gratitude – Standing up to Parkinson's

Stiff?

I have a friend who has been given a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. She asked me a week ago, if I was having any trouble with my legs being stiff? She complained that her legs were getting so stiff, she was really struggling to keep going. I thought about it, and told her, “No, My feet swell a little bit in the Evening, but I am not at all stiff.

then during the week as I was thinking about it, I recognized I had been stiff… previously. They say we should write down how we are feeling when we begin to use the LuminAloe, because we may not recognize as we are improving because the normalizing of health takes place over time. As I was pondering her stiffness during the week, it dawned on me that I had been stiff. I had felt so stiff in 2021, I had resorted to using a toilet seat riser, to make sitting down easier, and stop falling onto the commode. Then In October my daughters gave me a bidet to help me avoid UTI’s and I had to remove the six inch lift. At that point in time, it was difficult to sit gracefully. Due to stiffness, it was more like I would fall on. So, gradually, without noticing, the stiffness has left me. I have even been able to weed the flower bed and plant some pineapple plants.

So, this week I told my friend, when she told me she feels like her legs felt like they are loaded with cement… I told her I believe it is the more comprehensive nutrition that I have been consuming that made the difference for me.

I am trully grateful for awesome nutrition !!!

Another Benefit

Since my diagnosis with Parkinson’s, I have struggled with my vision. It became impossible to text with my cell phone, because I simply couldn’t focus to see to hit the appropriate keys. That is when I learned about prism prescription glasses. They have been such a blessing, and they continue to be necessary for me to type my message to you here. But Something happened that tells me my eyes are improving. Where I volunteer each Thursday, there are some words posted on a wall, and I have needed to wear the prism lens in order to read it. But this past week, I couldn’t read the words with my prism glasses on, but was able to see the words when I removed the glasses. There has deffinitely been a change in my vision, for the better. I attribute the improvement in my vision to the more comprehensive nutrition of LuminAloe.

LuminAloe

Scroll down to learn about the other ingredients included in the formulation https://ascendsciences.net/luminaloe/

Tender Mercies

I told you about my suggesting someone gift me a cane (Dec. 2019), my helmet hat, (Feb 2021), and the doctor telling me to get a walker. (7/ 2021 in Transparency page)

I drug my feet for a while, but when John took me to look at walkers, I decided If I was going to get one I wanted one with large wheels, because I could see me using it out in the garden, and I felt small wheels would get stopped by fairly small rocks. And as I was checking various designs with seats… a must, because the doctor said, if I had a walker, I could sit down if I became too tired. Then I saw it… the Cadillacs of walkers… I don’t even see a brand name on it, but It has risers with arm braces with hand brakes. The design is especially good for me, because posture becomes a problem with PwP, and It encourages me to stand up straighter instead of leaning over and looking down at my feet like I have seen many walker users do.

I used it some, to weed the raised garden boxes, while sitting on it. but it was just sitting tucked away in the house most of the time, until we needed to attend a funeral in Utah. Now, I recognize having the walker as a tender mercy. We can put the computer case in the bag that is attached onto the front of the walker and hang my bag (to go under the seat) and John’s C-Pap machine… both over the hand grips. Then, I can walk as fast as I want to… John tows the check on bag on wheels with one hand and hangs onto one of the hand brakes to help me slow down when we go down a grade. It is so nice going through the airport without having to carry any baggage.

When family came to Florida for a visit, we went with them to spend a day at NASA. The walker again came in as a tender mercy, enabling me to sit down, and being escorted into special seating along with all accompanying family members.

I have been feeling so well we decided to fly to Utah for Education Week at BYU.

I again used the walker as we made it through the airport terminals. Such a blessing. Then, again at education week, the classes are located in various buildings all over Each class was 55 minutes long, and then we had 25 minutes to get to the next class. There are in excess of 80 presenters to choose from, and when you find a presenter you like, they have three or four more days of information to share. That is what happened to us, we marked our plan for the next day. The fabulous teacher was in a building very far from the other classes we were most interested in. To get there wasn’t hard on me because much of it was down hill. But the return hike was going up a long up hill paved path that spiraled upward. John, bless his heart, had me sit down on the walker seat and he pushed me the rest of the way up the hill. Another tender mercy.

I had packed my HurryCane and I’m so glad I did. We were being hosted by our Son who has a guest room in his Payson home. I have been using the cane at home when I get up in the night, just for security… so I don’t festinate. The bed in the room is an awesome select comfort bed, but it is really high compared to our bed at home. So, as I was attempting to get off of the bed in the middle of the night (for a potty break) I fell off of the bed! But there was a tender mercy, my right hand fell squarely onto the handle of the HurryCane enabling me to break the fall.

Encouraged by our successful visit in Utah, we were home only 6 days when we flew off to Missouri to my Sister’s newly opened Bed N Breakfast.. It is located in a small community , Trenton, a little bit over an hour’s drive from the Kansas City airport. We visited with some of her other guests and we learned they had come to do research for a book they are writing. My sister was able to get them information for two tours with the Amish people… one which included a horse and buggy ride. During our week visit, we were able to visit 5 sites from Church history that we missed seeing as we took our 50th anniversary journey across the country. The walker was again very beneficial to me as we traversed the airports. And the cane was very helpful within her home. Tender mercies abound.

P.S. For those in my local Parkinson’s group: This could explain my month long absence from the group. I plan to be back next week (the 14th), but I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at a conflicting time.

The Perfect Time

On Septrmber 26th I posted : ” After the ladies shared their experience with UTI’s… Something I recently completed receiving a round of antibiotics for… Jane said, The doctor said the best way to quit having the problem was to get a good Bidet. One that doesnt have plastic valves.. make sure the hardware is metal and it has a heater for the water. The one they got also has a nightlight built into it.”

A couple of my daughters pooled resources and gave me a Bidet for my birthday. I have been used to taking care of business and moving on… so I was dismayed to realize the air drying cycle even with a heater required an additional four minutes of sitting. Then I discovered it is the perfect time for me to go through the routine of hand exercises….. multiple times a day. With the reward of an improvement in my hand writing… plus no more UTIs.

https://www.youtube.com/7HandExercisess

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is today_this_moment_DMB-d7b0d18ad9531863e8d69b4c12c5453d.jpg — Mindful of my blessings

FROM PAUL GOLDMAN’S BLOG

I see clearly again what has me leaping onward and upward each day! When my heart is fully engaged in living fully no matter what, I find that I am in the midst of my BEST DAY.

It is what I bring to each experience. For me, being unstoppable is mostly a blessing. Pushing through and being aware of when I need to hit the pause button is a lesson of self-care still being learned.

So, on I go into each day knowing it is my BEST DAY

Though inactivity is not the enemy as much as not having my heart fully engaged in whatever I am doing. Perhaps this is where mindfulness comes into play. For with a grateful heart, I can be mindful of my blessings which are ever present no matter how I am feeling physically or emotionally.

The lesson here, for me, is to try and remember how I feel when my heart is fully engaged in whatever I am doing. Now, I know again that this is the magic key to living my BEST DAY, living from my fully engaged heart.

Quality of life

I wrote the first four Paragraphs in ” italics“on Nov 19th. I had probably been using the New Eden for at least 5 months.

“I wanted to tell you about what I am using and the impact it has made in my life. I had purchased a helmet to protect my head as I had continued to fall. But I forgot to put it on before going to the hospital to visit a sister who had fallen and injured her back. As I was stepping from the curb onto the sidewalk, I didn’t get my foot raised quite high enough, causing me to stumble. The thought flashed through my mind..(You didn’t put the helmet on and now you are going to face plant on the cement.) But miraculously, I was able to move my feet quickly enough that I was enabled to recover my footing. I’m sure it wasn’t a pretty dance, as several people came to make sure I was ok. I attributed my rescue to be by the grace of God and the improved comprehensive nutrition of the New Eden product I had begun to consume. ”

“The next week, I was feeling so good, I was working outside and decided to pull a hose around to water an Angel Trumpet Bush… and as I was pulling hard, the hose snagged on something and it stopped me so suddenly that it caused me to fall backwards. Thankfully, I had the helmet on, because I hit the cement statue of a child holding a fishing pole, so hard that I dislodged the pedestal from the soil and knocked the child off of the pedestal. Although my shoulder was sore and where the cement had struck my spine was bruised and swollen,by the third day, the pain was all gone, the swelling had receded and it was as if it had never happened. Again I thanked the Lord for leading me to this more comprehensive nutrition. ”

” As you probably know, people with Parkinson’s frequently cease to swing their arms as they walk. Mine would just hang at my side. But in about the last month I have noticed the swing has returned to my arms when I am going into a store or even around the house or going from house to car. Again, the only thing I have added to my regime in the last little while is the more comprehensive nutrition. “

“Also, my voice has been terribly weak, and I have a friend who is hard of hearing, When she called me on the phone this week, she said; “You are speaking louder ! And I noticed that the last time we were together, I could hear you better !” What can I say, but Thank you for the tool of more comprehensive nutrition.”

On Jan 16th I added: The LuminAloe (see explanation in following paragraph) has recently been released. John and I are about through our second tub of the product. Since using it, I havent had any more falls, and my gag reflex has returned. John serves in the temple every Thursday and his knee hurt so bad he had resorted to using the elevator more than not. He reported to me that he went down two flights of stairs and was amazed that there was no knee pain. I am looking forward to when I can cease to drool.”

The abreviated version:… Dr Reg McDaniel became acquainted with a product derived from Aloe and subsequently traveled all over the world, documenting how beneicial it was. When the FDA shut the company down, because some of the distributers were making claims that people were being healed, Dr. McDaniel improved the formula, creating a product known as New Eden, marketing it by word of mouth and radio. When his son, Reg Jr., partnered with an accomplished msrketing person, they Invited Dr. McDaniel to creat a new formulation. Dr. McDaniel, having continued his research knew of five additional ingredients he’d wanted to add. Thus was created the Q800+, named for the over 800 ailments that they have documented the previous products have reduced symptoms, by providing More Comprehensive Nutrition (MCN). But after the first batch was completed, thy have chosen from here on out they will call it by it’s primary ingredient… LuminAloe™ . Doctor McDaniel states: “This formula has a higher % of the LuminAloe™ than the previous products.” + “This last formula is themcn best yet.”

Jan 23rd

My husband has an abnormal blood clotting issue blockage in the deep veins in his legs. We have been told it is a genetic defect, which results in episodes of abnormal blood clotting. usually in the deep veins of the leg. But one of our sons who inheritrd the same defect has had clots form in his lungs. And there is always the fear of a clot breaking free and resuting in a stroke.

My husband has not used as much of the product as I have, because he wanted my cannister to last for me. But since receiving and consuming the Q800+/LuminAloe™ His blood tests have indicated his blood was too thin. So’ in two weeks and the second blood test was even thinner, the medical personnel had him reduce his medication which had been keeping his blood at a therapeutic level. Yea!! I’ll be so happy if we can get him weaned off of the prescription through More Comprehensive Nutrition.

Dr. McDaniel shares that even genetic abnormalties may be reversed because all of the nutrition coupled with the LuminAloe™ gets down to the cellular level and the DNA.

Two weeks earlier a lab drew my blood samples This past Tuesday I met with my PC Doctor to review the lab results. Before he had looked at the results, I told him I had begun using this new product. He asked me what it was, I explained a little bit and told him my arms have begun to swing again! This was a pretty big deal. Then, as he looked at the results, across the board all of the numbers had moved to the optimal range. When he got to cholesterol, he said “Wow! That Cholesterl Care I’ve had you taking must have really kicked in! Your bad cholesterol has gone way down… and your good colesterol has gone way up!” To which I responded, “Or it could be the more comprehensive nutrition I have been using, because you’ve had me on that product for quite awhile.” He proceeded to look at the rest of the report, and then said, “I’d like to know more about the supplement. If it can do that for you, maybe it can help some of my other patients!”

I have an appointment on Tuesday this next week, to share more information with him He is a wholeistic physician, who makes the products he recommends to his patients, available to them.

The Lighthouse

I looked at the newsletter put out by the Parkinson’s Support Group , and I was curious: so I called the Caregive Resource Center. Gave her my phone number and email address. Then the lady, Amy, called to provide the address where the Lighthouse Inn respite bnb retreat is located. We decided to attend. And enjoyed two full hours of live bluegrass music by the Sandy Back Porch. We were in the shade and seated onchairs on a cement pad. The weather was overcaast, breezy and beautiful. A grill master was grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs. And they took a break and we ate. and saw the large Arts N Craft room, fully stocked with all types of mediums paints, acrilics, fabric, canvas, wood, , things for making decorations, wreathsPrinting pads, ink pads, Stamps & Stensils,ribbons and beads. We met the Ocupatinol Therapist who will be seting up the exercize and therapy room. There were a ton of and large variety of equipment, like exercise bikes, leg lifts, arm press, etc… to address any anticipated Parkinsons symptoms. All brand new.

Amy’s father suffered from Parkinson’s. and he died this past year. Amy and her mother got the idea to provide a place where caregivers can take their partner and leave them there for 5 hours, Monday – Friday so the caregiver can have respite and know their loved one is being well cared for, having experience in the arts & Crafts, exercise/therapy, Music (AND another area I can’t come up with immediately) I do remenber they have Jigsaw puzzles that clients can work on puting together which is good for brain function. And they will have a bathroom and a cafe in the large building where the day time clients will, participate in art, music and exercise, etc,,

Then Amy’s mother died this year, too, but Amy has decided to continue on. She has very qualified staff, and the Lighthouse Inn currently have their first two clients. If you happen to live near The Villages you might want to check them out. So if your loved one’s disease progresses to where you don’t feel safe to leave them unattended, you can have an option for respite care.

I was only in the Large Inn main house, but I had to go thru a bedroom and a wheelchair assesssible shower to get to the potty. There were photos on their blog site that I found showing their little dogs, snuggling with guests.

Rather than charge us for providing great entertainment and a meal, they gave us the opportunuty to donate to a Parkinson’s fund

They said they have another event planned for November and then they will plan to have other s0ocial get togethers the last Friday of each month Beginning in January.

May be a cartoon of 1 person and text that says 'Inside of everyone There isq lighthouse houSe A place you'an go W'here the the light never goes out A place where the waves Wash away everyHhing And all that is left Is what is HERE to stay'

Support group

A support group is just that… Support! You can’t get the support you desire if all you do is attend and observe in silence! You get out of it, what you give in to it.” I kept hearing, ‘ Find a support Group.’ and I actually tried a group once but the exercises they had us do were not realistic. That is when I realized I had lost the ability to skip.

Recently, the MJFF started a Parkinson’s Buddy Network which I joined, and the very first person I reached out to, told me about a support group which meets every Wednesday in the villages, at a rec center just 15 minutes away from where we live., I have attended four times now, and I love it. The leaders always have something to share with the participants. This week it was providing information on specific studies that are currently enrolling PD patients to participate in in Gainsville. When the group have convened, they begin by participation in a drumming activity. They stand and pledge allegiance to the Flag. Then we are led in a ten minute sitting stretching routine and then we dance for around 40 minutes. Two or three ladies demonstrate the planned choreography to go with each song.. We have done the rhumba, and learned a line dance, Marches, and songs like YMCA incorporating the moves to spell. And they work on voices: shouting, singing loudly and counting, while dancing. This week, they had 16 chairs set up 1/2 on each side of a volly net. So After dancing we transitioned to playing chair volley ball with beach balls. The competitive spirit was lifting many of us off our chairs. No score was kept and they had two balls so while the observers, mostly care givers, were retrieving errant balls the second ball would be put in play.

I continue to learn new things. I feel gratitude for my many blessings.

The support group has a weekly newsletter, and I have learned they have 3 meetings each week plus a golf game one morning a week. One of the meetings is stretching, exercising, Big & Loud… held on Sunday . so we won’t be participating in it, or playing golf. The Monday one is for caregivers.

From the Newsletter: The importance of the 3 key benefits of Support Groups!

Improving understanding of a disease and your own experience with it.

Getting practical feedback and treatment options.

Gaining a sense of empowerment, control, or hope!

I don’t remember where I found this sales pitch for Support groups:

“It is important that those of us with Parkinson’s learn as much about this disease as possible. We use this knowledge not in helping to find a cure but in helping us cope as we move about in our daily lives. Once we have found some new knowledge. We should not keep it to ourselves. If we have found a way to cope with the disease we owe it to others to pass this information on. Attending support groups is a way that we can do this. A way that we can find out, that we are not alone!”

“I have been lucky to attend various support groups and have had the privilege to meet up with other Parkies across the country. One thing jumps out at me, those who interact in these meetings seem to be coping better with the disease, both mentally and physically, than those that don’t! They interact better with Parkies and Non Parkies a like! As hard as it may be, you must interact! If you have trouble expressing yourself to those of us with Parkinson’s, how hard must it be to express yourself to those that don’t? People like friends and family and especially your caregiver and medical support team! The more you partake in the support group, the more you can learn about different techniques in how to live with Parkinson’s and easier relate your disease to others. By sharing with others, you will be surprised to find out just how much in common you have. You will find out that what you are going through is not new. Somebody has or is going through it as well. Your participation will most likely encourage others to interact. By doing this, conversations start to flow. New ideas and solutions will seem to come out of nowhere! This is what you were probably looking for when you opted to attend a support group in the first place! This knowledge is a stress reliever!”

Being proactive

In my May 28th post I mentioned that I ordered a stylish Helmet/hat.

I wore the helmet hat to two graduations. Then, when I was going into the hospital to check on a sister I minister to, having received a message that she had fallen and was being admitted to the hospital, I didn’t think to wear the helmet.

As I was going toward the front entrance I stubbed my toe on a rise in the cement, and scared a lot of people, including myself. But the Lord blessed me, because I was enabled to regain my balance with some fast foot work. I’m sure it wasn’t a pretty dance, because several people asked me if I was alright.

As I was falling forward, I thought, “I’m going to faceplant on the cement and I should have w0rn my helmet!” Thankfully disaster was averted. As I have been consuming the New Eden twice a day, I have noticed when I am walking about, my arms have begun to swing, like a non-Parkinsonian’s arms would swing . Whereas, with typical Parkinson’s symptom, previously my arms had hung down at my sides when I walked with no swing at all. I have to assume it has also been enabling me to move my feet faster, thus righting my error.

Hugs n elbow bumps

I acquired the New Eden which I mentioned in a previous post and for the first month I used 1 scoop twice a day. Then I learned that I was taking a maintenance serving, and I should increase the amount I consumed if I had a health challenge, IF I wanted to see noticeable improvement towards normal. So I doubled up 2 scoops twice or thrice a day since then.

Then several weeks ago, I had a fall. I was pulling a hose across the front of the home when the hose snagged. I was feeling so well, I guess I was going faster than I should, because when the hose snagged, suddenly stopping me, I fell backwards and struck my back and my spine high between my shoulder blades on a cement boy sitting on a pedestal, dislodging it from the soil. I expected to have some massive bruising. I credit the new product with the fact that I had very mild bruising and the soreness and puffiness was totally gone from my spine a short 4 or 5 days after I fell.

A fellow PD friend on a Parkinson’s chat page posted a photo of herself wearing her head gear ; stating that she has fallen so many times, breaking an arm once. She knew it is just a matter of time before she hits her head on something as she is falling, so she decided to be proactive. The cap she was modeling made me think of an early day leather flight helmet.

After my encounter with the stone figurine I decided to go on line and search for protective head wear, hoping to find something a bit more attractive. RibCap is the company I found that I felt had the most attractive helmets. I saw two styles that I liked. One looks like a knitted stocking cap…. Much to warm for our Florida heat. The other one Looks like a base ball cap.. so I thought it would be a wiser selection But when I went back to the site, thinking I might order one, I stumbled onto a third style set to be coming available on April 30th and I thought it looked more like something I would wear in the garden, so I ordered one. But I had to wait because, due to Covid, they had not been able to acquire some of the material they need to be able to produce the helmets

I’ve had a couple more falls since I placed the order… nothing more than my dignity broken… but I received notice that my hat has left Belgium and my hat/helmet should be here by 4th of June. Maybe I’ll share a photo with me modeling it.

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