Less Computer Time = Getting other things done!
Well, I have pretty much stuck to my intention to stay away from places where PWP are describing their symptoms. I have visited the PLM site a few times, and even made a few comments, but I have been cautious about the type of posts I opened, to avoid reading about anything tremor related. I have not done any research on PD, either, other than to try to find a correlation between heavy steroid use with Parkinson’s. This was not for my benefit, but for one of my readers, who asked some interesting questions.
My neck continues to be very stiff and painful, but I can put up with it, knowing I will be getting help next week when I start Physical Therapy.
I am pretty much caught up with posting requests for help on the Plush Memories Lost Toys Search Service, and we are over the Christmas rush on eBay. I still need to put a new post on our Yesterday’s Memories blog, and there is always work to do on the BLOG VILLAGE TopList that I run.
So, I have been getting some much needed house clutter cleaning done, but there is plenty more that needs to be done. I would like to have the house straight for the New Year. At least it can start that way LOL.
We did have a great Christmas, seeing all of our family all at once, and enjoying being with our grandchildren. It looks like we actually managed to buy them some things they will enjoy, and that’s not easy to do when they hit those preteen and teen years. They all have birthdays right after Christmas, so we will be seeing them again real soon, too.
Hubby gave me a blender for Christmas, so now I can learn how to make Raw Foods Smoothies, something I have been wanting to try for some time now. Jackie, from The Vegan Diet, clued me into The Raw Food Coach, and since we eat a lot of raw foods, anyway, I have been learning as much as I can about what foods are the best for me. I have been doing a lot of research on the high anti-oxidant Super Foods, and we are gradually changing our diet to include lots of them daily.
We have had a lot of fun at our house of late with trying to get our very spoiled (neurotic) inside cat to accept our two outside cats as occasional inside visitors. They are too young to leave outside all night when it is freezing, so we bought a pet cage for them. They don’t mind being in it at all, which surprised us, but it sure makes going out of town easier. We keep our inside cat in the hall bathroom when we are gone, and now we can keep the outside cats protected, too. Our only problem is that Miss Queen Fluffy doesn’t like having them inside. There have been quite a few fights between Fluffy and Mr. Salt. Miss Pepper stays out of the rough stuff, as she has some kind of nerve damage to one of her hind legs. She is the main reason we decided to bring them in on cold nights and when we are out of town. Fluffy surprised us last night and behaved the whole time they were in the house. Maybe she’s finally adjusting to them, I hope.
One of my anonymous readers has given me a clue as to what my diagnosis might be, if it’s not Parkinson’s. So, I have started doing some research on Dystonia. Also, there was a new post today on PLM discussing Ataxia, and that sounds familiar, too. I already feel better, knowing that there are other conditions that my symptoms seem to fit. It makes me feel less like this is all going to turn out to be psychosomatic. I can’t bear the thought that my body has been going through all this due to an emotional problem. With other possibilities in sight, I am in a much better frame of mind than I was yesterday, thank goodness. So, Marion, the glass is looking more and more like it’s half full, again.
As always, I appreciate your prayers and concern, and love to hear from you, even if it’s just to say HI!
I just wanted to come by and say hi, and apologize for not having the energy to visit you more often – which hasn’t stopped me thinking about you and all you have helped me learn about PD which it turns out PD+ is very similar to one of the three strands of MSA (called MSAp) – I hope you have having a good new year/holiday time. I am glad you are getting physical Therapy.
I will try to come back tomorrow when I have more energy. Ironic, I post a video of 2.5 minutes taken over weeks and everyone thinks I have tons of energy. Ahh well, a video of hours in bed is rather boring, no?
I want to say something that isn’t a cliche here – how about, er, here is to a pain free, tremor free, spasm free, brain-fog day!
I am so glad you stopped by, Elizabeth. Sorry to hear that fatigue is getting you down so. And thanks for the original wish for my day. I stopped by your blog and tried to leave you a unique wish for today, too. And no, I didn’t click on any of your post links! LOL
There was a thread going on PLM about how PWP in support groups often mimicked each others tremors, etc. So, as much research as I have done in the last year, it wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility that I have created some symptoms.
My chief concern is that I have “created” all of my symptoms, due to so many years of dealing with Alzheimer’s and Peripheral Neuropathy on an intimate basis with my family. This “Not Knowing” stage is just very hard to deal with, but I am getting over it day by day.
DB, I am so sorry to hear that you are back in the “not knowing ” stage of things. I know how I felt when I was in that stage, and wouldn’t wish it on any one.
As for the whole psychosomatic thing, I have to laugh…It reminded me of my days in Nursing School. We were all warned that one of the most common phenomenon of the nursing program was that we would all be convinced that we had each and every disease we studied. They were right. Before it was all over and done with we all had every disease in the book…a perfect example of how too much knowledge truly is a dangerous thing.
Good luck with all you do…
Rosemary, please do not think that it is all in your mind. Do not go there. If it was all in your mind, you would have been twitching a long time ago, right? LOL. May 2008 bring answers to all your health questions. I am like you, I can deal with anything if I know what it is. It is being in limbo that is a bummer.
Thanks for the positive fussing, CC. Trouble is, I HAVE had a doctor in the past say that what was wrong with my voice was caused by stress, and not by anything physically wrong with me. He “proved” to me that it was all in my head by sticking a tongue depressor way down my throat while I tried unsuccessfully to make a sound, and making me gag out a loud Ahhhhh.
In hindsight, I now think that was a bout of Dystonia – severe muscle spasms, which can be a disorder all its own, or one of the many possible symptoms of PD.
Good luck trying to get to the bottom of this. I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for the work that goes into making Blog Village so successful. I don’t know what we’d do without you.
Shelia, it’s the wonderful folks on BLOG VILLAGE like you that make it so successful! I hope you have a great year in 2008, too.
Happy New Year. I am glad you were able to wrap up so many things and start the new year on the right foot. I hope that your period of not knowing in over soon. When my youngest daughter was little she was unable to eat a lot of foods and all of the test came back negative and we had no idea why? Was she allergic? Did she have Celiac? A lot of the time, I kept convincing myself, maybe I was imagining it all. It was emotionally very difficult for me. I appreciate this post so much, knowing that I am only human and these thoughts go through all our heads at different time gives me some peace. Thanks for all you do at blog village. If you ever need any help at all send me an email.
Happy New Year, DB…and I am so glad you are feeling more positive. I wish that you were not in this position of not knowing…it is truly one of the most difficult times in life to wait for a diagnosis.
I love your stories about your cats. I have no cats, at the moment, having dogs who might possibly eat them…but I have told them both, that when I move, I will have a cat.
I hope. lol
Wishing you both a wonderful 2008 and may your health improve this year and hopefully there will be some medical breakthroughs that will give less side effects in your medication.
Glad you found the link to the Raw Food Coach useful as I think with health problems it is important to get as much nutrition as possible from food and the best way is raw. My New Years resolution is to be as Raw as I can be this year as I have been far too tired lately.
I’m sure having all these self doubts is pretty much the norm any time the professionals can’t give us an easy explanation for our ills. Not that knowing that it’s normal to feel this way makes it any easier to cope with, right Marsha? Particularly if it is your child you are worried about. That must have been a horrible time for your family.
Thank you for the offer to help with BLOG VILLAGE, and for hosting our upcoming Carnival!
I don’t think I would even want to eat all RAW the way she does, Jackie, but she’s making me think about eating, rather than just eating what I have always eaten. That’s true for your blog, too. I respect your Vegan stand, and I learn something every time I visit.
Hi! I just wanted to say that I just found your blog and have read through quite a bit of it. It doesn’t seem to me that this is “all in your head.” Though I guess in some ways that could be viewed as being a good thing, maybe. Hmmm – PD or the crazies? It’s a toss up. LOL! Hope you have a great new year! I’ll be linking to you on my blog, if you don’t mind. You can see me at //www.lifewithshaky.blogspot.com.
Nice to meet you, Mary. I’ve read your blog and left a few comments, too. You are now on my sidebar, and I would be honored for you to link to me.
You have a good point about which is worse – crazy or PD LOL!! Actually, I think not knowing is the worst of all. I all but celebrated when I got the diagnosis last year, I was so relieved to know what was going on.
Now that limbo feeling is back, but I am dealing with it pretty well now. It just took me awhile to get past that initial shock.
Writing about it and getting encouragement from good blog friends has helped tremendously.