Saturday, October 24, 2009

October

We had a wonderful vacation in Wisconsin at a friend’s cabin the first two weeksofOctober, which happened to be the peak of fall color:

While we were gone we had some guests at The Resort on the Hill Hermitage:
Fortuitously, also known as providentially, on the way back from Wisconsin, I ‘happened’ to find a Theracycle on Craigslist in….ST. PAUL!!!! I’d been looking for one—they are hard to come by (a new one is $6000), and research shows using it can reduce PD symptoms by over 30%. I took the handlebars off and made a desk over it- time flies when I can be online WHILE exercising.

I’ve noticed some oddities:

1. The other morning I awoke and did the thumb-to-forefinger open/close test fairly flawlessly for about 10 reps. This is the clinical test that nailed it that I had PD.

2. I typed 5 sentences with one mistake. This is what my typing looked like when I used to do it:

it weawssssdsd sseesdedetass.s sls vesyr frust.rastsjstssh.

There were no suggestions on spell-check.

3. Yesterday morning I awoke with the weirdest experience- I didn’t know where my arms had gone. Wait- they are up over my head! Impossible! I haven’t slept with them that way for years- the pain is excruciating to get them down (muscle stiffness) and I usually use my right arm to put my left arm back down since lefty doesn’t follow orders from headquarters too well.
This in spite of:
- the fact I’ve been ‘down’ with a hacking-up-a-lung ailment for two weeks now
- I have done at the most 25 minutes in 5 minute intervals spread out over a day
- for TWO days!!!

So, I’m encouraged. Stay tuned.

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