Three-minutes later and it’s Yiska.
1400: Practicing archery at the club. Shot 30 arrows in 30 minutes. Friday, after the doctor’s appointment, I will return to shoot for a score. I can shoot for scoring in the afternoon. (We don’t drive at night.) I’ll miss the group interaction, but it will go faster.
Comments from the last issue: Good MM, Sam. And “…a toothbrush that has lost its ability to hold a charge.” Can you imagine what an alien might think if he overheard that line? And whod’a thought I’d live long enough to see toothbrushes that have to “hold a charge.” 🙂 Harvey S.
harveystanbrough.com › harvey-stanbrough
Holding a charge. Yeah. My grandmother found my father reading 20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and tossed it, saying, “That trash will ruin your mind.” Times, they are a’changin’. SET
Special note for January 17! See page 5, marked Parkinson’s
01.10.2020; 1030: Off to doctor appointment. Dr. Hutcheson (Podiatrist) “worked me into his schedule. (He has from 20-30 patients a day!) We were out by 1145.
1300: Dropped PJ off at home, had a food bar, and headed to my league shoot. My first five ends were terrible. When my coach adjusted my sight ever so lightly, I improved. I shot thirty arrows in 60 minutes. My first score for this week is 152/300. It is good to get back to the contest. That should be the low mark for the ten weeks.
1730:A surprise trip to Opa’s Best for a send-off party for Rachael, who is headed back to NAU for Second Semester Sophomore Education major. Shulick’s and Joe’s family sat around the table. For two hours, we enjoyed each other’s company. Julie drove us home. 2130: To bed with plans for tomorrow’s clean-up duties.
01.11.2020: 40º this morning. It was supposed to freeze last night. It felt cold this morning. Somewhere about two or three days ago, I received a short story from Harvey Stanbrough called Fifth Mind. I finished it yesterday. The ending was a surprise for me. I’ll bet it was to Harvey, too. Kept me reading once the house activity settled down, and I could concentrate. I like this sort of story. Makes me want to write short stories. Maybe I’ll surprise myself (and SWOMBO) and do just that.
I took Swombo to Claim Jumper, remembering our friends, Jeanie and Ian, who have moved to San Tan, Arizona. We often met there for dinner and family news. We ordered steak and um chocolate cake. The candle was for my December birthday. PJ came along to test the cake.More shots at this site: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zBEEhUFXtjBJioTF9
When we returned home, I shot 18 arrows at 20 yards in 25-minutes. Practice. Getting a tighter grouping. Tomorrow morning I’ll read through my CIP before PJ arises. We sometimes read books and magazines in the evening. 2100: to bed.
01.12.2020: 0500: Up and writing before church.
Our church choir has doubled in size over the past four months. They sang “Bridge over Troubled Waters” acapella, today and got a standing ovation.
After church, we stopped by Sprouts to get a few items. I spent the rest of the day working on my CIP.
I took a 30-minute break and shot twenty-one arrows. I’m grouping tighter.
I had PJ read a copy (20 pages) of my latest CIP. It qualifies as a short story at 6,400 words. (Thanks to Harvey S. for inspiration.) All I need is a title.
01.13.2020: 0530: Up and writing. I meet with my new memoir writing group this morning at Cascades. PJ has an appointment (Julie is driving her) at Costco for her hearing aids at 1230. I can’t go with her because I have a medical date at 1300 with a gastro specialist (PD: communication between brain and gut). I finished the smooth of the short story and will publish it on Tuesday. We watched a movie about Jane Austen’s last “unfinished” novel Sandition. We clicked “record” to follow the episode.
01.14.2020: 0900: We attended our new Tai Chi class at Desert Sports. Gary is a specialist in balance from the Movement Power Gym and has extensive teaching experience with Parkinson’s people. Excuse me while I practice for 30 minutes.
This is what I mean by tight grouping with one,two,three arrows each time. (@ 20 yards) Remember: an End equals three arrows. I shot seven Ends a total of 21 arrows. Before you think that’s great, take a look at all the holes around the target. Those are the number of times I missed the center. Notice the chip out of the wall to the left of the yellow mark. Sometimes, I was way off. It’s what my friend Harvey calls “failing to success.” If I am consistent and repeat this on League Scoring, Friday (10 ends @20 yards), I will have a respectable score.
Looking west.
Looking East
Now…back to Tai Chi. I didn’t take any pictures, but I will. There were maybe 50 people crowded in the room. PJ and I are now learning a new method. The WONG System of Tai Chi. Wong Master Gary played music to go with each movement. If you want, Google Master Wong’s Tai Chi System. There is even a movement called Archer’s Step!
1800: We started watching VIRGIN RIVER on Netflix while eating leftovers for dinner. I didn’t realize that it is several episodes combined. We saw three events and went to bed early.
01.15.2020: 0430: started laundry. 0515 Writing my CIP. We have a tight schedule today. PT with Tresha until 0845; Dermatology at 0900; bank; Julie’s to drop off roasted garlic (Missed that. Maybe Friday).
We made all of our appointments on time. PJ rested while I published my first short story! I had to get help from a service person in Cape Town, South Africa, and another person in southern India, but, after three hours, we finally worked it out. As soon as the proof comes back, some of you will get a copy. It’ll be another week before it will be up for sale. The more books I write, the easier it will be for me to do my own publishing. I’m not the greatest whiz when it comes to electronic tactics. I have a cousin, Dawn M. Turner, who has published “tons” of books. She sent me some encouragement (01.16, 2020) https://www.facebook.com/DawnMTurner.author/
Shot 21 arrows again for a thirty-minute break – Poor grouping.
01.16.2020: 0500: up and doing laundry – taking out the compost (leaving the lid off to catch any sprinkles – checking bird feeders – putting the auto watering system on 24-hour hold – and then there is this:
To: Dr. Mark Bassette, PCP
To: Dr. R. Anderson, Medical Neurology- Third (or 4th ?) meeting. since July 2018.
To: Jackie Camargo, Nurse Practioner Mesquite Gastroenterology & Surgery Canter
PARKINSON’S rares its head!We all have routines. Just like the pilot before taking off, there is a check-list for pre-flight and a post-flight check-list. For you who are readers of this letter, let me review:
PARKINSON’S Symptoms:
Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms can be different for everyone. Early signs may be mild and go unnoticed. {PJ and I think it went unnoticed – misdiagnosed – for about eight years.} Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides.{My left side, mostly.}
Parkinson’s signs and symptoms may include:
- Tremor. A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back-and-forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremor when it’s at rest. {Tremors happen sporadically for me – mostly in my fingers.}
- Slowed movement (bradykinesia). Over time, Parkinson’s disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag your feet as you try to walk.{I have to be careful not to trip. Steps are slower. I no longer run up or downstairs.}
- Rigid muscles. Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion.{Stiffness could be from exercise over the last three days, and increased practice with archery. I hope that is the only reason. I have to do early morning stretching as per the PMDA program. }
- Impaired posture and balance. Your posture may become stooped, {PT Tresha, Phyllis and I are much aware of this and constantly remind me -I tell myself, also-} or you may have balance problems {Taking Tai Chi classes 2 days a week, plus archery helps.} as a result of Parkinson’s disease.
- Loss of automatic movements. You may have a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling, or swinging your arms when you walk.{I have to remind myself to swing my left arm. Tresha has me shout it out.}
- Speech changes. You may speak softly, quickly, slur, or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual inflections.
- Writing changes. It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small. {I taught calligraphy (italics) in middle school art classes. I can hardly read my own writing now. The keyboard writes for me. I use DRAGON dictation – when it works – which is a great help.}
Then there are cognitive changes. You may experience cognitive problems (dementia) and thinking difficulties. These usually occur in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease. Such cognitive problems aren’t very responsive to medications.
NEW SYMPTOM: Thursday 01.16.2020 Continued… After the bank, I took PJ to Culver’s for lunch. We were experiencing light rain. We were in the Buick. As I was driving home, my IBS alerted me that I had to go right now! It was 1245. I pulled into the driveway, PJ got out. I got out. I made it in time.
“I’ll take the Matrix and practice shoot at the Archery Club.”
“Be careful,” PJ answered. “I’m going to take a nap in my chair.”
I immediately placed my equipment in the Matrix and drove to the club. (two miles) I shot 30 arrows in 60 minutes, packed up, and drove home in the rain. I immediately went into my office to work on this letter.
PJ awoke and started working on files in her office. 1445: PJ wants to know where the bank statements are.
“They are still locked in the trunk. I’ll get them for you.”
I went to the Buick and couldn’t find my car keys. Back in to get PJ’s key and opened the driver’s side. There was my key, still in the ignition with the engine running! I couldn’t hear the engine. Sometime during the morning, I must have set my Bluetooth remote on low (it connects to my hearing aids). Fortunately, I had plenty of gas. And the Buick Park Avenue was dutifully running in park in our driveway for a good two hours. It was still raining. Had PJ not needed those files, the car might have run all evening. That is the first time this has everhappened to me. Should I record it as just a fluke or accident? Maybe. Maybe my cognitive skills are slipping. Maybe not. But we both will be more alert to routines from now on. Symptoms start from one point. Is this the first point of dementia? Or am I overly worried? We’ll take a wait-and-see attitude.
Note to our fellow Parkinson’s readers: Has something similar to this happened to you? My next neurological appointment is 01.29.2020. with Dr. Anderson. I can hear him ask, “Has this happened before?”
“No. Never.”
01.17.2020: 0500: Up and writing. 0.7 inches of rain last night. I’m a day late getting this out. I worried about yesterday’s incident deciding whether to include it in this letter. Some of our readers have PD. I thought I should share this. After all, the sub-title says Living With Parkinson’s. I mention PD when I’m aware. Look at all the days where I haven’t mentioned PD. So far, PD symptoms are not a daily occurrence.
BTW: I spent three minutes riding my stationary bike this morning. I’ve been doing that for 3 -5 minutes on a regular basis while PJ is asleep and before breakfast. Sometimes as a break between writings. Not as much during the archery League.
Speaking of the League, I shot for a score this afternoon. My score improved from 152/300 to 182/300. Not once did I group on the target as I did on the 14th. More practice is due this coming week.