Thanks, Janet, for reposting George's gem's. As a newcomer to this list of PWP, I especially needed the humor this a.m. Cheers, Brenda janet paterson wrote: > >>> Posting number 42282 > Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 13:21:13 EDT > From: Janet Paterson > Subject: gems from george - 1 of 2 > > ------------------------------------------------------- > Date: 97/02/18 > From: George Lussier > Subject: [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 I don'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 > > 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 > > ------------------------------------------------------- > Date: 97/02/19 > From: Lena Holmes > Subject: Re: About models, facts and strange PD phenomena-Walking Backwards > ------------------------------------------------------- > > At 01:18 PM 2/19/97 -0500, Ida wrote: > >George Lussier wrote yesterday about one of those incomprehensible > >can's and can't's that are typical for PD. Nobody really understands > >these phenomena. I remember how strange it was, being very tense and > >not able to relax, as soon as I walked backwards or downstairs, > >I immediately felt normal. > > George & Ida, > > my mother is in a wheelchair. The nursing home in which she lives has a hall > walking program after lunch, in which she sometimes participates. She does so > by propelling her chair BACKWARDS down the hall. Is this a co-incidence? OR > meaningful? > > And George, your note was both serious and wonderfully humourous. > > Thanks ............ Lena > > Lena Holmes > parttime caregiver for Ilmi 74/2 > Oakville, Ontario, Canada > > ------------------------------------------------------- > Date: 97/02/20 > From: George Lussier > Subject: HERE SHE COMES BACKWARDS!! WEEEEEEE! > ------------------------------------------------------- > > DEAR LENA, > > Let me say at the very beginning that I think your mom is a cheat and .. WATCH > IT! HERE SHE COMES AGAIN. WEEEEEEEEEEEE! and should lose her license to drive > her wheelchair until she has passed both the WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! GOSH, THAT WAS > CLOSE!! the written and the on-the-road.. er on-the-hallway test. > > She should be ashamed of herself for using a wheelchair in a walking program; > yes you said a walking program. > > IT"S TOO QUIET OUT THERE. SHE'S UP TO NO GOOD. WATCH IT!! THERE ARE TWO OF > THEM THIS TIME Wheelie #1 .. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! wheelie #2 yipeeeeeeeeeeeee! > > See what I mean Lena, she is terrorizing the other residents. Well, Gerrge. > THATS GEORGE!! ok, g e o r g e, I just wanted to say that mom is having such > a wonderful time.. > > ....... DOWN THE HALL, IN THE DARKENED DAY ROOM, OUT OF SIGHT OF THE STAFF, > LENA AND GEORGE; A PLAN IS BEING DEVELOPED. LENA'S MOM APPEARS TO BE THE RING- > LEADER AND SHE IS DEPLOYING THE 25-30 WHEELIES TO THEIR ASSIGNED BATTLE > STATIONS WITH THE PRIME SITES TO BE SECURED BEING THE KITCHEN AND THE NURSES > STATION [NO PROBLEM THERE...NEVER ANY ONE IN THERE ANYWAY] > > Co-incidence? I don't think so. It seems to me that nursing homes are failing > in their jobs and until they receive a passing grade from residents revolts > like the one detailed above will continue to rock the nursing home industry. > > Meaningful? Certainly in severals ways. First elderly people are often > regressive [Or said another way, BACKWARDS] in ther behaviors. There is > comfort in being regressed. Regression is simplely defined as a stepping > backwards in time to a more satisfying, less anxious place which to most of us > would be at the PRECONCEPTION stage of development! In other word the "gleam > in your father-to-be's eyes" > > Second, the concept of BACKWARD serves as a metaphor for the average nursing > home. > > Third, it is fun to do something differently then the others around you. Most > nursing home residents haven't been successful at much of anything; least of > all something different. > > Fourth I do believe when we do something differently, the Central Nervous > System responds with an excitement it hasn't known for many moons.Too many > people misunderstand this feeling as one of anxiety rather then of excitement. > The CNS has shut down. It no longer recoginizes positive feelings. The cure > ....... repeated jolts of new experiences that will help the brain restore > itself within a feeling,loving, fun person, who is also able to express > feeling of sadness and anger when required > > Fifth... i think you get my point. > > How do I know these things to be true? well I am a well trained, experienced > clinical social worker and my mom spent the last two years of her life in what > was regarded as a quality nursing home but as many of you know it surely > lacked something......... > > Lena, thanks for your kind words and thank for coming out and playing with me > [Regression in the service of the ego is cool]. > > My best to most of you [OPS] > > george > 2/20/97 > 3:38pm Bright and sunny, temp.41 F. > Time to walk BACKWARDS > > 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 > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > janet paterson > 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset > e-mail - [log in to unmask] > web-site - http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/