the Journey to Curing Parkinson's Disease

fighting for a cure

enter the journey here

Before 1987

Now Sept 4, 2006

page 2

    It might see a bit crass to start out with 2 pictures of me bear chested but it becomes and essential picture of what i intend to do. I am going to beat Parkinson's disease. This effort is going to be intense. When caught up in a cycle of medicine and simulators that may be breaking down your muscles you have to fight back with a vengence. See the image on the left i was 30 years old and the image on the right I turned 50 and plan to stay in better shape now at 50 then i was at 30!

     Let's spend a few moments going over some facts as to why I would even think I can beat Parkinson's. My son Don & Mindy' wedding was such an important event, I had to really do some fine tuning of my medications. And then a week before the wedding my left side stimulator died and it seemed for a while all bets were off.  This was too much!! When I called my son he said, "Dad I  want you with me when i get married, even if you have to sit in a chair." Well there was my challenge, my son wanted his father with him, even in my condition. so there has to be a way.

Tuesday and Wednesday June 20th & 21st were spent on the usual doses of Parkinson's med's and when I felt like i was getting dyskenisay  I would turn off the only working stimulator. and also did all the pre-admission blood work and testing for the surgery to replace the dead battery which is tomorrow about  12:00. Then we will have the ability to turn one or both stimulators as well as adjust around with my doses of medications.

     Now I am playing the mad scientist, mixing medicine, exercise, water intake, hydration, brain stimulation and the amount of sleep I was getting. I keep mentioning water. It is very important. Your muscles are controlled very much like a hydraulic system. The ability to hold more water is what makes a muscle bigger. If your system is low on fluids there will be very little else you can do.

So it's wedding day. Here I am pumping water bottles, and it really does work. But it's 5 until 5 and d-day is 5 minutes. I am waiting hoping and praying that all the drugs will kickin. I have taken 2 sinemet cr, comtan, 2 requip, a full xanax, (I usually take a 1/4). right side brain stimulator is on and just to get the whole batch going i  drank a can of Starbucks Double Shot Exxpresso.

One hazard, or in my case a blessing, is after all that water I had to go to the bathroom. I say it was a blessing because it was the event needed to start the whole process. Everything worked out well. I was able to toast my son and his new bride and even finished the evening dancing with 6 bridesmaids. The wife knows I am harmless.

So I won the first skirmish since I declared war on Parkinson's. And the score reads Henry 1 - Parkinson's 0.

I am on the schedule for Thursday 12 o'clock to have t he left side stimulator replaced. Then we will have the complete arsenal set in battle array  against the dark forces we call  Parkinson's.

Yes folks it seems someone has been reading my notes! There is actually a study going on looking at the effects of rigorous exercise on Parkinson's. to quote a portion; "This traditional approach to physical therapy intervention, i.e., teaching compensation for motor deficits, stems from the assumption that in the case of a neurodegenerative process such as that seen in PD, there is no potential for neurological recovery. This assumption has been challenged by the demonstration of activity-dependent behavioral recovery, neurorestoration and neuroprotection associated with intensive physical training in animal models of PD."
So here's a little vote of confidence., encouraging me on my path. And man does it ever help when someone acknowledges you've made progress.

So where am I at? The last you heard from me I was waiting for the replacement battery for the left side brain stimulator. That took about 10 minutes and cost  26 grand. I am not sure of the exact details preceding my release, I can't be responsible for my behavior when given Valium, but coming out from the semi fog.. the nurse gave me a thumbs up and said, "You were great man I love your spirit."

Apparently I told the doctor in no uncertain terms that I would be exercising my way right out of his life. He just laughed and was still laughing when I came back to the world from lala land.

So here's where I was at then; right and left side brain stimulators both on very low voltage