Yes, I had broken two ribs on the left side . My Parkinson's side, another exray revealed two fractured ribs. I was frustrated my cup was empty and i knew this was it.! i called my original movement specialist who i had stopped seeing a year earlier because of an insurance change. I told him I must try this research he had spoken to our support group that pasted Sunday. I began the treatment of laying between two magnets. He had originally recommended after seeing me, I would need 100 to150 hours of treatment. He gave me no encouragement no promises. He said he had seen some good things happen. This was still in the research stage. Every morning 4 questions were asked. 1. did i notice any difference .2. was my tremmor lessened. I did not know, I never was able to answere the questions! I am also working with an holestic doctor.I always chuckle when I take alfapha ! I went every night @ 9 till7. Almost that is, till I accumulated 80+hours . It was decided I should stop the treatments for 6 weeks. See what would happen if anything. By this time, I had fallen so often that I went to the local sports store and got knee pads. This was a life saver. Because it cushoned my knees. I could not kneel . my knees were swollen, black and blue and hurt that I felt they were not able to support me. If I could just walk from the knees up. I was thinking, my balance would be ok. But i was weak kneeded! My balance was really disturbed! Six days later'.....6.days later...after stopping treatment. 1.. I was sleeping all night! only got awake if i needed to use the toilet. I was so excited !....i was sleeping all night! 2. I began to smell my underarms. I was dancing about the house saying, "smell my under arms." I had to use deodorent.! something i rarely used. 3. i am now saying, " turn the fan on in the kitchen", ...the food smell is going through the house! 4. I was tired...........all I wanted to do was sleep and I still feel this way. I just love to crawl into bed and lay and rest and sleep. 5.by using the pool to swim laps, i find the return of more use of my left arm because my shoulder feels frozen.The water makes it easier to move. the hot water relaxes me and then I go home and ...you guess it ,crawl back into bed. No wonder I feel tired......i got awake @ 7:30 this morning except for break in meds and breakfast I have been typing this saga. I will stop for now ...................but...In certain ways I feel stronger........... Don't know when I will get to the next installement. I will talk about my meds cutting back and using herbs and vitamins. If this sounds like you want to know more contact: AMRI-North Carolina-336-492-2800 AMRI-Laguna Niguel- 949-499-4531 AMRI- Calgary- 800 265-1119 I leave you with this final thought "don't be afraid"................. I know there are those who object to religion being discussed...................... This is a time we should begin to respect each other,............................. value each other no matter who we are or what we are.................. Respect those who do practice a different belief system............... There is enough space for all of us ps. just checked ..my underarms ....smell L&K S