Here we are at Friday and I am feeling good this morning and being Friday I am doing a post about Parkinson’s.
This week we are talking about Parkinson’s and the older person, being older means we have symptoms that just go with being older.
Things like arthritis, vision problems, shortness of breath and with men prostate problems, as well as having a bad memory, falling over and becoming confused.
There is also the pain that comes with Parkinson’s due to our bodies not moving and rigidity we have but when you throw in having arthritis it can be more frustrating.
These things can make being diagnosed with Parkinson’s when you are over 60 a bit difficult because many doctors will just write those symptoms of as being older.
You may be thinking what about the tremor well that can also just be put down to getting older as some older people will have a slight tremor due to their age.
Some people don’t realise that someone can have Parkinson’s for years before being diagnosed. I first noticed a slight tremor in my little finger in my right hand which I took no notice of until it spread to the whole hand. I asked the GP I was seeing at the time he just shrugged it off and said I was getting older. I was around 54 at the time, but after I changed doctors, the new doctor took it more seriously and referred me to a neurologist over at the hospital.
The neurologist said I had a functional tremor that would not get worse. As time went on things got worse and the GP I was seeing left the practice and I started seeing someone else, who contacted the hospital’s neurology department I should be seen again, I was but was still told it was a functional tremor even the hospital movement disorder doctor said it was functional.
Things continued to get worse and when I asked my GP about the pain in my arms and the stiffness as well as other things would say it is the Parkinson’s you don’t have.
I finally got so bad that I asked to be referred to another neurologist which I was, but that guy wasn’t sure what was wrong and referred me to another one in Sydney and it was Dr Babu who arranged for me to be seen a movement disorder team not just one person. That was when I was diagnosed.
Some of you may have noticed I didn’t do a post yesterday; this was due to Tim receiving a phone call from our doctor’s surgery saying the doctor wanted to see him about his test results.
He must have been worried as he wanted me to go with him, so after changing my clothes we headed off to the doctors, thankfully didn’t have to leave for work till 1.40pm.
Anyway, Tim has now been diagnosed with diabetes again, the last time he was able to get it under control by changing his diet but last time his fasting BGL wasn’t overly high.
This time he is on insulin and two tablets and must record his BGL every day for 2 weeks then go back to see the doc. Tim is feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of taking and recording his BGLs, he needs my help and is worried about how it will affect his job.
He didn’t want to inform his boss or Transport NSW, but the doctor told him he had to, he also told Tim that it will not stop his driving if he can show he has it under control, which is what I told Tim. Take your meds, monitor your BGLs and do what needs to be done.
Tim said to me after leaving the doctors that he would tell Transport NSW in January; I said NO you must do it soonish because not telling them is how you may lose your job.
Diabetes isn’t that big a deal if you do what needs to be done to keep it under control. Regular testing is a must having his eyes and feet checked is a must and eating regularly is a must.
Hi everyone, want to know a bit more about cats, I hope so because that’s what I have today.
Big wild cats rely on their senses of sight and hearing to locate food aka their prey.
Did you know that lions and tigers roar while cheetahs and pumas tend to purr. Of course, these big cats have strong muscles and dangerous teeth which aid in finding food.
Big cats also have excellent day and night vision, their eyes face forward, allowing both eyes to focus on the same thing. They can judge distances and size of objects as well. Their eyes are larger than ours, they have a larger pupil this allows more light to enter the eye at night. Their night vision is five times better than a humans.
Our pupil is always circular, these cats can shrink theirs from a circle into a slit like opening. This they will do in bright sunlight, as it allows less light into the eye.
Their eyes glow in the dark because of a mirror-like tissue in them that reflets light.
Their taste is geared at identifying fats and proteins in their food.
Their whiskers are sensitive to movement and help while hunting.
Cats have great hearing and can pinpoint the location of a sound almost immediately. The ear has around 20 muscles attached to it. Also, the moment they hear something they can move their ears in that direction.
All cats mark areas or territories where they live and protect them fiercely from other cats. Territories usually include hunting grounds, dens, water spots and resting spots. They leave their sent by spraying urine in special locations or by scratching on trees. They can also leave their sent by rubbing their chins, cheeks and tails onto objects.
Hello everyone, here I am on a cold Monday morning flicking through the Great Book of Knowledge looking for a country to write about and decided on Brazil.
Brazil is South America’s largest country it takes up nearly half of South America. Its capital is Brasilia, it has a population of around 210 million. It is officially called the Federative Republic of Brazil.
The government is a presidential system, federal republic and constitutional republic. The constitution is the supreme law of Brazil.
The currency is the Real, the flag is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band with the moto “Ordem e Progresso” in a yellow rhombus on a green field. Officially adopted on the 19 November 1889, four days after the Proclamation of the Republic to replace the flag of the Empire of Brazil.
Football or what I would call soccer is the most followed sport and a source of national pride.
The country is known for the Amazon rainforests, Sugarloaf Mountain, Iguazu Falls, soccer and the statue Christ the Redeemer. Just to name a few things, there are other things.
The Statue of Christ is 130 feet tall, it over looks Rio de Janeiro and is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It is the symbol and icon of Brazil.
Had a good night, even though we had a blackout during the night I managed to sleep through it, waking with the alarm at 5am.
The temperature is 8 degrees my BGL was 5.3.
Tasha rang and asked if she could come and have a shower here as the blackout happened when the hot water was supposed to be heating up and she thought they may not have enough. I said yes of course, and she came and took a shower and left all in under 15 minutes, this is the girl who can take 30 minutes too shower, I was shocked.
Bought pizza for lunch the mini pizza & chips deal for $7, I liked it but not Tim, he thought it was disgusting and a waste of money.
I have increased how often I use the powerfit from twice a day to three times a day.
It has been a lazy day, not feeling like doing anything at all.
Steps 2,102
Had a good night. After a rough start I had a blocked nose and found it hard to breathe, so I took something for it and after about half an hour I settled and slept most of the night.
Tim up and off to work an hour before I got up, he had to start at 5.20am. The temp was a lovely 6 degrees, but it did warm up during the day to around 15 degrees.
I was fiddling around with my Random Thoughts blog and deleted it and went into panic mode, after trying this and that I got it back. I was really worried for a while.
Tim home from work around 2pm, he is doing tomorrow the same run so he will be in bed early tonight.
Steps 2,315
Had a good night, going straight to sleep after going to bed and mostly sleeping through the night.
Tim up and gone bore I got up; the temp is 8 degrees my BGL is 4.9.
It is so cold that I have the heater going. I also have winter socks on to try and keep my feet warm.
Had to reschedule my podiatrist appointment as Sue is sick with gastro and doesn’t think she will be well enough to take me tomorrow.
Steps 2,145
Had a horrible night with my body moving. I was like a fish out of water flopping around and tossing and turning in bed. I dosed on and off and got up to go to the toilet a couple of times.
At 2.30am I had enough and got up sat in the bathroom for a bit with the heater going, trying to decide what to do. I ended up coming out and using the powerfit for 20 minutes, the first 10 minutes I was sitting on it and then I was standing. I then went back to bed and slept without moving for 70 minutes before needing to pee again, 15 minutes later needing to pee again and then 15 minutes after that feeling like I needed to pee again.
By this time, it was 4.50am I decided to just get up have a shower and start my day. The temp is 10 degrees and my BGL was 3.8
Tim is not working today, he had a Dr’s appointment this morning but nothing else.
Steps 2,374
Had a damn good night waking the alarm, didn’t want to get up but of course I did.
It is 9 degrees and my BGL is 4.2.
Jess rang at around 9am asking me to go over as she was having a person come to do an OT assessment of Sam. The woman was nice I was there an hour and left a bit before she left as I needed to pee.
Sandy called in while I was at Jess’s to pick up stuff I printed for her.
I made Summer a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch.
Jess took Sam down to have his blood test done.
Tim home at 2pm.
Steps 2,368
JEANNIE’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 56 TODAY
Had another horrible night tossing and turning and feeling restless but oh so tired as well. I got up at 12.30 and stayed up for half an hour while up I used the powerfit and did a couple of things on the computer.
After returning to bed, I was cold and could not warm up, then to make things worse each time I moved in bed I leaked a little bit, making me get up and go to the loo. At 4.50am when I had to get up again, I decided to stay up.
The temp is 6 degrees my BGL is 4.4
My pedometer isn’t working right, it is counting but not all the time. Tim said he will change the battery, but I am not expecting him to do it any time soon.
I had a 1hr 45-minute nap in my armchair, still very tired but at least I can function.
Sue sent me a message saying there is a worldwide internet outage, not good I need my internet, well I will tomorrow, tonight I will be in bed.
Steps 2,077
Had a good night slept through to 4.30am, went to the loo and back to bed till the alarm at 5am.It is 11 degrees and windy, my BGL is 4.3
Had an issue went having lunch. I started to choke but not on food on the drink I was having.
Tim arrived home around 2pm and he looked so tired.
Dawson popped in for a visit, he was here about an hour or so.
I am trying to stay up a bit longer before going to bed.
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.
This week I am wrapping up at least for now my posts on borderline personality disorder or BPD, I will end this by sharing a few other physical symptoms someone with BPD may experience, may not will or do just may.
Digestive or stomach issues, this is because stress can affect a body’s digestive functioning as the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness or elation can all trigger physical symptoms in the gut.
Muscle aches and pains, this is a common physical symptom of stress and anxiety as many with BPD experience high emotional stress due to rapid cycling moods.
They can also experience a psychogenic fever or high temperature due to chronic stress.
Lastly, we have chest pain and up to 25 percent of BPD sufferers will experience chest pain often so bad they feel like they are having a heart attack. It is often linked to panic attacks.
Ok it is time to step back to 1942 and Australia’s involvement in the long battle for the Kokoda Trail this battle started on the 21 July when the Japanese landed in Papua.
It took till November for there to even be a partial resolution and it was in January 1943 that the Japanese were driven out.
There was around 1.5 million indigenous people and around 6,000 European residents. After the attack on Pearl Harbour the European women and children were encouraged to return to Australia.
By mid-February in 1942 the territories were under military control.
In mid-July General MacArthur ordered a force of Australian infantry and American engineers should move across the Kokoda track to Buna to construct and airfield at Dobodura.
The Kokoda track became known as the Kokoda trail sometime in 1942 mainly due to American influence.
By mid-1942 there was great pressure on troop numbers, experienced soldiers of the AIF were fighting in the Middle East and North Africa.
This meant it was left up to three militia units of the Australian Military Forces AMF the 39th, 49th & 53rd along with a Papuan Infantry Battalion, which was manned by Papuans under Australian Officers.
The AMF was formed by volunteer, part time soldiers but at the outbreak of war this force was augmented by the call-up of conscripts for home defence.
New Guinea was declared the 8Australian Military District to enable the use of the conscripts in a war zone.
The 39 Australian Infantry Battalion a CMF unit (citizens military force). It was raised in October 1941 by volunteers in Victoria and arrived in Port Moresby in January 1942. Out of the 1,500 men that arrived in Port Moresby only 185 remained when they were relieved in September 1942.
Who wants to know a bit more about the cat family? Cats in the wild are classified as small, medium and large depending on size. They are also divided into three groups based on their traits.
Domestic cats and their wild relatives share many characteristics, they all have short strong jaws and sharp teeth. All cats are good hunters, small cats eat while standing and the big cats prefer to eat lying down.
Domestic cats can hold their tails low and swing them to show if they are playful or nervous and an upright tail is a sign of alertness. A wild cat’s tail will be upright when on alert as well.
It is believed that us humans have had cats as pets for around 8,000 years. This may have had a lot to do with the fact they are such good hunters, thus keeping down the number of mice, rats and snakes.
I think most know that the Egyptians worshiped cats and believed them to be the Goddess Bast, this is why it waw illegal to kill or trade in them.
Cats living in forests such as the jaguar or cloudy leopard, have short stocky limbs. This is why they are better at climbing trees to ambush their prey.
It is believed by some that the domestic cat can make something like 60 different sounds which may have different meanings. A meow can mean a friendly greeting, or it can just as likely be an expression of curiosity, hunger or maybe it is just lonely.
Purring as most of us know is assign of contentment it is also a sound they make when sick.
Hissing and growling and screaming means they are angry and frightened.
Jo-AnneRamplings 