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| A Nap A Day Helps Keep PD Away |
I used to be a free floating soul taking each day as it came and going with whatever was happening. Parkinson’s changed that. In order to deal with PD I plan my days so they are structured and follow a regular pattern: wake up, eat breakfast, nap, take pill, exercise, eat lunch, maybe nap, walk, snack, exercise, take pill, eat dinner, walk, take pill, sleep. That is, unless I have the PD miseries in which case all bets are off and I go into survival mode and do anything I can to get through the day.
On okay days I structure the day by how I take my meds. One yellow twice a day and one blue once. The yellow is taken two hours after eating protein and one hour before. It’s best to take the blue at night, 45 minutes before bed. Lets see if
I wake up and have breakfast at 9 that means I can take the pill at 11 and then wait until 12 for lunch. If I take the second pill at 5 I can’t eat after 3 and then have to wait until after 6 for dinner. The doctor recommended that I increase the yellow pill to three a day. That means if I take the first one at 9 and they need to be taken four hours apart then I could take the second at … oh hell just take the damn pill.
I wake up and have breakfast at 9 that means I can take the pill at 11 and then wait until 12 for lunch. If I take the second pill at 5 I can’t eat after 3 and then have to wait until after 6 for dinner. The doctor recommended that I increase the yellow pill to three a day. That means if I take the first one at 9 and they need to be taken four hours apart then I could take the second at … oh hell just take the damn pill.
Naps regulate my days. One, two, or three. How my days goes is often determined by if I nap. It’s a pleasure to nap especially when I am not tired and don’t have to. So peacefully quiet. My favorite nap is right after breakfast, especially if I had a good breakfast. I don’t even wait to brush my teeth. Just get back in bed and contently nod out for 20 minutes or so of lovely rest. Since I feel so good after the breakfast nap, I may as well try to nap after lunch and sometimes I can’t resist just a little one before dinner. If I get all three naps in then I scored a hat trick, won the trifecta. Naps are one of the great benefits of retirement.
My days are determined by the swings in how I feel. I usually feel okay when I wake up in the morning, that is if I sleep. The good feeling often lasts until after breakfast when I am too tired to do anything except nap so I’ve learned to make all appointments for after lunch. If I get the morning nap in I usually feel okay until 11 when I take the first yellow pill which picks me up. Good enough to do a half hour of Tai Chi and balance exercises which definitely tires me out but I have enough energy to make lunch. So far so good but I could use another nap. Then a walk which is tricky. I walk as far as I can which is usually about 30 minutes. I concentrate on taking big steps, swinging my arms, and trying to walk more erect. This walk can leave me feeling good or not so good. 30 - 40 minutes of aerobic and weight lifting strength exercises in the afternoon and then another walk after dinner.
My mind and body are in sync for an hour or so after dinner and then they split and go their own separate ways. Night time is the right time mentally. My mind is the clearest and sharpest it’s been all day. I almost feel normal and want to stay up and enjoy it but I slowly degrade physically until I become unsteady and careen around the room ricocheting off walls like a pinball. Sleeping is a crapshoot. Anything can happen.
Not everything is measured and regular though. My PD friends don’t want me to talk about this. They are a little embarrassed and prefer to keep it a secret but this brave blogger goes where other bloggers fear to tread. Constipation. There I’ve said it. The barrier is broken. The secret is out. Constipation, a Parkinson’s nemesis. 60% of people with PD suffer with constipation. PD can cause damage to the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the involuntary muscle movement of the intestinal tract. Damage to the autonomic nervous system causes slowed digestion and hinders movement through the intestinal tract. Slowed peristalsis of the colon causes the stool to become dry and hard and difficult to eliminate.
My bowel movements are no longer regular. They do a shitty job. Really crappy. Don’t think I’m getting carried away and overdoing it but pooping has become a pain in the ass. Every day for years I would effortlessly fill the bowl about a half hour after breakfast. A simple pleasure I didn’t even recognize as such. Now I struggle in the morning and I struggle at night. I struggle all day and it just isn’t right. Grunt and groan, strain and moan and nothing, nothing except a strained groin and little hard pebbles and rocks. I’v got a secret weapon though. I’m lactose intolerant so I drink a little milk or eat some yogurt and look out behind me. Train leaving the station.
2 comments:
Peter, your brave treatment of constipation is welcome -- you take on. what others avoid. And your "just do it" attitude makes it a pleasure to dance with you at DFPD.
But I didn't see anything about diet. One approach I and others have taken is to eat less meat (also for other reasons) and more fiber.
To put that in a wider personal context: in addition to PD (my ninth anniversary of diagnosis is next week), I was diagnosed with a small and seemingly dormant prostate tumor that has stayed small and dormant for years. And I've just declared victory after an 18-years struggle with non-celiac gluten intolerance, a long story. But what I eat plays into all of these threads.
I also try to minimize PD and other drugs where possible. So I currently use a multi-purpose concoction I call my "magic potion." The daily dose consists of:
Ground flaxseed 2 Tb
Turmeric. powder. 1 tsp
Ginger powder 1/2 tsp
Amla powder 1/2tsp (also called "Indian gooseberry")
Black pepper a few grindings (potentials the cur cumin in turmeric)
Black cumin oil 1 1tsp (optional)
I stir this mixture into a cup of strong hibiscus tea (some people would add honey) and slug it down.
In practice, this dose is much. more helpful than any commercial stool softener or fiber-only supplement. AS you would find by searching on Dr.Michael Greger's fine website nutritiionfacts.com, the flaxseed inhibits and can shrink prostate tumors while it eliminates any hint of constipation. The other things do other things. But this is MY response to treating MY conditions, and I certainly don't advocate it as a universal cure.
Why I posted this: We are all so tempted to let ourselves be medicated for our condition, then take another drug to deal with the side effects of the first one, and so n down the line. WE do better, I think, by doing and thinking wholisticallly and being our own dorchester conductor, .
Best regards,, and see you in class.
I agree Alan, diet plays an important roll in PD and overall health. Equally important is that you seem to be intelligently involved in your own health decisions and trying to do what works best for you.
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