Here we are at another Friday so here is a little more about Parkinson’s this week we are talking about balance or the trouble we have with it.
Slowness of movement has an important part with they symptom of dizziness and balance which is common with Parkinson’s. A suffer may notice difficulty when getting out of a low chair due to a fear of falling forwards, this is something I have experienced.
We can also have issues when walking around the house or even just standing. One issue is that we may at times feel like our feet are stuck to the floor, when we try to make our feet move we
Also when turning around we may move our feet wrong causing us to lose our balance, another problem can be at the threshold of a door where for some unknown reason our feet don’t want to move and our balance is lost and we fall unless we think to take hold of the door frame.
We can also have a problem when faced with downward incline our legs feel like they are going to run away with us and in some cases may do just that. This is why many will choose to have some form of support when walking downhill and if on level ground they have good balance, which I don’t always have now days.
Many will find it difficult to get on and off a bus or train and maybe even in and out of some cars.
Walking in a crowd can be unsettling as if we get bumped it may cause us to lose our balance and fall, it is our slowness in movement that can cause such problems.
There are some particular movements that are affected by Parkinson’s such as turning over in bed, thankfully I don’t have a problem with that. Getting in and out of a bath is a problem which is why I now shower using a shower chair as standing causes me balance problems with the hot water and steam.
It is this fear of falling that increasingly limits our ability to do things. This is why exercise is important we need to keep our bodies moving and not allow our fear of falling to stop us doing stuff, or we may end up sitting in a chair wasting away. This naturally will affect our mental health leading to a state of depression it can be hard to find a way out of.
Jo-AnneRamplings 
Dearest Jo-Anne,
A very informative description about part 8 of Parkinson’s disease.
You describe so many things that I’ve had to live with, like holding on to things in order to prevent falling. Oh, I sure would NOT dare to get in/out of a bus or train right now, losing my balance in no time.
We got up at 6:00 AM yesterday, had a good breakfast after I got out of the shower. Then we left by 8:45 AM for my Georgia Podology appointment at 11:00 AM near Atlanta. Needed to go to the bathroom FAST. So I did not grab my walking cane and I managed. Just had told Pieter that my back and legs are growing stronger, I notice it. But running up and down the stairs some 4 times made me feel tired.
Resting in the chair for one hour for my medical pedi– and manicure was pure bliss.
Then I left for the next stop at Whole Foods Market, to grab us some non dairy yogurt and also food for later eating in the complete kitchen of our Hyatt House.
On to Trader Joe’s where Pieter quickly went inside for only unsalted peanuts and Macademia nuts. I did rest in the car and touched in my 2nd next destination into AppleCarPlay. First we stopped at the ONLY cobbler in the region for picking up my flat cognac leather tassel loafers where he’d added by hand new soles. Picked up 2 items at the quality dry cleaner and left Pieter’s winter suit there for cleaning. Then by 3:00 PM I checked in at the Hyatt House and we did rest a while, felt my back… Not the stent–graft area but just tired.
Did swim in the heated pool for half an hour and then soaked in the ADA (= American Disabilities Act) tub with grab bars and shampooed my hair and rinsed it out standing under the shower. That felt so good. I’ve learned the hard way to request this type of room as the other rooms are impossible to get up from the toilet (without grab bars) and normal shower.
This way I manage to drive the 2.5 hours one way, with one night in–between and back home the next day via wholesale Costco where I used my walker.
Oh, last night I got a message on my iPhone via my health app:⚠️ WALKING STEADINESS NOTIFICATION. Low Walking Steadiness. Your Walking Steadiness is low and you may have an increased risk of falling in the next 12 months.
Oh sure, I am aware of this and try my best to gain weight and strength for my muscles!
You of course recognize this…
No fun but it is a reality to live with!
Big hugs,
Mariette
So many people who do not have Parkinson’s have to deal with balance problems and struggle to build or keep muscle strength when at times giving up and just wasting away would be easier
I remember when we had cobbler near me but he has long retired and closed the busines. They are rare now days.
Cobblers are very rare because there are hardly any leather shoes being worn nowadays…