Mr PD

Part of the reason for starting this blog was to examine my relationship with my companion Mr PD. Less than 6 months ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. In many ways the diagnosis was a relief as it explained so much about what I was feeling and what I now know are symptons. Maybe more about this at another time.

At the present time I am still titrating the Parkinson's drugs to find an effective dose rate with minimal side-effects. I have one level to go up as suggested by Dr KK (my Neurologist). The hard part to know is what is an acceptable control of symptons and will all the symptons be controlled as well as the others.

Take today, I woke at 6am after a period of being awake for a couple of hours from 3am. Took my first levopoda dose at 6,15am and began the days work. I was very stiff in the legs and back and walked with a bit of a stoop down to the shed. Within ten minutes the levopdoa was weaving its magic and the stiffness was leaving me. I was changing implements and getting the digging machine ready.

Before I was diagnosed with Mr PD changing implements on tthe tractor was something I was having a lot of trouble with. Especially not having enough strength in my hands to push the buttons in when putting the drive shafft onto the PTO. Today this was a breeze and the changover and greasing of the digger took only half an hour. The grease gun was another thing I was having a lot of trouble with particularily bulk loading and holding the nozzle correctly on the nipple. I ended up buying a whiz bang new grease gun that can be operated with one hand and accepts pre-loaded grease cartridges, Now what was once a chore is much more manageable.

That being said somethings seem less controlled. I am still a bit clumsier than most people and drop things etc. Often I get a bit close to things and rub against them and get snagged. My sense of feeling seems a little impaired and I tend to knock skin off my knuckles etc. Today I got a little too close to the end of a twitched wire and now have a 10cm scratch on the inside of my lower arm.

Breakfast was about 7.15am when I take the rest of my pills. I now carry levopoda on the tractor so that I can take a dose half an hour before meals. The doses last about 4 hours and I know it is time for a new dose as I start feeling a bit funny, and sometimes a mild tremor will start up.

A side effect of the drugs I am having a little trouble to control is the light headedness caused by low blood pressure. It seems worse on a hot day like today, in particular when I am doing physical work. After lunch we didn't return to the paddock after lunch and did cleaning in the shed, I just had to take it easy. BTW I am drinking lots of water.

Max 35 C, Min 24 C fine and sunny with cooling breeze. Farm work today; we dug 6 rows in morning (soil conditions dry andclumping so slow), cleaning on shaker in the shed in tthe afternoon. 1st day of Sydney test.