Hello Ireland

First topic message reminder :

Trying again. My first post went spinning off the tracks like a runaway train. Bad Karma? hope not, but maybe two first posts will show up.

I'm John from Ontario. I am going to try a daily greeting thread with this board and see how it goes. Very low key, but sincere, no groundbreaking PD news, just heartfelt encouragement.

My Wife and I drove to Ottawa on the weekend. (250 kms there) Strange city, driving, and restaraunts bring out tremors. We had a great time: visited, had dinners, walked, did museums with my son and wife who live there. Saturday nite we went to an "Irish Pub" and I had a yummy shepherds pie and a bottle of Killkenny. Your beer makes our beer taste like soda pop.

I hope everybody has a good and safe day. Be strong, John

Hi Cathy,I too am sorry you are feeling down and i second Marie's words about the weather..lets hope tomorrow is better you did right to post, also as Marie said remaining positive is important but it isn't always easy.. I'll be thinking of you today as i know how feeling low feels as i am sure others do too..stay strong cathy hope you feel better soon.
Take care
Emsx

Cathy, I'm sorry you're feeling so down today. The weather where you are certainly does not help, I know, but please don't think you are alone . We all have good and bad and indifferent days and I am finding it particularly difficult having just come out of hospital, but as bad as I feel, I know I can't stay in that dismal place for long so I look in the mirror at my miserable face and tell myself to smile.!. The sight of me looking more relaxed seems to do the trick and I can usually start over again. THis may not work for you but other things like remembering good times/places/people might.
Remaining positive is very important for us parkies, but we don't have to do it all the time so try nt to be too hard on yourself. Its ok to feel down but its not ok if you feel despairing. You did the right thing to post. Never thought about doing that so thanks, another tip for future reference
The cramps sound dreadful. I have found woolly socks and a hot water bottle can help. Better still, get into bed with the electric blanket on and have a good zzzzzzzzzzzz. I promise, you'll feel better.

Take care,
Mariex

Cathy, I'm sorry you're feeling so down today. The weather where you are certainly does not help, I know, but please don't think you are alone . We all have good and bad and indifferent days and I am finding it particularly difficult having just come out of hospital, but as bad as I feel, I know I can't stay in that dismal place for long so I look in the mirror at my miserable face and tell myself to smile.!. The sight of me looking more relaxed seems to do the trick and I can usually start over again. THis may not work for you but other things like remembering good times/places/people might.
Remaining positive is very important for us parkies, but we don't have to do it all the time so try nt to be too hard on yourself. Its ok to feel down but its not ok if you feel despairing. You did the right thing to post. Never thought about doing that so thanks, another tip for future reference
The cramps sound dreadful. I have found woolly socks and a hot water bottle can help. Better still, get into bed with the electric blanket on and have a good zzzzzzzzzzzz. I promise, you'll feel better.

Take care,
Mariex

just wondering how everybody can be so positive i feel terrlble .
foot cramps tired miserable raining constantly i wish i could hibernate..and emerge to a wonderful spring i have nothing good to say today
cathy

jb49 wrote:Cutting meat is an ordeal. I also am always the last one to finish eating now. Mashed potatoes go down easier than french fries that have 4 hard corners and get stuck in my throat. I still hate being at the head of the line to purchase something and have to pay, even when standing in line with money in hand. When they utter the words another dime please, it makes me feel the way Stanley must of felt when asked to go to Africa to find Livingstone. I know I have a dime in one of these pockets but I can't go fishing for it. I have been known to throw down a handfull of change and ask them to pull out what they need. They must think then, poor man, doesn't know a penny from a quarter, must be blind, must be stupid, lazy, drunk, mentally handicapped,a jerk, or all of the above.
Christmas is coming, the stores are not Parky Friendly.

Hope that all my Parky Friends are having a great day in Ireland.

jb

JB - I am a problem solver by nature, and have found that when I have dexterity problems while shopping I try to go when it is quiet, and one lady I know recommends getting to know one cashier, explaining the problem.

Problems with food, I always have a drink to hand for when I forget to chew enough and something gets stuck. Problem solvers can be a real pain in the youknowwhat!! Sometimes we come up with something useful, at least I hope so.

Hi jb49

I totally understand what you mean. I use notes all the time to pay for shopping so my purse is bulging with coins because I just can't separate them and count them out. I'm so tense by the time it's my turn to pay that I'm shaking anyway, then invariably something goes wrong and only reinforces my stress.

Shops are anything but PD friendly, think I'll shop online this year.

Its all a learning experience, identifying the problems as they come along, and trying to find ways around them.

It helps to know I'm not the only one with a particular issue.

Take care

Maggie May

Cutting meat is an ordeal. I also am always the last one to finish eating now. Mashed potatoes go down easier than french fries that have 4 hard corners and get stuck in my throat. I still hate being at the head of the line to purchase something and have to pay, even when standing in line with money in hand. When they utter the words another dime please, it makes me feel the way Stanley must of felt when asked to go to Africa to find Livingstone. I know I have a dime in one of these pockets but I can't go fishing for it. I have been known to throw down a handfull of change and ask them to pull out what they need. They must think then, poor man, doesn't know a penny from a quarter, must be blind, must be stupid, lazy, drunk, mentally handicapped,a jerk, or all of the above.
Christmas is coming, the stores are not Parky Friendly.

Hope that all my Parky Friends are having a great day in Ireland.

jb

Hi Ann

thanks so much for your lovely warm welcome.
I can empathise with that man passing the GPO, I get thrown easily in a crowded place too.

MarieB

I laughed out loud at your escalator story, that is me in a nutshell and I do exactly the same thing, send himself first, launch myself into space and hope for the best! Some escalators are so much steeper than others, I just hunt around till I locate the lift. I can just imagine people muttering "lazy sod" under their breaths when I go down one floor and walk away airily.

Eating out can be a nightmare, like yourself I can send things flying from the table just by my mere presence. I get frustrated if someone I'm with who knows I have PD goes off and sits down, leaving me to stagger behind with the tray. And yes, the other side of the coin are those who won't let you do a thing. Its hard to find the right balance, pardon the pun!
Your tip about using a spoon is a great one, I must try that. I tend to order dishes like mince, rice that are easy to eat with one hand but have difficulty controlling the fork, so the spoon is an alternative.

Maggie May

Hi Ann,
As my tremor has progressed particularly on the right arm and leg, I find I eat out less than I dd. I love my food and I have always enjoyed eating out with friends but I am quite clumsy at a small table and can easily knock over glasses of wine or the knives and forks to the floor. Cutting food can be challenging so I usually choose something that involves minimal cutting like risotto and always ask for a spoon and quietly discard the knife. I find it something of an ordeal rather tha something to enjoy so I need to give it some thought as it would be so easy to throw in the towel. Friends are always sympathetic ( somewhat over the top at times and start cutting up my food as if I was a child) . I hate to be ungrateful because I know they mean well but it's the 'does she take sugar?' scenario and it can be a real balancing act at times. It just adds another layer to what is already a stressful situation. I usually say nothing and accept help as graciously as possible but it is very frustrating.
I've used this example to illustrate how easy it would be to opt or avoid eating out altogether. This also applies to lots of other situations where I like to maintain independence eg getting dressed in the swimming pool where I might appear to be struggling or very slow. Although I usually say I have PD, I'm convinced the majority of the public haven't a clue what it means (why should they?) and just think I shake a bit or am slowly losing it.

How to deal sympathetically but effectively with well intentioned but naive people presents a dilemma .If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear from them

On a more positive note, I have found a strategy for dealing with escalators. Terrified to get on at top, in case I miss my footing, I wait around till someone else goes down and then quickly jump on behind them not even hesitating because if I fall at least I have a buffer! How daft is that? So far, it has worked every time. I've had lots of practise on my husband who takes his life in his hands every time we use one.

Can think of lots of other things but will wait to see what others come up with. Hope this is what you want

Marie

Maggie May - you found us at last! I am only an occasional visitor, pressure of work means that Ems got the whole baby, bath water and all, and she is a good 'un, she is.

I have a task for anyone who wants - I got some replies to m initial posting on this. I want to do research on coping, and need you all to do the following: Describe a situation you avoid or find difficult to cope with, or better still, tat you FOUND difficult to cope with. Then tell how you ovrcame the difficulty. One example, one guy found passing the GPO difficult as the crowds jostled him and his balance wasn;t good. It unnerved him a bit. Know what the solution was? He carried a walking stick in his hand, and suddenly when he took the same route, the crowds parted like magic.

I found the same. In arnotts I went from having someone yell"Would ys ever watch where you're goin'" to being ushered first into lifts and onto escalators.

Any more stories like that, and if you don't have a success to tell, give us the problem and see if someone else has experienced it and perhaps has the answer.

If you don't want to post in public send it to me via a message, but most are so comfortable with the others on ths forum that it should not be a problem.

Welcome Maggie May!

Hi Ems

Well done for keeping at it, it feels very comfortable and friendly.

I'll certainly check out the stories and poems topic.

Night night

Maggie May

Thank you from me too Maggie, i must say when i started this forum for Ann , which would be well over a year,it took a while to get going, a good while..but i thought give it a chance persevere and i am so glad i did as we have a great little home made up for ourselves..you also mentioned topics maggie..don't forget to check out our stories and poems..yes we also have authors and poets..

night to all ems

Thanks MarieB

Its great to see such positivity, its so easy to slide under and let Mr. P win

Maggie May

Hi maggie may,
thanks for replying so quickly. You've given a really comprehensive picture of yourself and one we can all identify with. Thanks for that. I look forward to learning more as time goes by. Completely understand why you feel your brain has gone to sludge, it's just another parkie side kick to remind us who's really in charge! Having said that,'everyone on this forum is very upbeat. Mr P rarely gets a grip for long. Really pleased you've joined us .

That also applies to moody blue. Hope to hear more from you too.

jb you sound really busy and yes winter is coming. Like the smell of the wood stoves but surprised the soft fruit season is still going with temps. of 4 degrees! The alpaca farm sounds fascinating- they are so cute. In fact you are beginning to convince me that Ontario might be a good place to be.
Ems is already dreaming of her next flight. No prizes for guessing where that might be to!

Best wishes to everyone else on the forum.

Love Marie

Sorry, me again!

Just want to say hi to jb49 in far off Ontario.
Look forward to chatting to you.

Maggie May

Hi Marie

Thanks for the welcome, delighted I found ye!

Must have been the previous week then! Weather still dismal here, rain again, will it ever stop.

It is strange that two newbies registered on the same night, like waiting for a bus then three come along together.

Anyhow, I'm from Cork as you know, in my fifties, married and was diagnosed with PD in early 2005 although the symptoms were appearing in 2004, though I didn't know what they were at the time. I love gardening, travelling, music, going to concerts and films,hurling and football, and would read for Ireland.

In one sense the diagnosis didn't come as a complete shock to me, I think I knew deep down that it was probably PD, but when you hear the diagnosis confirmed its fairly traumatic.

I'm not doing too badly. I can still drive, but not for long and not as far as before. Walking is good too but I get wobbly if I'm in the middle of a crowd, eg Penneys or somewhere like that and don't have someone to hold onto.
I'm finding writing very difficult now, and tasks like doing up buttons etc. very challenging.

You have a fantastic and varied amount of topics that you have discussed in the past year, I was reading through them last night and found them very helpful.

I'll put my thinking cap on and think about different topics, although lately I feel my brain has turned to sludge!
Maggie May

Hi there to everybody..hey Jb you are a busy man..mm wouldn't it be lovely folks a holiday in Ontario? our own personal chef?..mmm dream on em..who knows maybe one day.

Hello Every one. You are all dear friends to me and I have struggled to find time to respond to everything. But here I am now. Hello from Ontario, center of the universe, and unfortunately it has been a cold wet wet week here too. Sunday, I fired up the woodstove as the overnite temp dipped to 4 C. Special hellos to Moody Blue, how do you do and to Maggie May, hope you have a good day.

This is a busy work period for me. People panic to get jobs hired done cause winter is coming. I panic cause I never got my jobs done and winter is coming. And it is just busy. There is still lots of garden stuff coming in. I cooked down and canned another 30 big tomatoes into chili sauce last nite and I'm still picking raspberries.

Wel I better go. I have been doing some work at an alpaca farm this week. They are cute little animals that make some weird noises. With 35 of them at this farm, sometimes it sounds like Jurasic Park.

Have a nice day everyone.

jb

Hi maggie may,
Nice to have you onboard. Ems is worried that we are all a bit quiet, Well, can only speak for me but its a bit of a shell shock to have 2 new members arrive within 24 hrs. We' struggled to recruit for so long and now bingo!. Anyway, a warm welcome to you. We'll all be back in the swing of things soon. It would be nice to have a little background but ignore that if you want, they will tell you I'm the nosy one....

One thing I must put you right on my Cork friend, the weather here in the east and southeast has been non stop torrential rain for a week with the exception of yesterday so don't know where you got that info. I wish it would improve but suspect its all down hill from now on. Sorry to sound so negative. I'm quite a positive soul really and don't stay down for long.

Any ideas for new topics/games?

Take care,

Marie

Hi all from a grey, dull, misty, overcast Cork!
The sun actually appeared for a few minutes this afternoon and caused a sensation. You see, while you lucky people in the east and southeast have been sweltering for the past few days in balmy sunny conditions us poor southerners have had to endure day after day of drizzle, fog and general misery (and we are, after all, the Real Capitol!)

Wherever you are, I hope the weather is kind to you.

Maggie May

Well Lucy..The weathers been lovely here in Kilkenny today i am happy to say and i definitely believe the weather affects the mood (well my mood anyway)..the sun gives me a lift..

Anyway hi guys..ye are quiet hope all is well.
Ems


ps..Lucy trying not to think about what's around the corner..lol

Good afternoon everyone from a cold wet and windy Donegal hope you are all keeping as well as you can be and better. It's the 3rd of Oct already that time of year that I wont mention is just around the corner. Just thought I would cheer you all up

Hello friends, from a rainy kilkenny..hope the sun is shining wherever you are..ems x

Hello to all,

Marie, good to hear all went well, take it easy.. Seán and I are fine again..

Katie, have a ball in Majorca..enjoy have a drink for us..
Cathy,give yourself a chance girl take it easy..please keep us up to date and take care.

the rest of the family..happy days to you all
ems x

hello everybody just back from bristol again .must sort medication first . about a weeks time i will be turned on . i don't know what job i will tackle first and ofcourse i am looking forward to my dancing looking forward to a new life .cathy