New Post at Random Stuff

Hi all you will find a new post here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/07/staying-warm.html 

What might be my last post on Parkinson's for a while

 

Here we are at Friday and I am feeling good this morning and being Friday I am doing a post about Parkinson’s.

This week we are talking about Parkinson’s and the older person, being older means we have symptoms that just go with being older.

Things like arthritis, vision problems, shortness of breath and with men prostate problems, as well as having a bad memory, falling over and becoming confused.

There is also the pain that comes with Parkinson’s due to our bodies not moving and rigidity we have but when you throw in having arthritis it can be more frustrating.

These things can make being diagnosed with Parkinson’s when you are over 60 a bit difficult because many doctors will just write those symptoms of as being older.

You may be thinking what about the tremor well that can also just be put down to getting older as some older people will have a slight tremor due to their age.

Some people don’t realise that someone can have Parkinson’s for years before being diagnosed. I first noticed a slight tremor in my little finger in my right hand which I took no notice of until it spread to the whole hand. I asked the GP I was seeing at the time he just shrugged it off and said I was getting older. I was around 54 at the time, but after I changed doctors, the new doctor took it more seriously and referred me to a neurologist over at the hospital.

The neurologist said I had a functional tremor that would not get worse. As time went on things got worse and the GP I was seeing left the practice and I started seeing someone else, who contacted the hospital’s neurology department I should be seen again, I was but was still told it was a functional tremor even the hospital movement disorder doctor said it was functional.

Things continued to get worse and when I asked my GP about the pain in my arms and the stiffness as well as other things would say it is the Parkinson’s you don’t have.

I finally got so bad that I asked to be referred to another neurologist which I was, but that guy wasn’t sure what was wrong and referred me to another one in Sydney and it was Dr Babu who arranged for me to be seen a movement disorder team not just one person. That was when I was diagnosed.

Yesterday

 

Some of you may have noticed I didn’t do a post yesterday; this was due to Tim receiving a phone call from our doctor’s surgery saying the doctor wanted to see him about his test results.

He must have been worried as he wanted me to go with him, so after changing my clothes we headed off to the doctors, thankfully didn’t have to leave for work till 1.40pm.

Anyway, Tim has now been diagnosed with diabetes again, the last time he was able to get it under control by changing his diet but last time his fasting BGL wasn’t overly high.

This time he is on insulin and two tablets and must record his BGL every day for 2 weeks then go back to see the doc. Tim is feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of taking and recording his BGLs, he needs my help and is worried about how it will affect his job.

He didn’t want to inform his boss or Transport NSW, but the doctor told him he had to, he also told Tim that it will not stop his driving if he can show he has it under control, which is what I told Tim. Take your meds, monitor your BGLs and do what needs to be done.

Tim said to me after leaving the doctors that he would tell Transport NSW in January; I said NO you must do it soonish because not telling them is how you may lose your job.

Diabetes isn’t that big a deal if you do what needs to be done to keep it under control.  Regular testing is a must having his eyes and feet checked is a must and eating regularly is a must.

About Big Cats

 

Hi everyone, want to know a bit more about cats, I hope so because that’s what I have today.

Big wild cats rely on their senses of sight and hearing to locate food aka their prey.

Did you know that lions and tigers roar while cheetahs and pumas tend to purr. Of course, these big cats have strong muscles and dangerous teeth which aid in finding food.

Big cats also have excellent day and night vision, their eyes face forward, allowing both eyes to focus on the same thing. They can judge distances and size of objects as well. Their eyes are larger than ours, they have a larger pupil this allows more light to enter the eye at night. Their night vision is five times better than a humans.

Our pupil is always circular, these cats can shrink theirs from a circle into a slit like opening. This they will do in bright sunlight, as it allows less light into the eye.

Their eyes glow in the dark because of a mirror-like tissue in them that reflets light.

Their taste is geared at identifying fats and proteins in their food.

Their whiskers are sensitive to movement and help while hunting.

Cats have great hearing and can pinpoint the location of a sound almost immediately. The ear has around 20 muscles attached to it. Also, the moment they hear something they can move their ears in that direction.

All cats mark areas or territories where they live and protect them fiercely from other cats. Territories usually include hunting grounds, dens, water spots and resting spots. They leave their sent by spraying urine in special locations or by scratching on trees. They can also leave their sent by rubbing their chins, cheeks and tails onto objects.

Brazil

 

Hello everyone, here I am on a cold Monday morning flicking through the Great Book of Knowledge looking for a country to write about and decided on Brazil.

Brazil is South America’s largest country it takes up nearly half of South America. Its capital is Brasilia, it has a population of around 210 million. It is officially called the Federative Republic of Brazil.

The government is a presidential system, federal republic and constitutional republic. The constitution is the supreme law of Brazil.

The currency is the Real, the flag is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band with the moto “Ordem e Progresso” in a yellow rhombus on a green field. Officially adopted on the 19 November 1889, four days after the Proclamation of the Republic to replace the flag of the Empire of Brazil.

Football or what I would call soccer is the most followed sport and a source of national pride.

The country is known for the Amazon rainforests, Sugarloaf Mountain, Iguazu Falls, soccer and the statue Christ the Redeemer. Just to name a few things, there are other things.

The Statue of Christ is 130 feet tall, it over looks Rio de Janeiro and is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It is the symbol and icon of Brazil.  

 

Week 29 of 2024

 

Had a good night, even though we had a blackout during the night I managed to sleep through it, waking with the alarm at 5am.

The temperature is 8 degrees my BGL was 5.3.

Tasha rang and asked if she could come and have a shower here as the blackout happened when the hot water was supposed to be heating up and she thought they may not have enough. I said yes of course, and she came and took a shower and left all in under 15 minutes, this is the girl who can take 30 minutes too shower, I was shocked.

Bought pizza for lunch the mini pizza & chips deal for $7, I liked it but not Tim, he thought it was disgusting and a waste of money.

I have increased how often I use the powerfit from twice a day to three times a day.

It has been a lazy day, not feeling like doing anything at all.

Steps 2,102

Had a good night. After a rough start I had a blocked nose and found it hard to breathe, so I took something for it and after about half an hour I settled and slept most of the night.

Tim up and off to work an hour before I got up, he had to start at 5.20am. The temp was a lovely 6 degrees, but it did warm up during the day to around 15 degrees.

I was fiddling around with my Random Thoughts blog and deleted it and went into panic mode, after trying this and that I got it back. I was really worried for a while.

Tim home from work around 2pm, he is doing tomorrow the same run so he will be in bed early tonight.

Steps 2,315

Had a good night, going straight to sleep after going to bed and mostly sleeping through the night.

Tim up and gone bore I got up; the temp is 8 degrees my BGL is 4.9.

It is so cold that I have the heater going. I also have winter socks on to try and keep my feet warm.

Had to reschedule my podiatrist appointment as Sue is sick with gastro and doesn’t think she will be well enough to take me tomorrow.

Steps 2,145

Had a horrible night with my body moving. I was like a fish out of water flopping around and tossing and turning in bed. I dosed on and off and got up to go to the toilet a couple of times.

At 2.30am I had enough and got up sat in the bathroom for a bit with the heater going, trying to decide what to do. I ended up coming out and using the powerfit for 20 minutes, the first 10 minutes I was sitting on it and then I was standing. I then went back to bed and slept without moving for 70 minutes before needing to pee again, 15 minutes later needing to pee again and then 15 minutes after that feeling like I needed to pee again.

By this time, it was 4.50am I decided to just get up have a shower and start my day. The temp is 10 degrees and my BGL was 3.8

Tim is not working today, he had a Dr’s appointment this morning but nothing else.

Steps 2,374

Had a damn good night waking the alarm, didn’t want to get up but of course I did.

It is 9 degrees and my BGL is 4.2.

Jess rang at around 9am asking me to go over as she was having a person come to do an OT assessment of Sam. The woman was nice I was there an hour and left a bit before she left as I needed to pee.

Sandy called in while I was at Jess’s to pick up stuff I printed for her.

I made Summer a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch.

Jess took Sam down to have his blood test done.

Tim home at 2pm.

Steps 2,368

JEANNIE’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 56 TODAY

Had another horrible night tossing and turning and feeling restless but oh so tired as well. I got up at 12.30 and stayed up for half an hour while up I used the powerfit and did a couple of things on the computer.

After returning to bed, I was cold and could not warm up, then to make things worse each time I moved in bed I leaked a little bit, making me get up and go to the loo. At 4.50am when I had to get up again, I decided to stay up.

The temp is 6 degrees my BGL is 4.4

My pedometer isn’t working right, it is counting but not all the time. Tim said he will change the battery, but I am not expecting him to do it any time soon.

I had a 1hr 45-minute nap in my armchair, still very tired but at least I can function.

Sue sent me a message saying there is a worldwide internet outage, not good I need my internet, well I will tomorrow, tonight I will be in bed.

Steps 2,077

Had a good night slept through to 4.30am, went to the loo and back to bed till the alarm at 5am.It is 11 degrees and windy, my BGL is 4.3

Had an issue went having lunch. I started to choke but not on food on the drink I was having.

Tim arrived home around 2pm and he looked so tired.

Dawson popped in for a visit, he was here about an hour or so.

I am trying to stay up a bit longer before going to bed.

Steps 1,099

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Post

 You will find a new post here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/07/cauliflower-trauma.

Life with Parkinson's

 

Hello all on this cold morning here in Newie, New South Wales, it is Friday at last and time to share a bit more about living with Parkinson’s.

One thing that someone with Parkinson’s may find is their family wanting to step in and make things easier for them taking over jobs like vacuuming, rinsing dishes, tossing clothes into the washing machine or dryer but often these are the type of jobs a person with Parkinson’s can still do. So they should be doing them when possible.

Also, they need to stimulate their minds, which is why I do puzzles on my tablet and write my blog posts. Sitting and watching TV all day is not good for anyone, I watch far less TV now days then I ever did. I prefer to do the puzzles on my tablet.

It is easy for someone with PD to feel excluded from things as if like me they have lost their license due to being declared medically unfit to drive. We need to rely on family or friends to take us somewhere, as often we feel we cannot afford to take a taxi.

Some people may say take a bus but that isn’t always practical, as if I will be walking a distance I will prefer to use my walker over my cane. The walker has a seat so if I need to stop for a few minutes, I can, but getting a walker on and off a bus would not be easy. Some may think get the bus driver to help you, however, they can be told by management they are not to get out of their seat to help someone on or off the bus.

Another thing, many people hold events in the evening and someone like me may find that difficult, I become extremely tired, worn out and just not with it the later in the day it becomes. So going to an evening or nighttime event feels so damn difficult to do, thus we don’t do it. I turned down an invite to my niece’s 21^st because of that reason it is not only at night, but it is during winter another thing this year I am struggling with. This has made me feel left out and it isn’t anyone’s fault I feel this way, it just is how it is.

I will leave this here and there may be another post about Parkinson’s next week to wrap it up.

 

BPD & Physical Symptoms

 

This week I am wrapping up at least for now my posts on borderline personality disorder or BPD, I will end this by sharing a few other physical symptoms someone with BPD may experience, may not will or do just may.

Digestive or stomach issues, this is because stress can affect a body’s digestive functioning as the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness or elation can all trigger physical symptoms in the gut.

Muscle aches and pains, this is a common physical symptom of stress and anxiety as many with BPD experience high emotional stress due to rapid cycling moods.

They can also experience a psychogenic fever or high temperature due to chronic stress.

Lastly, we have chest pain and up to 25 percent of BPD sufferers will experience chest pain often so bad they feel like they are having a heart attack. It is often linked to panic attacks.

 

Kokoda Track

 

Ok it is time to step back to 1942 and Australia’s involvement in the long battle for the Kokoda Trail this battle started on the 21 July when the Japanese landed in Papua.

It took till November for there to even be a partial resolution and it was in January 1943 that the Japanese were driven out.

There was around 1.5 million indigenous people and around 6,000 European residents. After the attack on Pearl Harbour the European women and children were encouraged to return to Australia.  

By mid-February in 1942 the territories were under military control.

In mid-July General MacArthur ordered a force of Australian infantry and American engineers should move across the Kokoda track to Buna to construct and airfield at Dobodura.

The Kokoda track became known as the Kokoda trail sometime in 1942 mainly due to American influence.

By mid-1942 there was great pressure on troop numbers, experienced soldiers of the AIF were fighting in the Middle East and North Africa.

This meant it was left up to three militia units of the Australian Military Forces AMF the 39^th, 49^th & 53^rd along with a Papuan Infantry Battalion, which was manned by Papuans under Australian Officers.

The AMF was formed by volunteer, part time soldiers but at the outbreak of war this force was augmented by the call-up of conscripts for home defence.

New Guinea was declared the 8 Australian Military District to enable the use of the conscripts in a war zone.

The 39 Australian Infantry Battalion a CMF unit (citizens military force). It was raised in October 1941 by volunteers in Victoria and arrived in Port Moresby in January 1942. Out of the 1,500 men that arrived in Port Moresby only 185 remained when they were relieved in September 1942.

That will do for now, more to come next week.

A bit about cats

 

Who wants to know a bit more about the cat family? Cats in the wild are classified as small, medium and large depending on size. They are also divided into three groups based on their traits.

Domestic cats and their wild relatives share many characteristics, they all have short strong jaws and sharp teeth. All cats are good hunters, small cats eat while standing and the big cats prefer to eat lying down.

Domestic cats can hold their tails low and swing them to show if they are playful or nervous and an upright tail is a sign of alertness. A wild cat’s tail will be upright when on alert as well.    

It is believed that us humans have had cats as pets for around 8,000 years. This may have had a lot to do with the fact they are such good hunters, thus keeping down the number of mice, rats and snakes.

I think most know that the Egyptians worshiped cats and believed them to be the Goddess Bast, this is why it waw illegal to kill or trade in them.

Cats living in forests such as the jaguar or cloudy leopard, have short stocky limbs. This is why they are better at climbing trees to ambush their prey.

It is believed by some that the domestic cat can make something like 60 different sounds which may have different meanings. A meow can mean a friendly greeting, or it can just as likely be an expression of curiosity, hunger or maybe it is just lonely.

Purring as most of us know is assign of contentment it is also a sound they make when sick.

Hissing and growling and screaming means they are angry and frightened.

Peru

 

Good morning, another cold morning here in Newie and it is Monday and still no school for another week, anyway, here is this week’s country.

We are in the area known as the Northern Andean which includes countries such as Peru, Colombia and Ecuador as well as couple of others.

Peru is the third largest country in South America, with Brazil being the largest. It is considered unique for having three different landscapes the rocky Andes, the Atacama Desert and the Amazonian Forest.

                    A photo of the capital

The capital is Lima, the currency is the Sol, it had a population of around 34 million and there is three official languages, Spanish, Aymara and Quechuan.

                         Rainbow Mountain

It is known for its iconic landmarks which include Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon, Rainbow mountains and Nazca lines. It also has some wonderful food dishes such as ceviche, pisco sour, quinoa and potatoes and apparently chocolate.

                                Flag

Their flag was adopted by the government in 1825 and modified in 1950. It is a vertical triband with red outer bands and single white middle band which has the National Coast of Arms in the center.

Their first constitution of 1823 gave political rights to adult males who had property or a profession but excluded so many others including those who could not read or write although that was suspended until 1840.

The current constitution came into force on the 31 December 1993. This is the fifth version in the 20 century and replaced all that came before it.

                        Legislative Palace

The Republic of Peru is a unitary state with a multi-party semi-presidential system. The current government was established by the 1993 Constitution of Peru.

The government is composed of three branches, being executive, judicial, and legislative branches.

The government of Peru takes place in a framework of a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Peru is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the President and the Government.

                            Some kind of church

The predominant religion is Roman Catholic, but there is a scattering of other Christian faiths. Indigenous Peruvians, however, have blended Catholicism and their traditional beliefs. An example is the near synonymous association of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and the Virgin Mary.

 

 

A New Post on Random Things

 There is a new post over here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/07/boredom.html 

Week 28 of 2024

 

So, it’s Sunday and I had a mostly good night, I was restless around 1.30am but got up took something for it and when I went back to bed, I settled no problem.

The temp is 8 degrees and my BGL is 5.2

Tim thought he was working tonight but when he got into work, he realised he isn’t working tonight, as it turned out the part about tonight was because last night’s job didn’t finish until 1am.

I washed the sheets and tossed them in the dryer, it has been a cold day but cold enough for the heater.

Steps 2,397

Had a rough night up and down every 45 minutes to the toilet, very frustrating, I ended up getting out of bed by 4.50am.

It is a pleasant 13 degrees my BGL is 5.8. this morning, I am going with Sam and Jess to the doctors, Sam has an appointment, I’m so pleased Jess asked me to go with them.

Sam’s Dr’s appointment went well he saw the same Dr Tim and I see. Sam must have blood tests done.

Jess bought me a new cardigan purple in colour, and I like, it will replace my old pick cardigan.

I had my left knee give way on me and the knee has been hurting since.

Tim had an appointment at the hospital he is now on the waiting list for two procedures which will be done under a general. 

Tim at last fitted and set up the doorbell camera for out the back and he also set up Jessica’s doorbell camera at her front door. 

Steps, 2,499

Had a good night, woke with the alarm was going to have a shower but the floor towels were wet so I think I will have it this arvo or tomorrow morning. My BGL is 4.4

I have both girls for the day and again tomorrow, I made them toasted cheese sanga each for lunch.

Summer helped me mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors and Sydney cleaned the sliding doors and the mirror in the bathroom. She also vacuumed the kitchen floor before Summer washed it.

I have felt drained all day but still managed to do 2,691 steps.

Slept al night, I woke to pee and discovered it was 4.40am so I stayed up. It is 7 degrees this morning my BGL is 5.5.

I have an appointment with the Dr’s tomorrow I thought Tasha was taking me, but she can’t, so Tim said he would drop me off and Tasha said she would pick me up.

Jessica discovered how to get my phone to play YouTube on my TV this is great.

Tim just discovered he must start earlier than originally told, so now he can’t take me. I have sent Sue a text but no reply, I have also sent a text to Sandy to see if she can help. Sandy said she will take me to the doctors and Sue should be picking me up.

Steps 2,399

Sandra forgot about me this morning till I sent her a message about forgetting me, thankfully she only lives 5 minutes away.

My diabetes is well control and no changes needed; he is also pleased by how many steps I am doing a day.

Sue came out and picked me up and we went to the post office before coming home. I helped Sue post off a package to Kirsty, by pointing out that if she a pre-paid bag it might cost less, I went and asked the lady behind the counter and I was right it was cheaper. I also found a book I will put with Tasha’s Christmas present that I think she will like.

It is 5 degrees and my BGL is 5.0

Tim got home at 1.15pm          

Steps 2,305

Had a good night, woke three times to pee but settled again ok. It is 6 degrees and my BGL is 5.2.

Tim is working today he is also working tomorrow. So I asked Tasha if she would be able to take me to the shops, she said she would.

It warmed up today so much that I had to change my clothes.

I cleaned out under the kitchen sink took a while and left me exhausted.

I also managed to go check the letter box.

I asked Sue if she would be able to take me to the podiatrist on Wednesday as I don’t know if Tim will be off or at work.

Steps 2,808

Had a rough spot last night around 8.30pm I had been asleep woke for whatever reason and the top half of my body started moving, however after I took my 9pm tablet and sat and a chat to Tim for a bit I settled ok when I returned to bed, sleeping well waking to pee twice and straight back to sleep.

It was 12 degrees when I got up, my BGL was 5.2 and life is good.

Tasha took me shopping and I asked her to drop some letters into the post box for me, she said she would.

I was surprised when Tim walked in the door at 4.50pm. He had a long break before picking up and dropping off people again, he did a charter. So, he decided to come home and have something to eat.

Steps 2,106

 

 

 

 

Adapting to life with Parkinson's

 

Well, it seems I didn’t do a post yesterday, I forgot about it. Anyway, here we are at Friday and that of course means a bit more about Parkinson’s Disease.

As the disease progresses those of us with it must learn how to adapt and adjust to the new challenges in our everyday life.

If one finds themselves shuffling and not lifting their feet when walking, they need to think about not having small rugs which could cause them to trip and fall. If you have bare floorboards and like to wear socks around the house without shoes you need to really be wearing grip socks, so you don’t slip over.

At some point one may find buttons hard to manage thus needing to change to something that doesn't involve buttons unless there is someone to help with the buttons. I do not wear anything that needs to be buttoned up.

Shoelaces can be a real challenge and one may find at some point they will need to change to either slip on shoes or ones with Velcro. The shoes I wear have Velcro.

Getting up from a low chair is next to impossible this I discovered after the tree came through the roof and I had to go to Jessica’s house, her lounge was too low, and I had a lot of trouble getting up from it, I solved the problem by using my wheelchair.

These are photos of my armchair including the remote and in a raised position.

My armchair is a lift chair although I don’t need the lift option at this stage I may do in the future, I find that not having to use my legs to lower the footrest and kick it into place better, the lift chair has a button that raises and lowers the footrest.

Yes these are photos of my bathroom, you will notice the towels over the handrails, these we need to mop up the floor as the drain is only so so. The pink towel is mine and it is over my shower chair which is a chair with handrails and a back. 

Another problem is many toilets are too low and both sitting on and getting up from it is a real struggle, this I had to deal with our first few days in emergency accommodation. The toilet we have here is a disabled toilet which means it is higher and I have handrails to hold onto when sitting and standing.

Many people have a problem getting out of bed or turning over in bed, thankfully I do not have this problem and I will worry about that when or if it happens. I have read that some think using slippery nylon sheets helps and maybe they do but at this stage such sheets would just annoy the hell out of me.

More about the daily struggles next week.

Battle of the Coral Sea Part 4

Ok time to wrap up the battle of the Coral Sea in June 1942 a much more crucial sea battle was to take place this was the battle of Midway. By mid-May Allied Intelligence had discovered that the Japanese intended to attack the U S territories of Midway Island in the Central Pacific and the Aleutians in the North Pacific.

This would give the Japanese a strategic superiority in the Pacific, and that wasn’t something the Allies wanted so the Americans sent the carriers USS Enterprise, USS Hornet and USS Yorktown to an are north of Midway.

                        A Japanese Carrier

The Japanese commander, Yamamoto ordered his four large carries, Kaga, Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu south from Japan to attack Midway Islan.

On the 3 June both sides saw each other, and the next day U S aircraft sunk all four Japanese carriers, the main lose for America was the Yorktown.

So, the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway put an end to Japan’s naval superiority.

Of course, these things didn’t stop the Japanese war machine from attacking the east coast of Australia. On the night of the 31 May-1 June Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour, two of the subs were sunk but not before they managed to hit the depot ship Kuttabul, killing 19. Townsville which had an important airfield was also attacked on the 26 July.

                       Troops at Guadalcanal 

The battle of the Solomons inn August 1942 was significant among the many sea battles in the Southwest Pacific Area. It was fought mainly by the US Naval forces as they attempted to land troops and supplies on Guadalcanal. Three Australian ships were part of the force supporting the US supply ships. It was during this operation that the HMAS Canberra was sunk, north of Guadalcanal.

The Battle of the Coral Sea prevented a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby and is thought by many that it also saved Australia.  

From 1946 to I don’t know when there was something called Coral Sea Week Celebrations with marches by servicemen from both countries and social functions to express our thanks to the USA for its part in the battles and support given to us from the Americans in World War 11.

Next week we move on to the Kokoda Trail.