I wrote this maybe a month ago, but decided to post it now anyway, in hopes that it will be helpful to someone. On the particular day I wrote this, I was having a difficult time with my Parkinsons symptoms and I was discouraged. If you're having a melt-down, or crying, or afraid, know that you aren't alone. Here's my post:
I have no good excuse, but I had a complete and total breakdown last night, sobbing my heart out.
I'm having a much more difficult time walking, regardless of diet and supplements. I guess I somehow thought I could completely arrest my symptoms, and when they actually got worse instead of better, I was mad. And afraid. Maybe more like terrified.
And I was mad at all those songs on Christian radio that talk about God working things for our good, and trusting that all things will work out right. I don't think this looks "right."
I'm sorry if it sounds sacrilegious, but I'm really being honest. I can't be the only one who feels that way....but I might be the only one who admits it.
I'm left to wonder if I should increase my medication or if I should hold out to see if I can make a a difference with essential oils.
I'm tired...emotionally, physically, mentally. Hopefully, I can come back on another day with a better attitude!
Showing posts with label Health Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Update. Show all posts
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Update on My Health
Well.... where to start??
We're definitely making progress in terms of the lymphedema, weight loss, and cleansing my body. Are we progressing on the Parkinson's? I don't know.
Joshua, one of the lymphedema specialists, challenges me every time I go for therapy. He recently challenged me on the subject of defining success. There are lots of ways of measuring success, so let's start counting them!
We're definitely making progress in terms of the lymphedema, weight loss, and cleansing my body. Are we progressing on the Parkinson's? I don't know.
Joshua, one of the lymphedema specialists, challenges me every time I go for therapy. He recently challenged me on the subject of defining success. There are lots of ways of measuring success, so let's start counting them!
- I've lost about 12 pounds, and lot of inches. I don't know how many, but my clothes fit differently, for sure!
- My lymph nodes are open and working better. My lymph fluid is thinning and creating a new path through my body, and actually starting to drain. My feet and legs are decreasing in size.
- My legs used to be so tender from the acid in the stagnant lymph fluid that it caused great pain when my cat walked across my lap. Yolanda's diet protocol and Joshua's accupressure treatments have thinned that fluid dramatically, decreasing the tenderness. My cat walked across my lap without causing me pain the other day! It seemed so natural that I didn't even notice until Mike brought it to my attention!
- I'm off one of my medications! I had so much stomach pain from my PD meds that my gastroenterologist put me on medication for stomach spasms, and I was taking it 4 times a day. I've gradually eliminated that medication completely, because my diet has been so easy on my stomach!
- My dental appointment went great! My cleaning took less time than it ever has, and my hygienist kept telling me how clean my teeth were--I can honestly say I have never had such a good appointment! I told her how our diet has changed and she said that definitely has a huge impact on my teeth, and that's probably why I had such a good report.
- Even though I still have PD, I know my body is getting healthier and stronger through proper diet and regular exercise (although I've fallen off the exercise bandwagon a little bit until today).
When I look at it like that, I have a lot of success to report, and I feel encouraged! I'm so thankful to the Lord, to my family for encouraging me, and to Yolanda and Joshua for their healing hands and sound treatment.
I'm also thankful for the disciplines I am learning through all this--another thing Joshua challenged me with recently. As he pointed out, even the practice of travelling 50 minutes to the north side twice a week is building discipline. The fact that each week I work 40 hours, I go to church, I go to exercise class twice, I eat almost all my meals at home, do extensive grocery shopping, and travel twice to the north side and back, all speak discipline. When there's no room for anything else, and you tighten up to make it all fit, and you keep doing it day after day, that's discipline. You figure out what you have to let go, and what you can't do without. You learn how to make the hard decisions, and what ground rules you must use to make those decisions. You learn discipline.
I may not yet have an answer for Parkinson's Disease, but I have made measurable gains. I am healthier and stronger in body. I can see the progress in my feet and legs. I am learning the discipline it takes to live in my present circumstance.
I hope that God will be able to take some of the things I am learning and shape me into something useful for Him and to others. I still want to see tangible results. I know that's a tall order, but I'm starting to believe it could happen.
And that's progress!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Breakthrough!
That's what Joshua said .... "Today was a huge breakthrough!" It was an encouraging word I needed to hear. There's more about that later in the post.
To this point, I have not made public on social media some of my physical issues/diagnoses, so many of my friends and acquaintances may not yet know. I am deciding whether to post this link on Facebook, so, if I do, and you're just tuning in, here's what's going on:
I have Parkinson's Disease, along with several other physical issues, one of which is extreme, chronic, and long-standing lymphedema in my feet and legs. The lymphedema is spreading now to my upper arms, hands, stomach, and neck, and has become rather alarming, and no one seems to know what to do about it.
A few weeks ago at my Parkinson's exercise class, The Climb, one of the helpers from another location came to help in our class just for that one particular day. She asked me if I had lymphedema, and if I had ever been to a lymphedema drainage specialist. Not only have I never been to a drainage specialist, I did not even know there was such a thing! How have I seen all these doctors for all these years and no one ever told me there might be help?
Anyway, she gave me a phone number and names...Yolanda and Joshua. Since then, the Life Wellness Center on the north side of Indianapolis has been my connection to hope. They are leading me step-by-step through a protocol of cleansing diet, exercise, supplements, and the power of prayer, positive words, and uplifting thoughts.
We would all be happy if we were successful in simply reducing my swelling, but, knowing that the lymphatic system is the "soap" of your body, I am secretly hoping we might see improvement in my Parkinson's Disease, once my body is detoxed and clean. (Okay, so maybe it's not so secret now that it's in my blog for the whole world to see!)
So, back to the breakthrough. It seems the protocol of low-acid foods has broken up the crystallized acidic lymph, making my leg supple instead of tight. Joshua was able to move the lymph up and out so it could drain. This was the first time he was able to accomplish this and his excitement was encouraging and contagious! Good thing, because the protocol is becoming more difficult all the time. A side benefit, however, is that both Mike and I have lost between 10 and 15 pounds, and most of the puffiness in my face has disappeared. No noticeable improvement in my Parkinson's, but I'm willing to wait. I don't have a lot of choice about that, I guess.
Yolanda, Joshua, Mike, and I are on this journey together, at least for a while. When it gets long and hard, it's heart-warming to know I have company along the way, and I'm glad God sent them for a time, to encourage me and offer hope and healing.
To this point, I have not made public on social media some of my physical issues/diagnoses, so many of my friends and acquaintances may not yet know. I am deciding whether to post this link on Facebook, so, if I do, and you're just tuning in, here's what's going on:
I have Parkinson's Disease, along with several other physical issues, one of which is extreme, chronic, and long-standing lymphedema in my feet and legs. The lymphedema is spreading now to my upper arms, hands, stomach, and neck, and has become rather alarming, and no one seems to know what to do about it.
A few weeks ago at my Parkinson's exercise class, The Climb, one of the helpers from another location came to help in our class just for that one particular day. She asked me if I had lymphedema, and if I had ever been to a lymphedema drainage specialist. Not only have I never been to a drainage specialist, I did not even know there was such a thing! How have I seen all these doctors for all these years and no one ever told me there might be help?
Anyway, she gave me a phone number and names...Yolanda and Joshua. Since then, the Life Wellness Center on the north side of Indianapolis has been my connection to hope. They are leading me step-by-step through a protocol of cleansing diet, exercise, supplements, and the power of prayer, positive words, and uplifting thoughts.
We would all be happy if we were successful in simply reducing my swelling, but, knowing that the lymphatic system is the "soap" of your body, I am secretly hoping we might see improvement in my Parkinson's Disease, once my body is detoxed and clean. (Okay, so maybe it's not so secret now that it's in my blog for the whole world to see!)
So, back to the breakthrough. It seems the protocol of low-acid foods has broken up the crystallized acidic lymph, making my leg supple instead of tight. Joshua was able to move the lymph up and out so it could drain. This was the first time he was able to accomplish this and his excitement was encouraging and contagious! Good thing, because the protocol is becoming more difficult all the time. A side benefit, however, is that both Mike and I have lost between 10 and 15 pounds, and most of the puffiness in my face has disappeared. No noticeable improvement in my Parkinson's, but I'm willing to wait. I don't have a lot of choice about that, I guess.
Yolanda, Joshua, Mike, and I are on this journey together, at least for a while. When it gets long and hard, it's heart-warming to know I have company along the way, and I'm glad God sent them for a time, to encourage me and offer hope and healing.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Help Me Breathe
Have you missed me? I've missed you!
We've been without internet service for 10 days, courtesy of Comcast (this is my blog, so I can say that, right?!) They can re-brand with Xfinity all they want, but they're still plain old Comcast-With-The-Bad-Service in my book! I do give them props, however, for reimbursing us without issue for the lost time.
Anyway, I'm back, and I don't even know where to start. Some days, like today, it feels like the world is crashing in on me and I can't breathe. When I wake up in the morning, I can't bear the thought of what the day will hold. When I get to work, I literally feel short of breath from all the stress. When I get home, my legs don't want to work and they feel like jelly. When I go to bed, I desperately hope it will be a good night; that nothing will hurt, no nightmares will haunt me, I won't toss and turn all night.
My particular version of Parkinson's seems to run in cycles: I'll be in a decline for a while, then I level out and might even see a little improvement, then decline again, etc. I'm in a spiral right now, and new or worsening symptoms are surfacing almost daily. In the past when this happened, it meant that I needed an increase in my medication; I would call the doctor, take the medicine, and fix the problem. If you've kept track of my struggles so far, however, you know that I cannot have any more medication increases now because my body doesn't like any of the appropriate medicines for my stage of the disease.
So, can I just unload for a minute? If you don't want to trudge through this with me, I understand, so here's fair warning: my attitude might get worse before it gets better, but I do promise to end on some kind of a happy note!
I've noticed my legs starting to shake without provocation, which is very uncomfortable, not to speak of embarrassing. Sometimes, they shake even when I'm standing still doing dishes. My handwriting has become so bad at times that I truly cannot even read it myself. I live in a permanent state of brain fog, struggling to find words just at the moment when it's most important for me to be professional. When I'm walking across the credit union, I have to concentrate so hard on trying to walk normally that I am incapable of walking and talking at the same time. All I can think of is, "Heel, toe, heel, toe... who's watching and noticing? Heel, toe, heel, toe. Don't let my shoes slap against the floor. Lord, am I doing this right? Help me get this right." I've stopped trying to hide the tremor in my left hand; can't help it, can't stop it, can't be bothered trying any more. And my balance is worse. I don't fall, but sometimes I go careening across the kitchen floor for no good reason at all. When I wake up in the morning, my left hand sometimes tremors so violently that I have to grab it with my other hand to calm it. I'm increasingly more hesitant to walk through small spaces or step over or across anything because I don't trust my balance to be good enough to maneuver the obstacle in my way.
The merry-go-round won't stop and I can't breathe.
Remember the rose named Hope? The one outside my bedroom window? It perfectly symbolizes how I feel: It grows a little and starts to get a bud on it. It gets green and full of life. It starts to fill out with beautiful full leaves. It starts to look like a rose named Hope.
Then a stupid bunny eats all its leaves and buds.
This has happened over and over throughout this whole growing season. This is the worst year for bunnies that I have ever seen.
And this is the worst season of Parkinson's I have seen so far, and I don't know what to do about it, so pray for me, okay? I'm doing all the right things: exercising, eating right, resting...but the bunnies are still eating all the blooms and I don't know how to stop them.
It's time to end, and I promised to end on a happy note, so here's what I've got:
1) A darling husband, who cleans up dinner, babies me, helps me with everything, keeps me on track with my diet, encourages me, and simply treasures me, even though I don't know why.
2) Two wonderful health care providers, Yolanda and Joshua, my lymphadema drainage specialists who give me reason to dare to hope. They genuinely care about their patients, and are innately gifted at what they do. I get a hug when I come and when I leave, and sometimes I need that physical connection and affirmation.
3) A God who is always good and always in control, and a wonderful church family, though I think I need to reconnect with both.
4) A family who cares about me and prays for me every day.
5) A work family who seems to care about helping me take care of myself, and who seem willing to work with me on my hours.
6) A sweet cousin, Cindy, and her husband and church family. I know they pray for me every day, and encourage me regularly.
7) My rose is still alive. It might get eaten off every time it grows, but it's still alive There's still Hope.
There has to be.
Right?
We've been without internet service for 10 days, courtesy of Comcast (this is my blog, so I can say that, right?!) They can re-brand with Xfinity all they want, but they're still plain old Comcast-With-The-Bad-Service in my book! I do give them props, however, for reimbursing us without issue for the lost time.
Anyway, I'm back, and I don't even know where to start. Some days, like today, it feels like the world is crashing in on me and I can't breathe. When I wake up in the morning, I can't bear the thought of what the day will hold. When I get to work, I literally feel short of breath from all the stress. When I get home, my legs don't want to work and they feel like jelly. When I go to bed, I desperately hope it will be a good night; that nothing will hurt, no nightmares will haunt me, I won't toss and turn all night.
My particular version of Parkinson's seems to run in cycles: I'll be in a decline for a while, then I level out and might even see a little improvement, then decline again, etc. I'm in a spiral right now, and new or worsening symptoms are surfacing almost daily. In the past when this happened, it meant that I needed an increase in my medication; I would call the doctor, take the medicine, and fix the problem. If you've kept track of my struggles so far, however, you know that I cannot have any more medication increases now because my body doesn't like any of the appropriate medicines for my stage of the disease.
So, can I just unload for a minute? If you don't want to trudge through this with me, I understand, so here's fair warning: my attitude might get worse before it gets better, but I do promise to end on some kind of a happy note!
I've noticed my legs starting to shake without provocation, which is very uncomfortable, not to speak of embarrassing. Sometimes, they shake even when I'm standing still doing dishes. My handwriting has become so bad at times that I truly cannot even read it myself. I live in a permanent state of brain fog, struggling to find words just at the moment when it's most important for me to be professional. When I'm walking across the credit union, I have to concentrate so hard on trying to walk normally that I am incapable of walking and talking at the same time. All I can think of is, "Heel, toe, heel, toe... who's watching and noticing? Heel, toe, heel, toe. Don't let my shoes slap against the floor. Lord, am I doing this right? Help me get this right." I've stopped trying to hide the tremor in my left hand; can't help it, can't stop it, can't be bothered trying any more. And my balance is worse. I don't fall, but sometimes I go careening across the kitchen floor for no good reason at all. When I wake up in the morning, my left hand sometimes tremors so violently that I have to grab it with my other hand to calm it. I'm increasingly more hesitant to walk through small spaces or step over or across anything because I don't trust my balance to be good enough to maneuver the obstacle in my way.
The merry-go-round won't stop and I can't breathe.
Remember the rose named Hope? The one outside my bedroom window? It perfectly symbolizes how I feel: It grows a little and starts to get a bud on it. It gets green and full of life. It starts to fill out with beautiful full leaves. It starts to look like a rose named Hope.
Then a stupid bunny eats all its leaves and buds.
This has happened over and over throughout this whole growing season. This is the worst year for bunnies that I have ever seen.
And this is the worst season of Parkinson's I have seen so far, and I don't know what to do about it, so pray for me, okay? I'm doing all the right things: exercising, eating right, resting...but the bunnies are still eating all the blooms and I don't know how to stop them.
It's time to end, and I promised to end on a happy note, so here's what I've got:
1) A darling husband, who cleans up dinner, babies me, helps me with everything, keeps me on track with my diet, encourages me, and simply treasures me, even though I don't know why.
2) Two wonderful health care providers, Yolanda and Joshua, my lymphadema drainage specialists who give me reason to dare to hope. They genuinely care about their patients, and are innately gifted at what they do. I get a hug when I come and when I leave, and sometimes I need that physical connection and affirmation.
3) A God who is always good and always in control, and a wonderful church family, though I think I need to reconnect with both.
4) A family who cares about me and prays for me every day.
5) A work family who seems to care about helping me take care of myself, and who seem willing to work with me on my hours.
6) A sweet cousin, Cindy, and her husband and church family. I know they pray for me every day, and encourage me regularly.
7) My rose is still alive. It might get eaten off every time it grows, but it's still alive There's still Hope.
There has to be.
Right?
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Sooo Tired....and Tired of it!
It's been a rough day, it's late, and I'm bone tired, so this is going to be short!
I worked 5 hours today, and in that 5 hours, I counseled a couple on buying a new house, I had to calm an angry customer, I had to sign off on several high-dollar checks, I took a loan application for someone building a new garage, our loan system went down, and a host of other draining events that only I could handle.
Afterward, I was so tired I didn't think I was going to make it home. My husband met me at work and we went out to eat at Cheddar's, where I did a good job staying on my diet except for eating chips and queso/salsa. I ate a LOT of chips and queso/salsa. Did I tell you how much I LOVE chips and queso/salsa?
Anyway, I was hoping sitting down to eat would rejuvenate me, but it didn't. I was still so tired that I didn't think I could drive home, so we left one car at work, and Mike drove me home. We'll go back and get the other car tomorrow. When we finally got home, we laid down on the bed and slept for at least an hour. I felt some better after that -- just enough to run out to the store with Mike. Got back home and dropped again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! Yeah, yeah, yeah, Parkinson's Disease and all that...makes me mad.
So, here's the Yolanda report:
That's all for today...I just wanted to document how I'm feeling. Hope I didn't bring anyone down with my own discouragement, but I'm tired of being tired! Hope it's better tomorrow!
I worked 5 hours today, and in that 5 hours, I counseled a couple on buying a new house, I had to calm an angry customer, I had to sign off on several high-dollar checks, I took a loan application for someone building a new garage, our loan system went down, and a host of other draining events that only I could handle.
Afterward, I was so tired I didn't think I was going to make it home. My husband met me at work and we went out to eat at Cheddar's, where I did a good job staying on my diet except for eating chips and queso/salsa. I ate a LOT of chips and queso/salsa. Did I tell you how much I LOVE chips and queso/salsa?
Anyway, I was hoping sitting down to eat would rejuvenate me, but it didn't. I was still so tired that I didn't think I could drive home, so we left one car at work, and Mike drove me home. We'll go back and get the other car tomorrow. When we finally got home, we laid down on the bed and slept for at least an hour. I felt some better after that -- just enough to run out to the store with Mike. Got back home and dropped again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! Yeah, yeah, yeah, Parkinson's Disease and all that...makes me mad.
So, here's the Yolanda report:
- Tired, tired, tired, tired...
- More heartburn, irritated and worsened by the juice cocktails prescribed; as a result, I didn't take any today, but I am planning to take them again tomorrow.
- Tremors are better.
- Swelling is not.
- Can I really be this utterly exhausted from cheating on my diet with the love of my life, chips and queso/salsa? This seems too much of a penalty for just cheating. I cannot even tell you how tired I am; it's ridiculous!
That's all for today...I just wanted to document how I'm feeling. Hope I didn't bring anyone down with my own discouragement, but I'm tired of being tired! Hope it's better tomorrow!
Friday, July 24, 2015
The Kroger Discovery Tour
Time to write again...I was too tired last night and I almost skipped it again tonight.
But I didn't.
I will eventually get to the Kroger thing, but first, here's a quick recap of the really important stuff.
It's been a rough week, having been the only one at work in my position, and being left to cover 3 people's desks. The one saving grace is that I am only working 5 hours a day. On the one hand, the short days hurt me because I needed 8-10 hour days to catch up, so I still have 400+ emails to contend with. On the other hand, working 5-hour days has left me with at least a little energy in reserve on most days, and has allowed me to spend a little time trying to clean up the house. I'm grateful I've been under doctor's orders for these 5-hour days, because I am feeling better than I might have been.
And here's the "how I felt today" report for Yolanda:
But I didn't.
I will eventually get to the Kroger thing, but first, here's a quick recap of the really important stuff.
It's been a rough week, having been the only one at work in my position, and being left to cover 3 people's desks. The one saving grace is that I am only working 5 hours a day. On the one hand, the short days hurt me because I needed 8-10 hour days to catch up, so I still have 400+ emails to contend with. On the other hand, working 5-hour days has left me with at least a little energy in reserve on most days, and has allowed me to spend a little time trying to clean up the house. I'm grateful I've been under doctor's orders for these 5-hour days, because I am feeling better than I might have been.
And here's the "how I felt today" report for Yolanda:
- Thursday morning I had a headache and felt very groggy and kind of dizzy all morning. It wasn't a bad headache, just a naggy one. I don't think I had slept well the night before.
- Thursday night I had terrible heartburn and I did not sleep very well. Is that because I cheated on my diet and had tortilla chips with guacamole at dinner?
- I'm still having heartburn today, as well, and I haven't cheated any more. What's up with that? Is it just the side effects of my Parkinson's meds, specifically the Mirapex ER?
- My Parkinson's symptoms are not improved, but my energy level is.
- The swelling in my feet and leg is probably worse. Did you tell me it would be a little worse this week, then would get better after that?
NOW, on to the Kroger story!
I never realized all the stuff you can find in the grocery store! Typically, I go in the store by the produce section, then hit most of the aisles, working off of a list, going straight to the product I want, and moving on. I suspect most of us do it pretty much the same way. Even when I don't have a list, I still go straight to the product.
What I'm getting at here is that I never, ever look at certain items in the store. Now that I've been put on a special diet by Yolanda, however, I've been looking for something new, and I've opened my eyes to more of what's out there. For instance, I NEVER go to the water aisle, but I'm supposed to be drinking a certain kind of alkaline water now, so I started looking. Holy cow! I couldn't believe all the kinds of water you can buy!
And what about the international aisle??!! Wow! All those bizarre ingredients that show up on Chopped must come from this aisle: fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice noodles, 15 kinds and sizes of flour tortillas, Thai soup, clam juice, coconut milk, chow mein noodles, etc., etc., etc.!
And then, there's the cold cut section and the frozen meat section (I was trying to find some new applications/products for turkey or chicken). I typically avoid these areas because they are full of processed foods, and I don't believe those foods are healthy. In desperation, however, I was wiling to try to find something new that fit my diet parameters. Again, WOW! Do you have any idea how many kinds of frozen breakfast items you can buy? Everything from frozen sandwiches to organic frozen sausages that are almost healthy, 19 kinds of potatoes, and English muffins, gluten free and regular! (Am I the only one who never knew this?!)
I guess I'm just saying open your eyes. See what's around you. Look someplace you never looked before. Venture out. Try something you never tried before. Speak to someone you never talk to. Order something you never get at your favorite restaurant. Wear something you haven't worn in months.
Have we forgotten how to be original? How to think outside the box?
It might give us all a new perspective!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Short Take...What a Really Good Day Looks Like!
Okay, so I'll just start by saying I have a boundless amount of energy, at least for me! I got up with Mike at 5:00 AM, took a 30-minute nap after he left, worked from 12:30-5:45, stopped at the grocery afterward, and brought home Jimmy John's for our dinner. It's almost 9:00 PM, time for bed, and....I don't want to go. My body seems tired but I still want to do stuff!
So, here's the journal of how I felt today--especially for you, Yolanda!
So, here's the journal of how I felt today--especially for you, Yolanda!
- The aforementioned energy level was wonderful! Even if it's just for one day, and I don't know why it happened, I'll take it and be glad!
- My swelling was just about the same as always.
- No headaches or body aches.
- I haven't been especially hungry, and have had to remind myself to eat.
- My stomach pain is much better.
- In short, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still dragging my left foot, and struggling with my tremor and issues with my gait, but I'm feeling pretty good!
Work was better, although I still have over 400 emails. My boss' boss came to help me and also bought lunch for the branch, and that encouraged me. I also got some help from the teller line on some items that I could delegate. My boss got us some extra coverage for the teller line so that I didn't have to take on any of those responsibilities, even during lunch. Even though I didn't get through my emails (clearly), I did put out some fires.
Today was so much better than yesterday, and I am so grateful, so let's just call it a day and end on a short, happy note tonight!
If you prayed for me today, this gift of energy and productivity was because of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Hope in Disguise....or Something Like That
I sure hope it's Hope in Disguise, because this has been a crummy day! That was the most positive title I could muster!
First though, Yolanda asked me to journal about how I'm feeling, so here it is:
First though, Yolanda asked me to journal about how I'm feeling, so here it is:
- I slept great last night but I went to bed too late. The only times I woke up were to go to the bathroom, which was about 3 times in the night. That must mean the nighttime tea worked well!
- I think it's actually a good think that I had to get up for the bathroom so many times -- I think our goal is to wash out my system.
- I also had a lot of "system washing" during the day today -- also a good thing.
- When I woke up this morning, my legs were soft and spongy, not hard like before. As the day went on, however, they became hard again. We must have done some good in our session yesterday!
- During the day at work I was terribly shaky and had an awful time getting it under control... of course it was a difficult and stressful day, and I'm sure that contributed to the problem.
- Not sure if my energy level was up today or not, but I don't think it was as bad as it sometimes is.
Now for the crummy part...when I got to work, my lending partner was there, but my boss was on vacation. I've been gone 2 weeks (doctor's orders), so there was a lot I needed to catch up on, plus we had to cover our boss' desk while he is gone this week. Of course, my email was crazy, too ....437 of them. The branch was fully staffed otherwise (I work for a financial institution), so it was okay for about a minute.
I'd been at work about an hour, when my lending partner got a call that her grandfather had developed a brain bleed and was not expected to make it through the day. She's very close to her grandfather, so she was very broken-up, and immediately left to go to the hospital. He passed away a couple of hours later, so she will be gone for the next 3 days. That left me to cover my own 437 emails (and counting - they were multiplying faster than I could knock them out), along with my manager's desk, my lending partner's desk, and my own desk. Oh, and that meant we were short-staffed for the week, so I had to re-work the schedule, and get on the phone to find extra help from other branches. And did I tell you that I'm only allowed to be at work 5 hours a day this week and next -- again, doctor's orders.
There was absolutely no possible way to do all that I had to do. Even if all three of us had been there, I would still have been behind. You can only imagine how I felt being the only office person there today, and all week, for that matter. Had it been any other time, I would have just stayed late and come in early to try to get a handle on things, but I am under written doctor's orders to limit my time to 5 hours a day. I am stuck, yet somehow, still responsible for what doesn't get done.
When I got home, I sat at the kitchen table and sobbed, trying to get the words out to tell my husband.
I guess no matter how bad my day was, it beats losing your grandfather. I am so sorry for you, Melissa.
Do you ever feel like God gets you when you're down? Or maybe He lets you get down so that you will actually stop and listen to the voice that's been there all along. Maybe that's what happened to me today because on the way home (while I was crying), I heard a Christian song on the radio that made me realize something:
For all my asking for prayer, and thinking about my situation, I think that's ALL I'm doing. I don't think I'm praying for my own circumstance. I'm feeling a little resistant about that, but I don't know why. I'm trying to "draw closer," but sometimes it's hard. Like now.
Okay, it's time for watermelon...which reminds me: I did a good job sticking with my new diet today.
So, there it is -- the good, the bad, and the terrible. Let's just call it Hope in Disguise.
Okay, it's time for watermelon...which reminds me: I did a good job sticking with my new diet today.
So, there it is -- the good, the bad, and the terrible. Let's just call it Hope in Disguise.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Hope Unfolds
Today we went to see the Lymphadema Draining Specialist, and it was quite an experience. My husband believes, and I agree, that this Life Wellness Clinic is going to be able to drastically decrease, if not eliminate, the lymphatic swelling in my feet, legs, arms, stomach, and neck.
As I explained in an earlier post, the lymphatic fluid is the "soap" of your system, and it's important for it to run efficiently, for obvious reasons. What I didn't know is that years of a sluggish system results in overload on your kidney, liver, and spleen. Before you unclog your lymph system, the kidneys, liver, and spleen need to be clean and functioning well enough to accept the overload of debris that will be released when opening up the lymph blockages.
We started by sitting down with the specialist and orally giving her my entire medical history, which she carefully noted (thank you, Yolanda, for not making me write it all down!). During that time, we did a foot bath. The water in the foot bath eventually changed colors and started to bubble, which indicated to the specialists what kind of cellular debris was stagnant in my system. In my case, it was heavy metals and stagnant lymph fluid (no surprise there!).
At that point, we took pictures and measurements of my feet and legs, and treated them with peppermint oil and cream to open up the lymph nodes. I moved from the chair to the treatment table, where the Yolanda dimmed the lights, placed a pillow under my head and knees, put on relaxing music, and covered me because I was cold.
All settled in now, the other specialist, Joshua, began applying acupressure to the lymph nodes in my feet, primarily to find out how my body would react. He was able to open one node enough that I could actually feel the fluid pushing through the previously blocked node. He said I had come just in time because the acid blocking my system was beginning to become encased, and that would have been a much bigger challenge.
When Joshua first applied pressure, he would ask me to tell him what level of pain the pressure was causing, in terms of a 1-10 rating. As he continued to push and hold these pressure points, the pain would eventually disappear as the blockage began to give way. We stopped after just a few minutes because our goal today was simply to discover how my body would respond.
In preparation for my next visit in a week, I am supposed to be hydrating my body with alkaline water, which "power washes" my system. Additionally, I am to eliminate corn, peas, potatoes, dairy products, citrus fruits, and red meat, as these are high-acid foods. Lastly, I will take a cocktail made of a couple of juices, vinegar, and distilled water three times daily. When I return for my next appointment (next Monday), I should be sufficiently hydrated and the acid in my system should be sufficiently decreased that we could see progress in the acupressure treatments for the swelling in my feet and legs. The minimum expected time of treatment is 90 days. The specialists show you how to take care of your own swelling, should it re-occur.
Yolanda asked me to journal each day about how I am feeling -- both the good and the bad so we would know what to work on in our next session; i.e., what works and what doesn't. So... guess what? You get to see my journal since I plan to do it in blog form online.
When I left, Yolanda gave me her cell number and invited me to text her any time, and she gave me the warmest hug.
I'm beginning to dare to hope that this might actually work. I think that cleaning my system has to be good for my Parkinson's Disease. A working lymphatic system would help detox my body of heavy metals, and would boost my immune system. I can only guess at what kind of impact that might make on my symptoms.
The expectation set by Yolanda during our hour-long introductory phone conversation was that they may be able to reduce my swelling by 70%, and eliminate my asthma and heart palpitations. She did not promise any progress on my Parkinsons, but part of me has to think it's all related.
Here's hoping I'm right!
Thank you for your prayers.
As I explained in an earlier post, the lymphatic fluid is the "soap" of your system, and it's important for it to run efficiently, for obvious reasons. What I didn't know is that years of a sluggish system results in overload on your kidney, liver, and spleen. Before you unclog your lymph system, the kidneys, liver, and spleen need to be clean and functioning well enough to accept the overload of debris that will be released when opening up the lymph blockages.
We started by sitting down with the specialist and orally giving her my entire medical history, which she carefully noted (thank you, Yolanda, for not making me write it all down!). During that time, we did a foot bath. The water in the foot bath eventually changed colors and started to bubble, which indicated to the specialists what kind of cellular debris was stagnant in my system. In my case, it was heavy metals and stagnant lymph fluid (no surprise there!).
At that point, we took pictures and measurements of my feet and legs, and treated them with peppermint oil and cream to open up the lymph nodes. I moved from the chair to the treatment table, where the Yolanda dimmed the lights, placed a pillow under my head and knees, put on relaxing music, and covered me because I was cold.
All settled in now, the other specialist, Joshua, began applying acupressure to the lymph nodes in my feet, primarily to find out how my body would react. He was able to open one node enough that I could actually feel the fluid pushing through the previously blocked node. He said I had come just in time because the acid blocking my system was beginning to become encased, and that would have been a much bigger challenge.
When Joshua first applied pressure, he would ask me to tell him what level of pain the pressure was causing, in terms of a 1-10 rating. As he continued to push and hold these pressure points, the pain would eventually disappear as the blockage began to give way. We stopped after just a few minutes because our goal today was simply to discover how my body would respond.
In preparation for my next visit in a week, I am supposed to be hydrating my body with alkaline water, which "power washes" my system. Additionally, I am to eliminate corn, peas, potatoes, dairy products, citrus fruits, and red meat, as these are high-acid foods. Lastly, I will take a cocktail made of a couple of juices, vinegar, and distilled water three times daily. When I return for my next appointment (next Monday), I should be sufficiently hydrated and the acid in my system should be sufficiently decreased that we could see progress in the acupressure treatments for the swelling in my feet and legs. The minimum expected time of treatment is 90 days. The specialists show you how to take care of your own swelling, should it re-occur.
Yolanda asked me to journal each day about how I am feeling -- both the good and the bad so we would know what to work on in our next session; i.e., what works and what doesn't. So... guess what? You get to see my journal since I plan to do it in blog form online.
When I left, Yolanda gave me her cell number and invited me to text her any time, and she gave me the warmest hug.
I'm beginning to dare to hope that this might actually work. I think that cleaning my system has to be good for my Parkinson's Disease. A working lymphatic system would help detox my body of heavy metals, and would boost my immune system. I can only guess at what kind of impact that might make on my symptoms.
The expectation set by Yolanda during our hour-long introductory phone conversation was that they may be able to reduce my swelling by 70%, and eliminate my asthma and heart palpitations. She did not promise any progress on my Parkinsons, but part of me has to think it's all related.
Here's hoping I'm right!
Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Hope is on the Horizon
Sometimes blogging is better than a conversation. When someone asks you how you're feeling, you have to go through a zillion mental gyrations at lightning speed, so you can answer appropriately:
Are they sincerely concerned? How much do they really want to know?
Are they just being polite, and are expecting a quick "I'm okay today -- how about you?"
I see them looking past me toward someone else. Am I giving more detail than they wanted?
Am I just the topic of their next gossip-fest?
And then the worst: "My grandpa had Parkinson's and he did real well after he got on some medicine" (inference: if you aren't doing well, it's because you're doing something wrong).
With a blog, all my well-wishers can read as much or as little as they want... and I can just be authentic and real about everything and get it all out of my system. I think this is going to work out great!
So, I'm hopeful today, and here's why (I'm putting it in a blog, so you can read as little or as much as you want!)
I went to The Climb exercise class today and one of the instructors was helping me through some exercises. A couple of minutes later, she whispered in my ear and asked me if I had lymphadema. I showed her my swollen feet, legs, arms, neck, and hands and told her I certainly do. She asked if I had ever been to a lymph-draining specialist. Until earlier this week, I had never even heard of such a thing. I only saw the term in someone's blog I happened onto a few days ago, and had no idea if it was legit or not.
Not only did the instructor today tell me about the specialist, but she also gave me a name and contact number for them. I called them just now, and got such interesting and encouraging information. The lady at the Life Wellness Center spent almost an hour on the phone explaining what they do and how it can help me.
In very simplistic terms, it seems that the specialist will first consult with you, put you on an initial detox program, map the obstructions in your body, then begin therapy, which consists of diet, nutritional supplements, and physical therapy of sorts. I think that therapy is when she kneads and massages your lymph nodes until the blockages break loose, causing the lymph fluid to flow freely. As I understand it, in my non-medical mind, the lymphatic fluid is like soap for your immune system. It cleans out disease-causing elements in your system. The implications for that are obvious, I think. They also work on detoxing the liver and spleen, which are also key in cleaning your body's systems. I am encouraged that this wellness clinic employs lymphadema draining specialists, as well as a chiropractor, an internist, and a host of other professionals from "both sides" of the medical/complementary medicine dividing line.
The specialist I spoke to thought they could probably improve my lymphadema by about 70%, which sounds awesome to me! She thought 100% was probably not realistic, given the long history I have with this issue. I appreciated her candor.
Another wonderful piece of information is that she feels absolutely sure my stomach swelling is due to the lymphadema worsening. I forget the exact number she told me, but a huge majority of your lymph nodes are in and around your abdomen, as I understand it. This is more information than anyone in the medical field has given me; I have asked 3 doctors about it, and every one of them has declined to even look at my stomach.
Again, this is going to be an expensive venture, but both Mike and I agree that we cannot put a price on rescuing my health to the degree that we can. We're both willing to sacrifice almost anything to increase the number of productive years I have left. Encouraging to know, however, that the clinic expects this course of treatment to take about 90 days, so it's not forever. From what they told me, I expect treatment for 90 days to run about $1500 in total. Of course, insurance won't touch this kind of treatment. I feel like this was a divine appointment, so I am confident the Lord will provide the necessary resources.
The specialist thought she could help everything except the Parkinson's and the mitral valve prolapse. And... you never know if the Parkinson's symptoms would also improve if my body's systems were cleaned up and not sick anymore.
My situation may be too complex and severe for the specialist, I don't know. But I am positive it's worth a shot!
Are they sincerely concerned? How much do they really want to know?
Are they just being polite, and are expecting a quick "I'm okay today -- how about you?"
I see them looking past me toward someone else. Am I giving more detail than they wanted?
Am I just the topic of their next gossip-fest?
And then the worst: "My grandpa had Parkinson's and he did real well after he got on some medicine" (inference: if you aren't doing well, it's because you're doing something wrong).
With a blog, all my well-wishers can read as much or as little as they want... and I can just be authentic and real about everything and get it all out of my system. I think this is going to work out great!
So, I'm hopeful today, and here's why (I'm putting it in a blog, so you can read as little or as much as you want!)
I went to The Climb exercise class today and one of the instructors was helping me through some exercises. A couple of minutes later, she whispered in my ear and asked me if I had lymphadema. I showed her my swollen feet, legs, arms, neck, and hands and told her I certainly do. She asked if I had ever been to a lymph-draining specialist. Until earlier this week, I had never even heard of such a thing. I only saw the term in someone's blog I happened onto a few days ago, and had no idea if it was legit or not.
Not only did the instructor today tell me about the specialist, but she also gave me a name and contact number for them. I called them just now, and got such interesting and encouraging information. The lady at the Life Wellness Center spent almost an hour on the phone explaining what they do and how it can help me.
In very simplistic terms, it seems that the specialist will first consult with you, put you on an initial detox program, map the obstructions in your body, then begin therapy, which consists of diet, nutritional supplements, and physical therapy of sorts. I think that therapy is when she kneads and massages your lymph nodes until the blockages break loose, causing the lymph fluid to flow freely. As I understand it, in my non-medical mind, the lymphatic fluid is like soap for your immune system. It cleans out disease-causing elements in your system. The implications for that are obvious, I think. They also work on detoxing the liver and spleen, which are also key in cleaning your body's systems. I am encouraged that this wellness clinic employs lymphadema draining specialists, as well as a chiropractor, an internist, and a host of other professionals from "both sides" of the medical/complementary medicine dividing line.
The specialist I spoke to thought they could probably improve my lymphadema by about 70%, which sounds awesome to me! She thought 100% was probably not realistic, given the long history I have with this issue. I appreciated her candor.
Another wonderful piece of information is that she feels absolutely sure my stomach swelling is due to the lymphadema worsening. I forget the exact number she told me, but a huge majority of your lymph nodes are in and around your abdomen, as I understand it. This is more information than anyone in the medical field has given me; I have asked 3 doctors about it, and every one of them has declined to even look at my stomach.
Again, this is going to be an expensive venture, but both Mike and I agree that we cannot put a price on rescuing my health to the degree that we can. We're both willing to sacrifice almost anything to increase the number of productive years I have left. Encouraging to know, however, that the clinic expects this course of treatment to take about 90 days, so it's not forever. From what they told me, I expect treatment for 90 days to run about $1500 in total. Of course, insurance won't touch this kind of treatment. I feel like this was a divine appointment, so I am confident the Lord will provide the necessary resources.
The specialist thought she could help everything except the Parkinson's and the mitral valve prolapse. And... you never know if the Parkinson's symptoms would also improve if my body's systems were cleaned up and not sick anymore.
My situation may be too complex and severe for the specialist, I don't know. But I am positive it's worth a shot!
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Down the Rabbit Trail
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Today I had an appointment with a doctor who practices complementary/holistic medicine in addition to other more traditional methods and medications. I believe his general approach is to find out the root cause, then treat it as naturally as possible with a combination of diet, supplements, exercise, and a host of other tools he has at his disposal.
I had great hope that this doctor would be able to tell me where to start to alleviate some of my Parkinson's symptoms. I wanted him to tell me what's wrong with my stomach -- why it stays swelled up and continues to get worse with time. I secretly hoped he would help me get off my PD medicine, which is so hard on my body.
Mike took off work to go to the doctor with me, and we agreed that whatever he told us, we would do.
As it turns out, the good doctor's private practice was recently purchased by a large hospital, and he apparently no longer has the freedom to practice the kind of complementary medicine that caused me to choose him in the first place.
He, was, however, quite helpful. Here's what we found out:
1) He seems to believe all my issues, including the increased swelling in my feet, neck, arms, legs, and stomach may be rooted in my Parkinson's Disease, or in some of the medications I am taking, which may actually worsen these conditions. In some ways, that is comforting to me -- he didn't immediately send me for a CT scan to find out what's wrong, nor did he seem unduly concerned about those particular symptoms.
2) He talked to us about Glutathione. It is recognized in complementary medicine as a highly successful, low or no side effect treatment used to alleviate symptoms in a number of diseases, including Parkinson's Disease. It is most effective when given intravenously, and costs about $3000 a year. I believe it may be a method of chelation -- cleaning and purifying the body of heavy metal poisoning, the symptoms of which can mimic Parkinson's Disease. It is a natural anti-oxidant found in fruits and vegetables. It is also recognized somewhat by the mainstream medical community, and recently gained exposure on Dr. Oz's show.
3) The doctor I saw today is certified to do this treatment, but cannot do it for me due to his contract with the hospital.
4) He did, however, point us to one of his prodigy, a doctor in Seymour who is also certified to do this treatment, and who comes highly recommended by the doctor we saw today.
5) I believe the famous author and medical doctor, Dr. Perlmutter, pioneered this process. He practices in FL and our doctor's recommendation was to see Dr. Perlmutter himself, or see the guy in Seymour. Of course, we will try the local doc first.
Today was not my first exposure to glutathione. I had read a blog from a woman with Parkinson's who had taken it intravenously for 2 years with great success. At the end of 2 years, however, she started to decline again.
Another exposure to glutathione came when I was first diagnosed by a different neurologist than the one I am seeing now. She told me about glutathione and said she would refer me to someone who could do it for me whenever I wanted. At the time, I was quite overwhelmed and did not act on her offer. Later, she referred me to my current neurologist (seems I am a difficult case), and we have not spoken about it since.
Amazingly enough, earlier today I had yet a third exposure to glutathione before I left for my doctor's appointment. One of my friends invited her Facebook friends to a seminar on glutathione coming up in Brownsburg this Sunday night. The particular version being discussed Sunday is an oral application. I asked my doctor about it today, and he said it would not be as readily absorbed by the brain as the intravenous version would be, but he still said it wouldn't hurt for us to attend the seminar.
So, no immediate answers today, but we now have another source and another option. We'll be calling to make our appointment with the doctor in Seymour, and will keep you posted.
This whole thing sometimes feels like we are playing a board game, progressing through the game one dice roll at a time. I'm sorry, but I just want to pass "GO" and collect my $200. I don't like this game anymore.
Maybe you should pray for me to have a better attitude. I hear people say all the time, "I'm grateful that I got Parkinson's Disease. If this had never happened to me then I never would have ______" (fill in the blank with something good, like "reconciled with my daughter."
I can't figure out if those people are just putting a pretty face on an ugly disease, or if I just have an extraordinarily bad attitude, because I do not feel that way AT ALL. I am NOT glad I got Parkinson's, and it has not done me any good turns. As a matter of fact, I'm a little mad about it!
So there ... I said it!
Apparently, I need some prayer! Thanks for caring enough to keep track of what's happening as I try to negotiate my way through this crazy medical system of ours!
Today I had an appointment with a doctor who practices complementary/holistic medicine in addition to other more traditional methods and medications. I believe his general approach is to find out the root cause, then treat it as naturally as possible with a combination of diet, supplements, exercise, and a host of other tools he has at his disposal.
I had great hope that this doctor would be able to tell me where to start to alleviate some of my Parkinson's symptoms. I wanted him to tell me what's wrong with my stomach -- why it stays swelled up and continues to get worse with time. I secretly hoped he would help me get off my PD medicine, which is so hard on my body.
Mike took off work to go to the doctor with me, and we agreed that whatever he told us, we would do.
As it turns out, the good doctor's private practice was recently purchased by a large hospital, and he apparently no longer has the freedom to practice the kind of complementary medicine that caused me to choose him in the first place.
He, was, however, quite helpful. Here's what we found out:
1) He seems to believe all my issues, including the increased swelling in my feet, neck, arms, legs, and stomach may be rooted in my Parkinson's Disease, or in some of the medications I am taking, which may actually worsen these conditions. In some ways, that is comforting to me -- he didn't immediately send me for a CT scan to find out what's wrong, nor did he seem unduly concerned about those particular symptoms.
2) He talked to us about Glutathione. It is recognized in complementary medicine as a highly successful, low or no side effect treatment used to alleviate symptoms in a number of diseases, including Parkinson's Disease. It is most effective when given intravenously, and costs about $3000 a year. I believe it may be a method of chelation -- cleaning and purifying the body of heavy metal poisoning, the symptoms of which can mimic Parkinson's Disease. It is a natural anti-oxidant found in fruits and vegetables. It is also recognized somewhat by the mainstream medical community, and recently gained exposure on Dr. Oz's show.
3) The doctor I saw today is certified to do this treatment, but cannot do it for me due to his contract with the hospital.
4) He did, however, point us to one of his prodigy, a doctor in Seymour who is also certified to do this treatment, and who comes highly recommended by the doctor we saw today.
5) I believe the famous author and medical doctor, Dr. Perlmutter, pioneered this process. He practices in FL and our doctor's recommendation was to see Dr. Perlmutter himself, or see the guy in Seymour. Of course, we will try the local doc first.
Today was not my first exposure to glutathione. I had read a blog from a woman with Parkinson's who had taken it intravenously for 2 years with great success. At the end of 2 years, however, she started to decline again.
Another exposure to glutathione came when I was first diagnosed by a different neurologist than the one I am seeing now. She told me about glutathione and said she would refer me to someone who could do it for me whenever I wanted. At the time, I was quite overwhelmed and did not act on her offer. Later, she referred me to my current neurologist (seems I am a difficult case), and we have not spoken about it since.
Amazingly enough, earlier today I had yet a third exposure to glutathione before I left for my doctor's appointment. One of my friends invited her Facebook friends to a seminar on glutathione coming up in Brownsburg this Sunday night. The particular version being discussed Sunday is an oral application. I asked my doctor about it today, and he said it would not be as readily absorbed by the brain as the intravenous version would be, but he still said it wouldn't hurt for us to attend the seminar.
So, no immediate answers today, but we now have another source and another option. We'll be calling to make our appointment with the doctor in Seymour, and will keep you posted.
This whole thing sometimes feels like we are playing a board game, progressing through the game one dice roll at a time. I'm sorry, but I just want to pass "GO" and collect my $200. I don't like this game anymore.
Maybe you should pray for me to have a better attitude. I hear people say all the time, "I'm grateful that I got Parkinson's Disease. If this had never happened to me then I never would have ______" (fill in the blank with something good, like "reconciled with my daughter."
I can't figure out if those people are just putting a pretty face on an ugly disease, or if I just have an extraordinarily bad attitude, because I do not feel that way AT ALL. I am NOT glad I got Parkinson's, and it has not done me any good turns. As a matter of fact, I'm a little mad about it!
So there ... I said it!
Apparently, I need some prayer! Thanks for caring enough to keep track of what's happening as I try to negotiate my way through this crazy medical system of ours!
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