(68) dESTINATION dOPAMINE

BLOG STATS, JULY 2026

It's good to reconnect with you again, dear reader, after a three-month break. In order to get my mental and physical functions up to speed, and in keeping with Post 67, I've decided to sort of "review" myself. But first, a Blog post update.

In the roughly three-month period between end-April 2026 (the publishing date of Post 67)  and 01 August 2026, a total of 2,310 viewders visited my Blog. I assume the April-July 2026 viewders read my review of Miller Caldwell's compilation of Parkinson's Stories. 

And in the 6 years of publishing, I've had a grand total of 29,642 visitors! I am really pleased with this interest, and bearing in mind that I don't know whether the visitor has just viewed it or read it, I'll use the term "viewders". 

The top six countries that visited my book review comprising 2,310 visitors over a three month period, are as follows:

1. USA;
2. Vietnam;
3. Germany; 
4. Singapore;
5. Hong Kong; and
6. South Africa.

Now, back to this "review" of myself.

MY HEALTH ISSUES

Managing to publish Post 68 (the one that you're reading now) in July 2026 is a significant accomplishment for me. Let me explain.

Firstly, my Parkinson's Disease (PD) ran rampant during the first half of 2026, resulting in my wife having to assist me a few times every night for a few months. Secondly, I've been dealing with prostate cancer (PC) and have had therapy in 2025 and I'm currently undergoing further treatment. I've had to clear the PC and the PD hurdles, concurrently. Therefore, in this post, by way of a catchup, I am going to "review" the state of my health from 2005. 

PD CHALLENGES & ADAPTATION: 2013 ➙

This is a brief history of my PD. 

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2013 by a neurologist DrK in Pretoria, Gauteng Province. I decided, then, not to use his recommended prescription but to seek out as many alternative approaches as I could find, be it physical, mental or chemical. 

My thought was: Could I bypass use of a pharmaceutical drug (with published, accompanying side-effects) and replace it with something else? In my teaching and research throughout my career (1977-2017), I had always sought out and found alternative solutions to most problems confronting me. I described this swashbuckling approach in Post 50, Part 1 (<-click to access that Post), where I wondered if I could find ways to challenge PD through a deep dive into literature, anecdotes and research:

"...I was a "practitioner researcher", generating personal theory from my actual practice (my PhD has this evidence). Could I challenge PD with a PhD? Could I, as a practitioner researcher, eventually generate personal theories based on my own observations of PD?"

      

For instance, Parkinson's started with "asymmetric onset" (i.e. only one side of my body was initially affected). As it had affected my right side, I was not swinging my right arm or moving my right leg smoothly resulting in colleagues asking if I had gout or had had a stroke 😖. Gradually, I noticed other debilitating issues and these forcibly channelled my creative thinking into finding solutions and/or adaptations that worked for me, and some of these are below.

• My right leg was dragging so, at work, I regularly wore a wrist weight on my right ankle (conveniently concealed under my long pants) to remind me to lift my right leg when walking;
• I was unable to slip on sandals/slippers onto my right foot but if I shut my eyes then my foot would slide in (was I bypassing the "old" muscle memory?);
• I was born right-handed but my left hand became the new dominant hand: for brushing teeth, for washing dishes, for washing the car and for holding the steering wheel while driving, etc.; 
• My right arm stopped swinging so, at work, I started wearing my watch on my right wrist (not the left) to remind me, consciously, to swing that arm when walking; and
• My right hand was unable to move my computer mouse so, gradually, I learnt to move it skilfully with my left hand.

What is fascinating is the notion of "neuroplasticity" (and "guided plasticity") (Rosén, Wijk & Björkman, 2026) to explain my shifting dexterity as a result of the Parkinson's: 

"Normal hand function relies on a finely tuned interaction between the sensory and motor systems within the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system continuously adapts to changed activity, environmental changes, learning, and injury — a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. The neuroplasticity is a life-long ability and presents opportunities for therapeutic intervention; by directing it, lost or impaired functions can be improved through a process called "guided plasticity"."

Even more fascinating is that till today, I am still using my right hand to write and to draw and, yes, there's a body of research to explain that too. Apparently "Handwriting is a complex, overlearned motor program managed by distributed networks in the motor cortex, cerebellum, and parietal lobes, transforming abstract thoughts into fluid physical symbols", so handwriting rules! (HA!!! PARKINSON'S DIDN'T STAND A FLIPPEN CHANCE 😄...)

COMPLEMENTARY SUPPORT FOR PD: 2020 ➙

By 2020 I had started to engage with the following, below, after much reading and thought. Seeing that I was still in alternative survival mode, that included any and every possible supplementary approach to continue the fight against being parkinsed, I cast my net wide.

1. Photobiomodulation: in December 2019 a relative referred me to to a Carte Blanche documentary on television during which they had interviewed people who had had low level laser therapy sessions to alleviate movement disorder issues. Unfortunately neurologist Dr Bhanjan at the Durban Neurolaser Clinic was the only practitioner in South Africa so the earliest appointment I could get was in late in 2020. However, by March 2020 Covid19 (?fate?) had struck South Africa resulting in a travel lockdown so people from outside KwaZulu-Natal had to cancel their travel and their appointments: I was able to see the neurologist almost immediately. I reflected on my positive experience with low level infrared light therapy and PD in Post 10, Post 11 and Post 13 (<-click to read those 2020 posts).
2. Parkinson's ZA workshops started in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, in 2022 as a weekly meeting of People with Parkinson's together with some carers. Their plan was to explore a multidisciplinary model of care for two hours, weekly, consisting of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy and exercise, etc. as supplemental to the conventional drug-based treatment of Parkinson's. Attendance is free of charge as it is funded by a large India-based movement disorder support society. I attended their meetings for three years until 2025 when my prostate cancer treatment became an issue. 
3. Walking, Cycling & Cueing. Since 2022, I have been walking around our large apartment complex (including inclines and stairs) and cycling indoors (on a stationary cycle). These activities provide effective, physical stimulation for people in need of an accessible form of exercise. Cueing, on the other hand, is often ignored (click on the term above for an explanatory video) yet is essential especially for us People with Parkinson's. 
4. Biokinetics, "focused on improving physical health...through...human movement and customised exercise programs" has become a welcome, weekly activity since May 2026. My wife and I are fortunate to have a biokinetics practitioner, ZP, visit us at home. 
5. Ayurveda regime for Parkinson's. I started consulting an Ayurvedha specialist in 2022 and was happy with the intervention that included a natural dopamine substitute. (Extract below from Post 63 <-click to read:) 

"There was a lifestyle change involving the following: a diet avoiding certain flour and bread; avoiding stimulants such as coffee and alcohol; avoiding certain milks; avoiding processed food; deep breathing exercises; PD stretches/exercises; and meditation. Eating should be carefully paced and enjoyed rather than rushed.

In addition there were herbal remedies to take daily: two capsules daily to relieve stress (Ashwagandha); two capsules daily for anxiety and to assist the memory (Brahmi); and three capsules daily to assist with dopamine replacement (HP500).    

Unfortunately, the HP500 only worked for me from January 2002 till March/April 2025, when I stopped taking it. (In Post 64 {<-click to read} I will elaborate why I stopped.) However, I am still taking the other two herbal remedies, I meditate, I am doing the breathing exercises and still avoiding certain foods and ingredients." 

CONCURRENT CONDITION: 2024 ➙

In 2005 I had my first prostate wake-up call in the form of minor surgery in a doctor's consulting room when he performed a biopsy to remove tissue from my prostate gland to test if it was cancerous. 

Three more biopsies and medication followed over the years as did  overnight hospital stays until I was asked to also have a PET scan (that included being injected with a mild radioactive substance) in 2025. The outcome: I had prostate cancer (PC)! 

An Oncologist and a Urologist were engaged and saw me regularly both for examinations as well as treatment. This included two treatment regimes.

1. In 2025 I had 5 months of Hormone Therapy comprising 6 injections to lower my testosterone levels as prostate cancer apparently feeds off one's testosterone! An unfortunate side-effect has been permanent hot flushes (I normally perspire profusely) and another is weight gain.
2. In January 2026 I also had a Brachytherapy procedure during which my prostate was injected with tiny radioactive beads to provide internal, direct radiation targeting the prostate gland only. This radiation has a life span of about 10 months from its maximum radiation capacity in January 2026. The complication was during the first few months when I was forced into self-isolation because I posed a "danger" to particularly my/any grandchildren and any young/pregnant women.

While there is no recorded interaction between my Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the PC and their respective medications, I did feel poorly for at least 2 weeks after each Hormone Therapy jab. And I guess a lot of the accompanying trauma was in my head! 

MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALIST 2025: ➙

By April 2025 my Ayurvedic medicines were not working. I was barely able to move and had become my own worst nightmare: a sedentary seventy-three year old person with Parkinson's. My family physician, Dr RSP shares consulting rooms with a Movement Disorder Specialist, Prof VP. I was encouraged to see him, so an appointment was made in May 2025. 

His examination was thorough and he made fewer glib generalisations than the other specialists I had seen over the years. I was at my wits end. My dopamine was neither flowing nor functioning and neither was I. 

So, after actively avoiding a Parkinson's pharmaceutical drug for 12 years I decided to take the plunge: he gave me a script for medication during the day (3 X Sinemet) and overnight (1 X Pramipexole ER) and I accepted. Naturally I was to start my Hormone Therapy sessions two months later so I was concerned. 

It may be useful to examine, briefly and simply, why the absence and presence of dopamine is significant in Parkinson's. Below is what Kimberly Holland (2026) states in Healthline:

  

"What Role does Dopamine have in  Parkinson's Disease?

 

*Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that supports smooth, controlled movement. In Parkinson’s disease, dopamine drops, causing movement to become shaky, slow, or stiff.

*Symptoms often begin after major dopamine loss, sometimes when 60% to 80% of dopamine-producing cells are gone. Early signs can include poor coordination, trouble concentrating, stooped posture, and loss of smell.

*Parkinson’s treatments aim to raise brain dopamine levels or improve response to dopamine. Treatment options include medications like levodopa and procedures like deep brain stimulation."

According to the website, Sinemet "...is used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as muscle stiffness, tremors, spasms, and poor muscle control. Parkinson's disease may be caused by low levels of a chemical called dopamine..."

Regarding the cause of PD, it is stated that the "...exact cause of PD is not known. It may be caused by a problem with how your brain works. A chemical called dopamine helps your brain control your movement, thoughts, and feelings. PD causes brain cells that make dopamine to die, so they cannot make enough dopamine."

Enough said. I believe I've presented a reasonably thorough review of my health from 2005-2026. Sigh!

CONCLUSION: now you see me, now you don't

I have found the impact of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and that of Prostate Cancer (PC) quite different and  quite scary. 

The effect of having PD is physically manifested so I can see and feel my tremors, freezing, light-headedness, heavy legs, weak knees, and so on. However, during that window period after I have taken my medication during the day, the Sinemet magic occurs and I feel "normal". And accordingly, anyone watching will be able to see my PD when my Sinemet dose wears off. That's how a movement disorder works, right? It's often so visible!!!

On the other hand, besides the weight gain and hot flushes, no-one will have any idea that I have PC. It's only when I visit a Cancer Centre to see my Oncologist or sit in a room filled with people having their chemotherapy that I am aware that I too, have cancer. It is dangerous, quiet and deadly. It's invisible!!! 

But I'm still here and dealing with life, courtesy of my wife and my carer. Till next time, dear reader, stay well and safe.