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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 21st 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.
I agree that stimulating the mind is important, but for everyone as they age. Games, puzzles, TV quizzes etc are easy to set up and fun to do. The vital exercise I find hardest is watching or reading a history story, then summarising the key issues for myself.
ReplyDeleteYes I don't want my mind to go off with the pixies so must keep it entertained, history stuff can be hard to watch but also something I like as I like learning about history
DeleteI'm learning to control "being left out", but it's been a real problem for me, dwelling on it too much, from a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI try now days not to let it bother me, I can't change it so I stick at the back of a high shelve and forget about it, just like I feel I have been placed and forgotten about
DeleteYes, that is how it is unfortunately. Not nice though.
ReplyDeleteNot nice but it is what it is
DeletePrayers lifted for you, Jo-Anne. God bless!
ReplyDeleteThank you Martha
DeleteWatching TV all day is definitely not good for me!! I totally agree you have to keep your mind stimulated. Good for you Joanne for recognizing this and taking action.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother did nothing to keep her mind active and had Alzheimer's but my great aunt who did find a word puzzles just had a bad memory at times, these are the things that remind me to keep my mind active
DeletePuzzles and games are a great way to keep the mind stimulated!
ReplyDeleteThe ones I do are easy but that's ok at least I am doing them even when I sit there and thing what the hell is the word I need or at times I look and think that isn't a word
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ReplyDeleteYes, it is important to do the things that are possible.
Sure is
DeleteThank you for sharing this information. I am sure it is not easy pushing yourself to do those things like vacuuming or laundry but I myself with my stage 4 COPD I have to push myself each day. It is too easy to just sit and watch TV. You take care and hope you have a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you had COPD that is a terrible condition my dad had it and had to have oxygen at times and no one liked seeing him struggle to just breathe. It is difficult at times to do stuff but I keep on trying.
DeleteI agree with needing to keep moving. No matter how sick I was I wanted to try to keep doing my own laundry...even if it took me days to get it all put away (sometimes a week). Then I had a cat to take care of, too, that needed food and water and a scooped box...that kept me moving, too. For many months I could have used a great walker like that where you could sit down if you needed to. You do the best that you can. And it seems like you are doing better than you were with the new medication. :)
ReplyDeleteYes the medication is working great and I am doing better then I have in years, I use the walker when I go to wait for Sam of an afternoon, I park it in front of the letter boxes and sit on it and wait using the brick letter box thing for back support.
DeleteThank you for sharing such personal and insightful reflections on living with Parkinson’s. Your experiences highlight the challenges and adjustments you face daily, from managing tasks to navigating social events. It’s clear that staying active and engaged, through activities like puzzles and blogging, is crucial for both mental and emotional well-being. Your determination to remain involved in daily life despite the obstacles is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI have a new post: Here’s the link: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/07/how-to-style-jeans-and-tank-top-for-date-night.html
I am pleased others like my posts, I find sharing my struggles help me cope, there are good days and bad days and some really shocking nights but I am alive, I am loved and I will keep getting up each day and do the best I can
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