‘Negativity is a disaster, the cold makes us feel worse, stress might make us freeze, all three are the Parkinson’s curse’ from ‘Another Book of Parkinality Poetry’ Feeling better? Margery and Melvyn
(30% of royalties earned going to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust)
Warning this blog contains no useful information ….
Remember : We are all canoeing in the same direction, but each canoe is 10 metres apart to avoid huffing on each other.
Flaming heck (insert your preferred stronger expletive) … everything has gone upside down (again insert your preferred stronger expletive) due to the global health pandemic which is Coronavirus ….
This is testing my positivity …
Okay, quite stressed – the unknown, the unplanned, the out of control negative me is (I must admit) squashing me at the moment.
Felt the need to post trying to find the right words, when the words are morphing from comical positivity to depressing negativity. Okay now the over thinking me is taking over. Crickey this oxymoron business is keeping me busy. More mood swings than a theme park on the moon ( I hope I haven’t lost ‘it’ altogether).
First of all; The wonderful Parkinson’s Vision 2020 conference in Leicester in April is cancelled . A lot of hard work, has gone into pulling this together. I have every hope that the enthusiasm can be packed away in those inedible ‘what is that’-esc crisps (can’t be bothered to explain that), and unwrapped again at a future date. We can then hit the ground shuffling to reinstate all the wonderful speakers, exhibition stands and (dairy free) chocolate cake, to hold a marvellous conference. Take a look at the website for information about the cancellation
Many things surrounding Parkinson’s Disease are unknown, ‘how do people get it’ ‘how do we cure it’ ‘Why?’ … but three things are known. Stress, The Cold and Negativity do tend to make symptoms worse.
24 Hour News reporting surround the Coronavirus, is feeding my, already enhanced, negativity and stress levels. I know I don’t have to watch it but also I can’t bury my head in the sand. Also, the added worry of if I don’t watch it having that little voice at the back of my mind whispering ‘if you don’t watch it you might miss something’ causing even more stress.
The mere fact that it is called 24 hour hints at the fact that it is always on. Flicking between channels on radio, tv and social media, I find everyone is talking about it … whether it be a ‘ grown up news report from a reliable source’ through to the latest joke reposted a qerzillion times from ‘I think I’m funny dot com’.
A slight digression for a moment: writing this blog is like ‘a meerkat carrying a large marrow on its head’ (A balancing act, although if I have to explain it, it’s not funny ((I ‘heard’ that)))
No matter how many times I write about not being medically trained, I still worry about people taking what I write round the wrong way. So I might spark a thought in your mind with what I write, but please go to a medical professional to discuss that thought, do not take things into your own hands. Symptoms and progression are so diverse and bespoke everyone is so different.
So I repeat … ‘I am not a medical professional, please do not change any medication or alter or do anything without speaking to a doctor, nurse or medical staff and then only act under the guidance of your medical professional’
Back to the blog …
In paragraph five I wrote ‘already’ enhanced stress and negativity levels. I say ‘already’ as not only is anxiety a PD symptom, a side effect of Parkinson’s medication can be feeling increasingly anxious. I have found when I am feeling particularly low I can get into, what I call, a spiral of paranoia. I will leave that thought there. Please speak to your Medical Professional if you or a friend/family notice any changes in mood, habits or routine or increased anxiety. As I did and my consultant gave me advice.
So I need to try and manage this negativity and stress, and find some kind of positivity – where positivity is just feeling less negative.
Unknown of Coronavirus … clever people working very hard on it
Feeling alone … pick up the phone, engage on social media
Worry about running out of medication… speak to doctors surgery about getting extra supplies in and asking a friend to pick up the medication, make a note on calendar to re order.
24 hour news … limit to watching a couple of times a day (well try to)
Spending too long on the computer … set alarms to make sure I get up and walk around.
Worried about not being able to reciprocate offers of help … I read a Facebook post this morning about this very stress. I might not be able to drive, or go out and help but I can give a recipe. recommend a playlist, chat on skype.
Going stir crazy … each evening write a list of things to do … so a tidying job, a creative job, an exercise job, a food based job, and go with the flow.
Still waiting for news of what the powers that be have decided is the best course of action for those with an underlying health condition.
I think I’ll write of list of things I could do if ‘given’ a few months of ‘staying in’
Crickey sorry not the most informative, interesting, funny or exciting blog post, more confusing and lack lustre
I think I’ll go and static-ly dance in the conservatory (with the lead piping)
oh yes I listed three things at the beginning, stress, negativity and the cold. As far as we know at time of press Coronavirus is not a 2020 Weather Influencer.
Over and over
LES
