My Davis Phinney colleague Rich Wildau shared a short and lovely piece of writing about Parkinson’s. Its title is “A Letter to My Clients: Things I wish I could have told you on the day you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”
The piece goes to the heart of what it means to “Live Well With Parkinson’s, the Davis Phinney charge.
Here are three points I particularly liked. The entire post is at http://www.invigoratept.com/blog//a-letter-to-my-clients?awt_l=DeIAr&awt_m=nDT1wGzMkwN.Li
“Your Future has Not been decided for you. There will be naysayers and fear mongers, but a diagnosis of Parkinson’s is just that – a diagnosis. It’s a label for a collection of symptoms, not your prognosis or a crystal-ball prediction of what your future holds. It’s okay to believe you’ll get better, not worse, and that you’ll never need a wheelchair. This isn’t denial if this belief is paired with deliberate action on your part to improve your health and maximize your vitality. Your future is in your hands, no one else’s, and your attitude is everything.
“Start Exercising. Now. The evidence is strong – regular exercise is neuroprotective (meaning it protects your brain) and promotes neurogenesis (meaning it helps develop new connections in your brain). The buzzword is “neuroplasticity” which means your brain is always molding and changing based on what you ask it to do. So, challenge it (mentally and physically) to change it for the better. The absorption and utilization of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that is lacking in Parkinson’s, is significantly boosted with a challenging and frequent exercise regime.The bottom line: You shouldn’t miss a day of exercise in the same way you wouldn’t miss a day of taking your medication. Yes, it’s that important! If you’re not an exerciser.. well, you are now!
“Take Action Now, don’t wait. You may feel you’re “not that bad”. Your symptoms are minimal and you feel you can pretend they don’t exist and for a while, yes, you’ll be able to go on as if nothing’s ever happened. Your urge to “stay normal” in the eyes of others for as long as possible is strong– I get it. However, when it comes to Parkinson’s there is no waiting, whether you have symptoms or not. Taking immediate action to uplevel your exercise program, manage your stress, regulate your sleep cycle, and overhaul your nutrition is crucial to preserving your precious brain and is the only option. Medication will help your symptoms and DBS may reduce your tremors, but these are simply masking the dysfunctions in your system, not fixing them.Very similar to the way money compounds in your bank account – not changing your habits now will only compound your problems down the line. Starting today, put yourself first and make your health andfuture your top priority.”
shufflingeditor.com 