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I'll be moving house end-March 2022. As I'm unsure how long it will take to resettle, Post 32 might be later than usual, dear reader. <ari.naidoo@gmail.com>
PD update: more Smugly + resources
As a Parkinson's Disease (PD) person I believe I must review my daily activities and then assess their positive impact on me: this is The Good. I also monitor the absence of such activities and their effect on me and my PD both physically and mentally. This is similar to my regular observation of any change in effect of my chronic medication: this is sometimes The Bad.
In Post 30, feeling Smugly focuses on: PHYSICAL EXERCISE; HYDRATION; MENTAL EXERCISE; and COMMUNICATION. I will share new experiences with you, dear reader, based on my review.
Some new Smugly*
(*My achievements are more than "Good" because living with PD allows me to be "Smug" about them.)
1. PHYSICAL EXERCISE: I am still shuffling around but there is less dragging of my right foot and the glue is still on on my seats, as mentioned in Post 30. The Gentle Chair Yoga (link is in Post 30) is great regarding a "return on investment" of my time and energy. I am doing this form of yoga regularly and have noticed growth in my confidence and ability to complete each phase.
💡 Indirectly linked to my lack of exercise has been my growing inability to cut my toenails, a source of embarrassment! My weakening right side is not making this task any easier. One solution was to treat myself and to get this job done by someone else who will also cut my toenails properly. So, I have been having a fortnightly pedicure and neck and shoulder massage which is two hours of pampering. The masseuse has another PD patient, so she is sensitised to my challenges, such as bed height and my poor balance. I am unable to lie down on my tummy on the narrow massage table, so the massage is done with me seated and leaning on the table with my upper body. The adaptation works well and I'm comfortable.
💡 Standing and shifting my balance from one foot to another is a difficult task for me especially when attempting to execute a 45 degree turn either to the right or the left. I generally picture a pizza with slices and gauge my foot turns in line with my foot moving in line with the angle of each slice (thanks MarnaB, Dance for Parkinson's, Pretoria). In this context, I can also identify with the
My Parkinson's Team's Over the River exercise to help with leg movement.
NB Once you've clicked on the link you will open a page with text and three short videos below each other: the first video is an
Introduction; scroll down to the second, a
warm-up exercise; and then scroll down to the third, the actual
Over the River sequence, which is really effective for me. Do try it (I especially like their use of a tissue box).
2. HYDRATION: this is something I am taking seriously, since my prostate reduction surgery. Nowadays, I opt for a glass of water with and in between meals. Besides the natural effects of ageing, dehydration is more likely to become an issue with those of us taking chronic medications daily. One can also miss the obvious, myself included, so fruit and vegetables with high water content should be included.
3. MENTAL EXERCISE: healthy body and healthy mind. In 2010 I noted that my short-term memory had started to be less effective and I was becoming more forgetful. I looked for online mental puzzles and crosswords but they were time consuming and inappropriate when at work. Then I came across Lumosity.
💡 Lumosity is an online brain training programme that requires me to challenge my brain for 15 minutes daily. All the exercises are presented as a variety of games requiring responses via a computer's mouse and keyboard. Some of the areas of focus are spatial orientation, working memory, vocabulary, numeracy and logical deductions. I can attest to the efficacy of Lumosity during the years when I was a regular user and subscriber: to this day I am less forgetful! One can register and play a limited number of games, daily, that are free or pay and get full access. I paid for a three year period (2014-2016) and was very happy with my progress and growing ability and a lot of those abilities remain.
Recently, I remembered this happy experience and decided to access the free option of Lumosity. Six years later, the programme acknowledged my being a subscriber and where relevant, posts my highest scores and dates in the older games. I was, and still am impressed. There are two personal lessons for me here: (i) the pleasant experience of positive achievements and good scores played an important role in boosting my confidence; and (ii) the underlying impact of spatial orientation, my working memory, vocabulary, etc. are a good substitute for the lack of daily, work-related activities as a retiree with PD.
My biggest challenge is that presently I have to use my left hand (NB I was born right-handed) to manipulate the mouse and the keyboard. This impacts negatively on all the games especially those with time trials. Otherwise, it is a positive experience with daily challenges to improve and to learn.
COMMUNICATION: I try to stay in touch with family (mostly in Durban), friends and acquaintances (in the country and abroad) because their presence is present. What a gift. Recently I started communicating with a long-time PD patient in Durban who, against all odds, still rides a bicycle. We have yet to meet.
Smile!
You may have gathered by now, dear reader, that I love photography. So, today's picture share is from a bucket list road trip to Sanparks' Namakwa National Park to see the "daisies" at Skilpad Rest Camp. We drove 4,500km (Pretoria-Upington-Springbok-Port Nolloth-Garies-Sutherland-Kimberly-Pretoria) to experience the August blooms. I believe the picture says it all. And it gives me much pleasure (more Smugly).
In the picture above, the springbok appears to be at home among the orange blooms. In this blog, I appear to be at home with PD. But, both the springbok and I have adapted to new circumstances and are making the best of it. Till next time, dear reader.
