Last week's Parkinson Support Group topic was SLEEP....and it sparked much conversation of sleep difficulties. Going to sleep and staying asleep were the most common. Help with sleep distress included prescription and OTC meds, breathing and meditation,
eating, not eating, sound proof rooms, dark rooms....
There were a couple of folks who have movements during sleep so severe that their bed partners complain of being punched and kicked. People have thrown themselves out of bed .Pretty exciting, huh?
My pattern of sleep is NO pattern (it seems).Doesn't matter where I sleep...upstairs, downstairs, bed, chair, couch.....lights on, TV on, complete silence and darkness.....sometimes I sleep okay which means to me NO more than 1 bathroom visit and sleeping til 5:30 or 6. There have been times when I wake up at 2, COMPLETELY awake and I get up and work on a project or do laundry or watch shows I have recorded. I DON"T pull weeds or move rocks in the dark (although I want to !!)
And the other day when I woke up I became very confused because the TV cable box showed the number 906 and I thought what channel was I watching and then realized it was in fact 9:06 am.
I had been asleep for 12 hours. WHATEVER!!!
This is what I call SLEEP.
Wish we could all be this comfortable.
Hi Diane ! Hope to see you in Kim's class soon. I just found out the difference between PD and Parkinsonism. It turns out that the Basic Parkinson's with tremors etc. is suppose to be less problematic than Parkinsonism.( without tremors etc.) no matter what if you keep positive you will always win. Diane if you want don't be afraid to call me when you feel blue. This disease can be outrageous at times. PD makes you feel dependent in so many ways. So what I have been doing lately is to try to solve problems that confront me. For example there is a taxi service called Go, Go Grandparent. " Started by a grandson who wanted his grandparent to have freedom to go anywhere at a low cost. Diane this to me means that I won't have to depend on Phil to always have to drive me every where. I am concerned with his health too. I want him to fell free rather than feeling he always have to drive me. As an 80 year old he is starting to feel his age. I feel this may be because he feels obligated to me. I can see the stress. Being a caretaker since 4 years ago can be a stress even though he loves me. This can happen to all people who are caretakers. So, at home I try to make life easy by doing things that make him happy. One must always clarify that you can do things and not to worry. etc. that you are not as helpless that he thinks you are. A friend of mine at times will say to me " Pam remember you have PD, You can't do the things you use to do ." Boy I have been insulted because we can do and will do every thing we can do and show others that not to worry that we can come through any adversity. So Diane this is my philosophy and the truth about PD. Sincerely, your friend, Pam
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