(Living with Parkinson’s)
Sam and Phyllis Turner ©
01.05.2021 – 01.16.2020
01.05.2021: 0400: Writing (!) 0630: on the bike. I can watch TV while peddling. Couldn’t get Netflix. The Tech (in the Netherlands) was unable to resolve the problem. Chad “Dish” called me and I pressed the magic button to reboot Dish. Worked on New Year Letters to go out this week. Go ahead and laugh. We sent Christmas letters out one time, in July. Some responses didn’t know if we were early or late. We are going to go electronic (DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING) with handwritten notes by Phyllis because of my tremor.
1230: We picked up our Matrix. Everything is smooth. Had to replace a few hoses. New windshield wipers (optimistic), also.
1700: Watched the news. Then on to Madam Secretary – TRAAAUUUuuumatic!
01.06.2021: 0530: Running a load of wash and working on letters. We mailed all of our New Year letters. That’s an accomplishment. Last night, I mentioned Madam Secretary being traumatic. Live news this evening was even more traumatic. There was nothing “fake” about it. ABC, PBS, NBC, CBS reporting the mob violence at our nation’s Capital. Horrifying! Frightening!
1230: We went to Wild Birds and bought four feed cylinders. Then we filled the Buick’s gas tank. This is the first time in two months for gas. No, we haven’t been traveling much, except for doctors.
01.07.2021: 0430: Clearing of stuff for the house cleaners, this morning. I managed to dump one pile of junk. PJ had a dental appointment at 0900 that turned out to be two trips. This is 50% of the cleaning team.
When we returned home I found that some kind of dog (and his master) had moved my blue recycling bucket for me. Was that you, Dexter Dog? Thanks!
1800: The high point was celebrating Christmas with Julie’s family. We didn’t need to use Zoom.
She came home! After three weeks of caregiving in Scottsdale, she was able to come home. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
01.08.2021: 0330: 40º A word about my awake times: I don’t sleep as much as I used to. This may be due to Parkinson’s. I haven’t thought about it much, but of late the sleep/wake times have become more consistently erratic. As I do with my other symptoms, I’ll keep a record. 0800: Rode the bike for 1000 revolutions (about 30 minutes). 0900: Yep! I’m tired, now. But, we’re about to have breakfast.
Do you have trouble swallowing? Thanks to Cynthia Holmes, PhD., the intrepid leader of our PD education and support groups for these slides.
If you have PD, that could be one of your symptoms. Here’s an excellent presentation by two professors of speech therapy, one (a retired dentist) also has PD.
PJ and I cooked this teriyaki salmon with vegetables. It took about 40-minutes. Delicious!
The view from my bike to the TV: 5-yards. My bike with 40# stretch handles for squats from the front. The 80-pound bronze bust of Nancy keeps me focused. I think I finished it about 1967? Do you remember, Nancy? You were teaching Fourth Grade. I was teaching 6th. It was around those dates. It took 200 hours to complete using the lost-wax method.
The view from my bike to the TV: 5 yards. My bike with 40# stretch handles for squats from the front of the bike. The 80-lb. bronze bust of Nancy keeps me focused. Did I finish it about 1967? Do you remember, Nancy? You were teaching Fourth Grade. I was teaching 6th. It was around that date. It took about 200 hours to complete using the lost-wax method.
1700: Jessa (our daughter-in-law) picked up Phyllis for her Christmas present. She and PJ are getting a pedicure and fingernails. Her feet will be happy. I expect pictures of this momentous experience. She is thrilled with the results. The butterfly in memory of Rob has special meaning. January 30th is his Birthday.
01.09.2021: Up at 0500. 0830: We are at PT with Tresha. Stretching, rhythm, boxing. I feel like a did better today. I can almost get up from horizontal to vertical without holding on to anything. I’m working on that.
01.10. 2021: 0330: Question to Harvey S.: Am I catching your habit of getting inspiration at 0330? Is this contagious? I’m not sure I want a remedy.
No bike, yet. Plus one cup of coffee. Still writing. Total from 0330 to 0630: 5,252 words. Getting close to an ending. A little over 1700 words an hour. AND NO DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING! I typed using my fingers! My brain must have been functioning directly to the hands. Something was working. No tremor! No complaints!
Nancy’s Three (beautiful) “Mouseketeers”. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. (My names!) D’Artagnan comes later.
I’ll go to the bike, now. 0635: Right hand is tremoring. Must be time to stop. I went to Zoom talk-back after church. Spent the afternoon working on hosting lessons for the upcoming Quail Run Writers on Tuesday! (I still have some speed bumps to conquer. We watched CBS Sunday Morning at 1830. 2000: To sleep, perhaps to dream. Total steps for today: 3,220.
01.11.2021: 0330: Writing. 0815: To Primary Eye Care Eye Doctor. PJ went with me. Ordered new glasses.
0930: Writing. 1630: Finished Episode #4 of the series of 32º North. Swombo will get to line-edit for awhile! She’s thrilled with the opportunity! (Ha!)
We broke down and watched two more episodes of Madam Secretary. TENSE!
01.12.2021: 0530: 0900: Zoom Meeting Catching up on activities. Found out about captioning at the Zoom Aloha meeting at 1300. I have to upgrade my account to Pro. Annual. I can do that. No one has to upgrade unless they want to host.
Spent the afternoon dealing with Sprint on and off hold. Enough said.
Apple Cider-Glazed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Brussel Sprouts. We had this while watching Madam Secretary. We’re still in Season One. I must remember to write Episode number. The subplots with her husband and children add body to the story.
01.13.2021: 0530: 34º The expected high will be 69º and getting warmer each day. PJ’s side of the bed has gone flat! She’s sleeping in a trough. Oddly, she says she’s OK. Still, I’m trying to find the connection. Naturally, the main attachment is in an unreachable location. I managed to rip my elbow trying to get to it. I have a friend…
I did a little writing and a lot of cycling – I had to use DRAGON today. Problem: Turn off the microphone when the CaptionCall phone rings. My conversation fed right onto the MS page! Talk about line editing, and line deleting!
1500: Janet &Tom K. from central Arizona visited us. We’ve known them for years through our Amway business. Tom and I talked about hearing aids and the VA service. He says the Tucson VA site, is the best. I gave him an ALOHA card. (There’s one advantage of the virtual meetings: You don’t have to live in Tucson to attend our support meetings.) We compared pictures of grandchildren. We are at the age when grandparents do things like that. What fun.
1700: Swombo and I had leftovers for dinner as we watched the news and a couple of episodes of Whose Line Is It? That’s always relaxing.
01.14.2021:0415: 35º It’s supposed to get warmer. Maybe it will go into the 70s today. PJ was sound asleep this morning. We don’t have any appointments today so she can sleep until she wakes up. I spent 15-minutes on the bike and stretched. Watched a video clip on boxing as an exercise, last night. The instructor started with her left foot, just like we do. She didn’t use a punching bag.
0900: Breakfast
PJ asks me, “Did you take pictures of our guests, yesterday?”
“I totally forgot the camera shot! We have to put signs up reminding me, you, us to take pictures. Thanks for the late reminder.”
1000: I finished 32 pages (first Chapter) smooth for Swombo to line check.
1015: Writing again. PJ is busy line editing. Break for lunch (1230). Wrote until 1900.
Had a light dinner and finished the manuscript!
1930: Watched one episode of Madam Secretary.
01.15.2021: 0530: Up at a “respectable” time, I guess. PJ is still sleeping.
I’m putting this MS to bed for a while and working on office management. Had to eat breakfast at 1100! Things are mixed up.
1300: Received a letter from a daughter of neighbors that used to live next door (east) of us (30 years ago?). Mary Sue N. caught us up on the last two years of her family. They live in Seattle, now. What a delight! She has built a 15-foot, Chesapeake Light Craft “skerry” that she rowed across Lake Union to their houseboat. If you don’t know what a “skerry” is, “Google CLC “skerry”. It is a beautiful craft. She can sail it if she desires. Virginia and Larry: You probably know about these boats.
Mary Sue: The Squeakless Ironing Board. Do you remember the Halloween that your mother helped you build a spooky tunnel? She had a squeaky ironing board that she opened and closed as the kids crawled through the dark tunnel. She was operating all the noise equipment. She had to squeak the board, then run inside the house to the kitchen to do some other “noise.”
PJ and I stood at the entrance of the tunnel and watched Irene squeak the ironing board for each child as they began to crawl their way through the spooky tunnel. Then, she would leave us and run into the kitchen to bang on some pots and pans.
“Quick Sam, go home and get the oil can.”
I ran home, got some spray lubricant, and, while she was working at the other end of the tunnel where she couldn’t see me, I oiled the ironing board.
By the time she got back to the beginning of the tunnel, I had stepped back to stand with PJ as interested observers. The next child started through, and Irene grabbed the ironing board to open and close for the squeak. It was silent! She didn’t realize what had happened and opened and closed it again. Then, she saw me with the spray lubricant and started laughing. I won’t forget the look on her face when the board didn’t squeak.
I chuckle when I think of that action. Even at age 94, she may remember that.
We watched Ice Skating last night (half of the program) before lights out. It is calmer than Madam Secretary.
01.16.2021: (To be continued…)
A positive attitude is
contagious,
but don’t wait to catch
it from others.
Be a carrier.
~ unknown ~
(Thanks, Tresha!)