Hello all on this cold morning here in Newie, New South Wales, it is Friday at last and time to share a bit more about living with Parkinson’s.
One thing that someone with Parkinson’s may find is their family wanting to step in and make things easier for them taking over jobs like vacuuming, rinsing dishes, tossing clothes into the washing machine or dryer but often these are the type of jobs a person with Parkinson’s can still do. So they should be doing them when possible.
Also, they need to stimulate their minds, which is why I do puzzles on my tablet and write my blog posts. Sitting and watching TV all day is not good for anyone, I watch far less TV now days then I ever did. I prefer to do the puzzles on my tablet.
It is easy for someone with PD to feel excluded from things as if like me they have lost their license due to being declared medically unfit to drive. We need to rely on family or friends to take us somewhere, as often we feel we cannot afford to take a taxi.
Some people may say take a bus but that isn’t always practical, as if I will be walking a distance I will prefer to use my walker over my cane. The walker has a seat so if I need to stop for a few minutes, I can, but getting a walker on and off a bus would not be easy. Some may think get the bus driver to help you, however, they can be told by management they are not to get out of their seat to help someone on or off the bus.
Another thing, many people hold events in the evening and someone like me may find that difficult, I become extremely tired, worn out and just not with it the later in the day it becomes. So going to an evening or nighttime event feels so damn difficult to do, thus we don’t do it. I turned down an invite to my niece’s 21st because of that reason it is not only at night, but it is during winter another thing this year I am struggling with. This has made me feel left out and it isn’t anyone’s fault I feel this way, it just is how it is.
I will leave this here and there may be another post about Parkinson’s next week to wrap it up.
Jo-AnneRamplings 
Dearest Jo-Anne,
That is no doubt difficult to handle ‘normal’ life and its celebrations. Whatever one wants to call ‘normal’.
It is hard getting on and off with a walker. I’ve not even had my walker downstairs in a long time. Let alone getting it in and out of the car, is impossible. Even Pieter had a hard time doing so, the very same with the foldable wheelchair, a small sized one for me. That sits in the garage and I sit in it when I change my house crocks to the garden crocks for going out to feed the birds.
Pieter used my walker in the final weeks of his life and it is still on standby in our bedroom.
Yes, we can get very exhausted and tired in the evening and avoid any gathering that includes such late night presence.
Just had my late nap from 3:00–5:00 PM as I felt worn out. Now picking up some groceries (bread and bird seed in 5 lb bags as I can’t handle the 10 lb ones) and then I will go to Applebee’s for supper. Knowing one dish when I order it without the dip or sauce, I can have it for my severe stage of kidney disease.
And that makes one happy for each day managed somehow!
Just lik you and again, you are to be admired for your determination to write your blog—a very good thing to do for your mind as writing stimulates!
Big hugs,
Mariette
PS I look like Rudolf the red–nosed reindeer as a skin cancer on my nose got frozen… My leg had healed well so that was good!
As hard and as frustrating as things are at times we just keep trying and moving forward just somewhat slowly.
Yeah when we go out I try to rely only on my cane as getting the walker in and out of some cars is bloody hard, more so if the car is a right mess like my youngest daughter’s car, now way it will fit in her car.
I have days when I seem to wake up tired, I do not like those days and when it is cold and windy like it is this morning finding motivation to do stuff isn’t easy.
Better to have a red nose for a while then to have cancer spreading over and through your body.
Absolutely, that nose will heal in a couple of weeks.
You have a realistic outlook on life and I am 100% with you in that.
Today my planning went out of the window. First I woke up tired, took a nap after breakfast so I would be around in the afternoon when the guy would arrive for doing some clearing of underbrush and cutting a fallen down big tree, still half standing. But we got thunder and a tropical downpour. No way they could do anything today, neither tomorrow. But he came anyway to look at the project and I appreciate that attitude.
One day at a time…
Hugs,
Mariette