Happy Mother's Day

Art work by Ann  at Zoolatry

Dear Readers,


I'm deviating a little this week by doing a post as a tribute to my own mother, who left this world for a better place in 1995 at the age of 78 after suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease for only about 4 years.  In my eyes, she was a great lady - a hero.   No, you would not have ever heard her name unless our families knew each other - she wasn't famous.   But she was a very strong, courageous lady - ahead of her era.   And I truly admire her for her strength and miss her so much even tho she's been gone for so many years.


Martha (Mom) was second oldest of 10 children and had to drop out of school in the 8th grade to help on the farm, which was typical of her generation.   Her teacher talked to Grandpa and tried to convince him that Martha was very smart and should stay in school.  But in grandpa's eyes, only boys needed to graduate from High School - a woman's place was in the home taking care of the kids.   How times have changed - thank God!   Her life was a hard one, yet she never complained.   


She married my biological father about a year before I came along.   I think she married him to escape an alcoholic, abusive father at home. Unknowingly, my father was also an alcoholic.   She divorced him when I was about 3 because she wanted something better for me than how she grew up  - in an alcoholic, abusive household.    The final straw came for her when one night my biological father was sitting in the tavern drinking, as he often did, when I was at home with an extremely high temperature and had pneumonia.  Mother told me i nearly died that night, but a neighbor came over and took she and I to the hospital so I could be treated.   To get me out of that environment, she packed me up and we moved  with one of her married sisters until she could find a job.   She spent a few years being a live-in housekeeper so we would have a place to live too.   


Keep in mind that she hadn't even graduated from high school.  Also keep in mind this was  in the 1930's and 40's.   Women just didn't get divorced in those days - you were supposed to stand by your man! But she wanted more for me than alcoholism and physical/mental abuse.  A divorced person was looked down upon back in those days - yes, truly they were.   In fact, many times you were shunned.  Some people would not let their children play with your children for fear of what you might do to their children!   After all, you were DIVORCED!


She eventually met and married my stepfather when I was in 3rd grade.  He was a very nice man and really the one I look to and referred to as my dad. he he - I remember being very sad when my mother got married again because it had just been she and I for all my life (that I could remember).  Now this strange man was going to come between us.  But that strange man was wonderful to me and treated me like a daughter.


I know her story is not all that unusual of that generation (except for being divorced - which just was not ever done back then) but I wanted to share why I loved and respected my mother so much.   She was one strong, gutsy lady to strike out on her own with no job and no education and a small baby to boot!


I think sometimes we forget about all the sacrifices our parents have made or are making in our behalf.  I certainly never thought about all this when she was alive, so I never thanked her for it.  And I wished I had.  So this mother dear, is a tribute to you for all you have sacrificed for me.  Mother, you were the best and I love you for all you did for me.


Happy Mother's Day to to all you dear readers too.  If you are a mother to either a human or furbaby, you are appreciated even if we don't tell you often enough. 


Mary   

Making A Fashion Statement - NOT

Dear Readers,

Dream Shoe

When you have Parkinson's Disease, there is a good chance that you will have balance problems - unfortunately it goes with the disease.  Thus, you need to have a good foundation so you can maintain your balance while walking.   Your days of wearing a beautiful, stylish shoe such as this one above are pretty much over.   In reality, you will be in the following - or something similar - especially when outside.

They don't exactly make a fashion statement, but will keep you standing versus falling flat on your face.   


I can get dizzy just walking outside to the patio to put bird seed in one of the feeders.   Yesterday  I found myself getting woozy as I looked up  to find the hook the feeder was hanging on and started to lose my balance.  Fortunately, I was able to stabilize myself and not fall.   Had I been in high heels, I would not have caught myself.   This happens in spite of my efforts to practice balancing on each foot several times a day.   All it takes is for the head and eyes to move too rapidly up or down and over you go - head over teakettle! 


Oh there are tons of flat shoes and sandals that I could wear if I didn't have back problems and foot problems.   That's a separate issue from the Parkinson's issue.   You just have to make sure you have a good firm foundation on which to stand if you have Parkinson's.   


Well, my wonderful yard crew (Harrison and dad) are here taking care of the yard, and I have to pay them for a job well done again.   So, will close for this time. 


Would you believe I managed to prepare this entire blog with the new blogger interface without screwing anything up?   As is the usual case with "new and improved" items, it's more complicated than ever to use now, in my opinion - but then, I don't always like changes,   


Mary

The Journey From D to D - - Not a Subject For The Dinner Table

Dear Readers, 

How did this ever happen!    How does one go from diapers to Depends in 73 years?   (snicker)   How can this be when in my head I'm only 53!

When I started this blog on September 11, 2011 it was with the intentions of being a helpful tool for someone else who is newly diagnosed with Parkinson's and struggling with all the changes your body goes thru - or perhaps in helping to broaden your knowledge base to better understand what your parent might be going thru.   It's my perspective of things and what I have picked up from reading various reputable articles.   Here we are - 7 months later and I'm already talking about (gasp) Depends!

When you have Parkinson's your muscles weaken.   Your bladder is one large muscle.  Did you know that?   I didn't..   Now if you have Parkinson's, it doesn't automatically mean you will end up using Depends, but the chances of it happening are very good.   Muscles tend to weaken as we age anyway, then add Parkinson's to the equation and like magic your bladder muscles weaken too.   What did we ever do before these wonderful products were available?

I am a big water drinker.  If I didn't drink so much water, I'd probably not be buying Depends.  Bbut I love water and you need to drink a lot for urinary tract health and general health.   The biggest problem happens at night.  When you have Parkinson's and Arthritis in the spine, your movements are slower.  Thus getting up out of bed in a hurry for a bathroom trip in the middle of the night just isn't always possible.   It is so nice to have the Depends to depend on for those occasiona l leakages that happen.  (I'm not being paid by Depends - in fact, I buy any brand that's available and is on sale!   They are  nearly all the same.)

While I'm on the subject, Urinary Track Infections are on the rise with the aging population. Dr. Duncan Jefferson blog post on "Sniffing out Urinary Tracts Infections -UTIs" is a very interesting article.  Everyone is susceptible to UTIs - not just the elderly or young children.      You'll remember I've mentioned Dr. Jefferson's blog in the past as being an excellent resource as he writes about all kinds of medical issues in easy-to-understand language. You might nose around in his blog sometime - it's full of helpful information and certainly this post is very interesting.

Until next time,

Mary

What A Day!

Dear Readers,


What a day this has been.   Thankfully, everything is fine now, but it  was an interesting morning and one we don't care to repeat.    I had an entirely different post in my head for an Easter post, but that went by way of the trash bin.


Don woke me up at 6:00, out of a deep sleep, by shaking me.   "Get up - I fell and am bleeding all over the place."    Not the best wake-up call.  Having Mario give me kitty kisses or stare in my eyes only an inch from my face is much more pleasant he he.


Don's description was a little dramatic - he was dripping blood on the carpeting but it wasn't all over the place - just a trail going from the bed into the bathroom.   I'm sure he was still stunned that he fell out of bed (yes  -  fell out of bed") and apparently hit his nose on a table nearby and landed on his face.   His face and nose have a beautiful, bright red, rug burn on them,  his pride is wounded, but otherwise, he's okay.   He is lucky he didn't break something!   


It seems he was dreaming he had fallen out of bed and banged his head.  Well, in reality, his dream wasn't a dream - it was real.  


Since he is on asprin every day as a blood thinner (after having had open heart surgery about  12 years ago), I  was worried about either a concussion or internal bleeding in his head, so I suggested we get dressed right away and drive to the emergency room.   


Four hours, one cat scan of his head, blood work, and an EKG, later -  he was pronounced okay.   


Being a Saturday morning, the ER didn't seem unusually busy, but they had to wait for all test results to come  back, wait for a doctor to read them, wait for the discharge nurse, wait for, wait for, wait for.........   They sure did give him a good going over tho.


We finally got home at 1:00 after stopping off at the drug store for a prescription - very thankful that things were not as bad as they could have been.   I promptly called the man who steam cleans our carpeting, and he came right out (was I lucky or what?)  He performed his magic (he he - his business is called Magic Carpet Cleaning and he did a fantastic job.  There is no sign of an emergency situation in this house.


So, on a happier note  - Happy Easter or PassOver or Happy Day blessings to all of you.   


Until next time - 


Mary

Feet - Human Paws

Bad picture of our Magnolia Tree this spring.

Dear Readers,

Todays post has nothing to do with Parkinson's Disease, but it is something you may very well be faced with in your lifetime - (Gasp!) Toe Fungus!   (Okay, you can stop reading here if you have any objections to this non-dinner conversation topic and come back again when I'm on a more pleasant subject.  he he )

I have had Toe Fungus for probably 20 years on one or more toes and avoided wearing sandals most of my adult life because of it.   At one time the doctor tried a dosage of Spornox on me to treat this problem, but I then broke out in a severe case of hives.   I stopped that drug immediately and just decided to live with the problem. Oh, I did mention my toes to my family doctor on occasion, and his comment was "Oh feet!"   It was very obvious he didn't want anything to do with the subject either.

Fast forward a few years and add arthritis to the toes and spine, in addition to the Fungus.   I recently had to go in search off a Podiatrist to treat the fungus problem and find one who could  cut back an ingrown toenail or a toenail that I felt was going to become ingrown.   That's when I found out that most of the podiatrists today don't want to see a patient for toenail trimming - or fungus nails.   Interesting!!   Why?   I don't know!

I finally found a Podiatrist that would treat my ingrown nail only (according to the receptionist).  (He would not trim the nails with the fungus.)   I grabbed the appointment while I could get one and went off to see that doctor yesterday.

Fortunately, he did decide to trim my horrendous nails that Don and I have trouble trimming because they are so thick.  I did not ask him to - he did it on his own,   He was hesitant to prescribe Lamisil (a medication to treat toenail fungus) because it can damage the kidneys and I'm already on lots of strong medication.   So we talked about removing the toenail covering the big toe.   I'm going to have that done - only will wait until early May so it's warmer outside and maybe I can wear open toed sandals while the toe heals.

I was really shocked when I heard doctor after doctor say that they don't do toenail trimming.   i'm fortunate that Don and I have each other, but what about those people who have no one to help them?   When you have Arthritis and get to be this age, it isn't always easy to trim your own toenails.   

Why is it that podiatrist after podiatrist office told me they were not taking any new patients for toenail trimming?   I know Medicare doesn't pay for that, and that's understandable.  But if a patient isn't capable of doing their own and is willing to pay to have it done, what is a person to do?  Yes, I could have gone to some salon for a pedicure, but I didn't want that.  I wanted to make sure the person doing the trimming knew how to work with toes that had a fungus and could maybe offer a solution to the ongoing problem.   I wanted a foot doctor!  Is that unreasonable?  

In the grand scheme of life, this is a minor problem, but it's very annoying.   

Does anyone else have that problem and have you also found it difficult to get in to see a Podiatrist for nail trimming?  

Mary

The Other Kind Of Dragon

Dear readers,


I think I mentioned in my last post that the program Dragon Naturally Speaking had arrived at our doorstep late last week.  I have spent 3 days playing with it, and i can honestly say I LOVE IT!   


In my opinion, it's a hard program to learn when you are old and technologically challenged.  But, it's getting easier each day.  Ha ha - those first 3 days were filled with my calling the Customer Service number probably at least 20 times, usually needing help with the blue tooth gizmo.   This is my first experience with a Blue Tooth - ya ya - I know we're behind the times here.  he he  - but at least I knew what a blue tooth was.  ha ha  


I have to say the customer service was wonderful, patient, and walked me through things step by step.   I do much better with learning via hands-on rather than reading.  


I'm especially happy that it will work on Twitter, which was my main reason for getting it - to keep in touch with the many friends I've met there and in the blog world.   


ha ha - I did learn the hard way tho that one has to be careful when one carries on a conversation within your own household while wearing the blue tooth.  Don and I had a conversation yesterday and Dragon transcribed the entire conversation and typed it on Twitter.   Fortunately, it was way way too long to send out, but I sure did have a lot of back spacing to do to erase all of it.


Probably the biggest challenge is to memorize all the commands one can use.   Presently, I use a combination of dictating to Dragon, but I then correct Dragon's mistakes or mistakes I've made.   Dragon and I are both trying to get used to each other.  ha ha - someone asked if I was going to call him Puff.  Actually, I think that's a good idea.   Once Puff and I get used to each other, life will be easier.


It's funny because in all my working years I used to do transcription of School Psychological Reports, and School Social Worker Reports.  All of a sudden I have to learn to dictate - which isn't easy.   You really need to pre-plan a little as to what you want to say before you start the paragraph.   Puff likes to be told punctuation, which you have to remember to toss in as you are dictating.   It will get easier as time goes on and I become more familiar with the program.  The other strange thing for me is writing something without typing it.  My brain has always automatically communicated with my fingers.   I never really gave much thought to what I was writing - it just seemed to flow out my fingers.   Now I have to think ahead.   I suspect this will become easier with use also.  


I'm sure a younger person could breeze through this without half the struggles I go through.   But, I'll get there - it just may take me longer.   Oh yes, the other downside is that it doesn't know cat talk.  So Mario has to tell me what he wants to say and then I have to tell Puff in human talk.   I could take the time to teach Puff some of Mario's special words, but that will take time also.


The entire program is rather amazing actually.   Now i wonder if Dragon can balance the checkbook for me and clean the refrigerator.


Mary

Why Haven't You Posted?

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
(YES, that is one of many glaciers)

Dear Friends,


Last night two dear friends asked why I hadn't posted in awhile.   Well, I guess several reasons - it takes me longer these days to do anything (including think).  Then last week there were a couple of days that I could barely type because my hands were bouncing around all over the place.  I was also going through a "dumps" period for a week or two.   You know the kind - "poor me" - "why me"  - pity weeks.  No, I don't want anyone else to feel sorry for me - I did enough of that myself last week.  As I have said, there are many  young people in this big wide world with worse problems.   I really feel that way 99.9% of the time.  But I guess a case of the "poor me blues"  was bound to creep up on me.  It has been a year since I was diagnosed with PD, and this is the first time I've gone through it.      


My self-pity period may have been blessing in disguise as it forced me into doing something proactive.   I've purchased a computer program called "Dragon Nuance Naturally Speaking."    Several good friends on Twitter have been encouraging me for about 6 months to look into it.   After having a bad couple of weeks of not being able to type much, I decided it was TIME to at least check into it.


My big concern was that it might not be compatible with Twitter and Blogger, as those are my two big social outlets.   A call to the company representative assured me it was compatable.   And, it just so happened they had a little special going on whereby there would be $50 off the Blue Tooth head set.   My son-in-law (SIL) told me the Dragon has been around for years - they kind of come on strong for awhile, then fade away for awhile, then come back strong again after improving things.   He said there was no concern with my computer not being able to handle it.    After talking it over with Don, I decided to order it.


What is Dragon?   It's a system that will allow me to dictate the words to be typed and the program will type for me.   Beats me as to how this is possible. But I've always said (especially when there are problems with the computer) that there are little tiny gremlins running around inside the computer and every now and then they say "gotcha."   So maybe now the little gremlins are the ones who will be typing for me.   he he.    


I'm excited for it to come, which will probably be one day this week.  Unfortunately, there will be a learning curve for both me and the software.   Dang, I swear this computer stuff is smarter than humans sometimes.   I had to laugh when she said the program would have a learning curve too.  I wonder if it gets an A, B or a C and who will rate it.   


Oh, and does that mean I'll be pacing the floor while dictating.  ha ha - every boss I ever had that dictated paced the floor!!   Stay tuned for more news on this one.


Mary

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks and Good News

Photo taken in Alaska May 2011.on our cruise

Dear Readers,


Happy Valentine's Day.  Fifty-four (54) years ago today, Don and I walked down the isle at our wedding.   Where have those years gone!!  How can it possibly be 54 years when in my head I'm still 40ish (not my body, but my head).  My body hasn't felt like 40 since - well - age 40.




The other morning I woke up with a good idea for a blog post.  I Should have written it down, but didn't.  Obviously, today I couldn't remember what it was. It's so frustrating when that happens.   


I don't know if you have been noticing the various headers at the top of this blog and Mario's blog or not.  But I recently took advantage of a 30-day trial program that PhotoShop Elements 10 was offering.   WOW, I'm not sure if this old dog is up to learning all these new tricks or not.  It's very complicated.  They only use video's as a teaching tool.   By the time I've watched the video and then try to put in practice what I have seen, I've forgotten half the steps involved to get there.  I guess I'm just going to have to view one video every 3 days, try to take notes as I'm watching, and than practice those techniques for the next 3 days.   Since I have shaky hands, it's not easy to take notes while watching the video, and what few notes I take, I have trouble reading.


Now on to the Fantastic News.  Last week, while reading the blogs, I happened on an update in the Parkinson's Disease Foundations's Blog written by James Beck, Ph.D., Director of Research Programs.

It seems that two different scientists have discovered independently that Alzheimer’s disease may spread from brain cell to brain cell much like a virus.

Now what does all this have to do with Parkinson's? Well, there are similarities in that their theory is whatever causes Parkinson's reacts much the same way - traveling from cell to cell (cell might be the wrong scientific term here). I'm not going to try to explain it here because it's way too scientific for this old brain and I might not use the right terminology which could cast an entirely different light on things. I suggest you take a minute to read Dr. Beck's interesting article.

There is now hope that perhaps a vaccine can be developed to stop the spread of the disease and maybe even prevent it. I had left a comment in his blog that I wouldn't mind being a part of that test group - whenever and if it reaches that point. Of course, in reality, that is a long way in the future and probably won't happen in my lifetime. So, I'm not going to hold my breath or get too excited about the possibility of being a part of scientific research. But it is the most hopeful thing I have read about this disease - ever. If interested in reading the article - just click here: Parkinson's Disease Foundations Blog It's a short article and easy to read.

This has been a half way decent week pain wise. I got my two shots in the sacroiliac joints one week ago yesterday. The shots also helped my back a little bit. I don't know how long this will help, but I can't get another set of shots for 4 months.   I'm going to enjoy this time now while I have it for however long it lasts.


Happy Valentines Day!


Mary

Mother Nature's Return Visit

Dear Readers,


Mother Nature decided she wasn't calling an end to winter yet.   It started snowing early this morning , we have about 3 inches of snow on the ground with strong winds wildly re-arranging snow.   We have a pretty, colorful flag which you can barely make out in the picture because the wind is whipping it around.   I was hoping the flag would show up better as it helps brighten up the day with the new snowfall.  Tonight the temperatures will fall below zero.  Hopefully Mario will really snuggle in bed because that little guy acts like a furnace - you don't get cold with him next to your back.


A funny thing happened while grocery shopping this morning.  As I was headed to check out, Don took off and was shopping in the "card" section.   I made the statement to the checkout girl that "I seemed to have lost my husband."   She replied with - "That's okay - another one will be along shortly".  ha ha! Sure enough, a couple of minutes later a man fell in line behind me at which time the checkout girl stated "See - I told you."   Now at this point I burst out laughing because it was so funny.   The man behind me had no clue why we were both laughing, and neither did Don when he finally caught up with me.  It's probably the most fun grocery shopping trip I've had in months.  ha ha - doesn't take much to make a highlight in my day.


I continued to laugh until I was presented with the total bill.  Talk about sticker shocker!   When are those rising grocery prices going to stop.   


I have another post planned for tomorrow and it's pretty exciting, but today I just had to share something fun for a change.   I'm having some good days this week - thanks to a Cortisone shot in each of my sacroiliac joints on Monday (right where your "sitter" is).   I've been able to get rid of the pain pills for now anyway, and just go with 2 Tylenol three times a day. 


Until tomorrow - hope you are snow free and having a great Friday.


Mary

Flat Mario on a Cruise to Alaska - Blog Hop

Flat Mario on an Alaskan Cruise

Dear Readers,

Last May 2011,  Don and I and our daughter and her husband took a cruise to Alaska.   At the time, Mario, our cat, had a Twitter friend visiting from Germany.  Lippi, a stuffed bear, was on a world tour of various Twitter animal friends.   When we found out about the cruise, we asked Lippi's human if maybe Lippi's schedule could be changed slightly so he could go on the cruise with us.  Fortunately it could be arranged and we ended up getting Lippi 3 days before leaving on the cruise.  Lippi was in Chicago at the time visiting @BusyButtons, and Buttons was gracious and sent him on to us early so he could go on the cruise.

Lippi had all kinds of adventures.   You might enjoy reading about them in Mario's blog at http://www.mariodacat.blogspot.com/2011/06/lippe-arrives.html.   This is the first of several posts, but you can go to the bottom of each post and click on "older post."    We had some great adventures with Lippi.

Now why did I talk about this now?   Because I've joined a Saturday Photo Hunt and the subject this week is "Flat."   Well, Flat Mario went on the cruise with us because the real Mario couldn't go.   Here's the link to the Photo Hunt:  

Whistle Stop Photo Hunt.

Would you believe Lippi is still on that world tour and is visiting, I believe, the State of Washington.   I hope Lippi writes a book because he really had some great adventures.   Shhh, don't tell anyone, but Kim and Ken taught him how to drink Beer and he had a couple of hang overs.  Silly bear.  

Thanks for visiting today.  

Mary

Parkinson's and Skin Issues - Leprosy?

Dear Readers,


Did you know that it's very common to have skin issues with Parkinson's?   Yes, I know, it's typical anyway as we age.  But I can tell you I have noticed many more skin blemishes on my body in the past year since being diagnosed with PD.   In fact my family doctor had mentioned (when I had showed him a couple of moles) that I can plan on getting many more of them too, along with other skin issues.   I used to wear makeup to cover up all the skin things, but have finally decided this is "who I am" - take it or leave it.


A couple of days ago  I went to the beauty shop for my monthly trim, after my guardian angel of hair coloring (A special friend who colors my hair for me monthly) had applied hair coloring the day before.   My beautician noticed  a couple of areas of dry, sand-papery skin on my forehead.  (See picture with arrow in the middle of my forehead).  I know it doesn't show up very well on the picture, but it is very noticeable in person - looks like dirty skin that just won't scrub clean.  Or somewhat like a birth mark.  


My beautician had a name for the skin condition, and typical me, I can't remember what she called it.   But she did show me a product that she uses on her face as a moisturizer (she has severe rheumatoid arthritis) and also has skin problems.  She recommended Cocoon, which is full of Amino Acids.   Now it's too early to give a report on how it works because I just started using it a few nights ago.   I will keep you posted though.  But, already, after only 6 nights  my face does not feel so dry.     

It is pricey, but will be worth the price if it works.  None of my other moisturizers worked for this problem.  (No, I'm not being compensated for mentioning this product or the product mentioned below in any way!)

I meant to ask the doctor about something to use on my face, but forgot because I didn't have it written on my list.  But for now the Cocoon seems to be helping.


According to The Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book by J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D., what I have on my face probably is Seborrhea Dermatitis.  "The jury is still out as to what really causes skin problems with Parkinson's patients, but it is suspected that the various medications are the cause."   If i were to make a guess -  YES - IT'S THE DRUGS!!   What is that old saying - "Better Living Thru Modern Chemistry!"  


By the way, I saw my family doctor two weeks ago and showed him all my moles (just to be safe).   I'm happy to report none of them are cancerous.  That's another thing that has worsened since being diagnosed with Parkinson's.   The amount of moles on my skin has increased two-fold in 1 year, along with little bumps that look like warts.   


Overall my skin is extremely dry - to the point where it's very itchy.   I was talking to a friend on Twitter one day, and she suggested using "Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula, with Vitamin E."  Let me tell you - that stuff works magic.   I do have to apply it daily, and if I don't, I really pay for it big time with excessive itching.  Cocoa Butter is an old product as I remember my mother using it when I was a kid.  It's also Fragrance Free for anyone needing that feature.   I don't know why it didn't work on my face, but it didn't.  You can also pick it up at the local drug store.  


Now dry skin is typical in the winter if you live in a northern climate.   Our houses are dry with the heating unit running full force in the winter.  But my skin is dryer than it has ever been before, and this is the first year I've had the itching to go with it.   I also drink a lot of water, but that hasn't made a difference either this year.  The Palmers Cocoa Butter takes care of the itching for almost 24 hours.


Would you believe I even looked up  Leprosy on the internet to see what that looked like?   Horrible, don't even bother to look.   ha ha - at least I don't have that!


Thanks for visiting once again, I know this is a boring post - guess it's reflective of the mood I'm in these days.



Mary

Fluffy - The Saturday Photo Hunt

Dear Readers,


I've joined the Whistle Stop Saturday Blog Hop and this week's assignment is FLUFFY!   The fluffiest thing in our house is our cat, Mario  When I started this blog my intentions were to keep it separate from Mario's, but here I am using one of his 400 pictures! Guess you can tell who ranks in this house.  Sorry, but he is the fluffiest thing we have.


I started out hunting for a good article on the importance of pet therapy.  Well, of course when you want something specific, you can't find it.   But I know you have all seen the articles at one time or another:   Having a pet is good for mental health, lowers blood pressure, good therapy for depression, good for overall health, etc.   Even nursing homes/assisted living facilities are getting with the program and allow residents to sometimes have a pet.   


Mario is all of the above for us.  He's not the most beautiful cat in the world, but he makes up for that by being super friendly and loveable and is good therapy for both Don and myself.   And, the fluff on his belly is super soft!


He is good therapy for both Don and I - gives us a reason to get up in the morning.  He shows unconditional love


It's nice to see more and more nursing homes/assisted living getting on board and allowing their residents to have a pet.  

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEUfAmIlVl8mDdtHOmmc3Pi1j1e0GpJasMLZQveNL9xH41lEnIKBYxAxRGtTS4aWNS_wS4ry-Yt_jtMKDKfGJhHwLH2tUzYmhBT5dK1Dae27aah2_vARKlr-9i3GFCIRC6Aai24I_NMyR/s1600/photohunter7iq.png

Now - why don't you join the photo hunt.   


Mary 

Shining Star Award and Liebster Award

Dear Readers,


I was deeply touched the other day when one of Mario's Twitter friends, Prudence over at A Coonhound's Tales  presented me with an award - not Mario.   I was very surprised and touched because my blog is so new and still in the "making" so to speak.   Receiving that award reminded me that Mario hadn't acknowledged his awards received since Thanksgiving either.  Thus we've decided to do a combined post and present some of the awards to followers of my blog and some to followers of Mario's blog.   Whenever we get an award, we like to present to some of our friends that haven't had much exposure yet but have good and interesting blogs.


This afternoon Mario updated his blog and we presented the Shining Star Award (pictured above)  to a young lady suffering from a debilitating disease she was born with.   Nicole at Crippie's Corner is an inspiration to me as she always seems upbeat and keeps her sense of humor.  To view her blog, just click on her name.

Mario actually received the Liebster Blog Award about a month ago from Abby at Manxmnews Blog and then I received it just recently from Prudence over at A Coonhound's Tales.   Therefore, we are taking 5 blogs from my list and 5 from Mario's list.  This same information will be posted in Mario's blog.

"Liebster" means favorite or beloved in German, and this award helps to draw attention to blogs that aren't too well known.

Here are the rules for this award:

Upon receipt of the award, one is to:

1) Link back to the blogger who gave it

2) Paste the award on the blog

3) Choose 5 blogs to pass this award to (they must have fewer than 200 followers)

4) Let the recipients know about their nomination by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Mariodacatsmom presents the Liebster Award to: 


Day By Day With Beth Marie - Beth lives with a life-threatening disease - day by day.


Life Your Way  -  Living with a chronic illness.  When I'm feeling down, she's another one who can cheer me up.   

Notes For My Next Life  - Works in the music industry in Los Angelas, CA - interesting experiences in her lifetime.  

RamblingOn  - Breath-Taking photography, human for @Katiebella2 and for @AdmiralHestorb, who is now OTRB. 

Starting My Collection  -  Granddaughter of dear friends who happens to love to cook and is good at it.  Has posted several good recipes.   



Mariodacat presents 5 awards to:


http://nerissa-the-cats-life.blogspot.com/

http://meoweh.blogspot.com/2012/01/mellow-fellow-eh.html


http://whisppy.blogspot.com/2012/01/monday-madness-with-merlene.htm


http://teamtabby.blogspot.com/


http://jazzydacat.blogspot.com  --  Mario and I are hoping she'll come out of hiding and post again, so we just had to give her this award to entice her!




Enjoy your award friends,


Mary & Mariodacat   

PART 2 - "M.S. And Me" by Guest Writer, Jane - HuMan to @JessieJaney

Jane's home city

Dear Readers,

Now, back by popular demand, here is Jane, huMan to @JessieJaney.  (If you missed Part I, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Previous Post.)

"Heat and MS: This is my version of hell! Late one night, about 7 years ago I was sitting in a lovely lilac scented hot bath when suddenly I could no longer sense my legs. They weren't numb; it was like they had disappeared! I was terrified as, at that time, I only weighed 45kg (about 99lb) and did not have the strength to get out of the bath to a phone. With a pounding heart I pulled the plug and sat there. Jessie's predecessor Zoe (another black cat) sat with me for the next 3 hours. Gradually my legs awoke and I was able to flop out of the bath and drag myself to my bed where I fell into an exhausted sleep. The next day it was as though I'd had a nightmare but, as I was still wrapped in my towel, I'd knew that it wasn't. A few hours later, I saw my GP and he explained that MS sufferers often have what is called a pseudo-exacerbation which occurs when the core body temperature rises.

Imagine living without the luxury of having a hot bath or shower! Imagine living in a country where the average summer daytime temperature is over 30oC (86oF)! Imagine living with the fear that a slight infection might raise your body's temperature! If you can imagine this then you know the apprehension that is my shadow. This summer has been a bad one for me as a new symptom has raised its wicked head. Not only is the temperature causing me problems with its regular "pseudos" but they now bring with them cramps. Enough of the whining, Jane!

Negative Side-Effects: I have gone from a relatively healthy and happy woman to one who hides from the world. I gave up work 10 years ago when I no longer had the ability to concentrate for the periods required to continue to be a successful Office Manager and for 4 months of the year I'm a virtual prisoner in my air-conditioned unit. Air travel is now a thing of the past as I am unwilling to risk the effects of air pressure.

Positive Side-Effects: I am fortunate that my disability pension, inheritance and superannuation enable me to live a relatively comfortable existence. I found the internet and over the years have played in such games as Palace, Second Life and now, Twitter. I have made many wonderful friends, people who I will never meet but who have touched my heart. I've learned the wonders of Adobe Photoshop, although I do prefer using JASC Paint Shop Pro (now owned by Corel Draw who have completely stuffed up the newer versions of PSP). I have had the joy of being accompanied by two wonderful cats (first Zoe and now my fearless Jessie). In Twitter Jessie displays my real personality. I guess that the staff of anipals really do take on the image of their employers … or is that around the other way? Most importantly, this year I've learned to be less selfish with now having to be the carer, in a small way, of my carer, my darling brother, Hugh.

So that's my story and I hope that it has given you a small insight into "MS and me."



Jane

Mary here: Jane your story has been so valuable in teaching us all what it is like to live with M.S. How scary it must have been to be trapped in a bathtub and not to feel your legs or be able to pull yourself up.   I can't imagine. 

To quote one of our mutual Twitter friends "Jane is so brave to come forward with her story." Thank you Jane for sharing your story with us so we could get to know you better and understand through you just what it's like to live with M.S. I do hope you will come back again and update us on your situation. My thoughts and prayers will always be with you as you bravely battle this disease.

"M.S. And Me" by Guest Writer, Jane - HuMan to @JesseJaney

Our guest writer (Jane) in an overlay of Melbourne, AU,
her home city

Dear Readers,


I have been so blessed to have such great guest writers, and I'm equally pleased to introduce another one to you today.   This gal also has a debilitating disease that there is no cure for.  When I heard a piece of her story a week ago, I knew I had to ask her if she wished to guest write. 


Jane's story:


"Hi I'm Jane, the huMum of @JessieJaney, and I'm writing this in answer to @Mariodacat Mom's kind invitation to provide her with a "guest post" for her blog. I do not have Parkinson's Disease but I do have a degenerative disease of the central nervous system too and its called Secondary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Oh goodness me where do I start with writing about "MS and me"? I feel such a fraud, as at this moment in time I'm basically healthy.



What is MS: It is now generally accepted that MS involves an abnormal response of the body’s immune system that is directed against the fatty sheath (myelin) that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibres in the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves). It affects different people in different ways with symptoms being mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. They do know it affects more people the further from the equator they reside. It is presently incurable. It has many types - Relapsing and Progressive and the variations in between. The worst being Primary Progressive which seems to mainly affect those diagnosed at an early age (in their 20's) and invariably leads to an early death from such complications as pneumonia.

My History: The first thing that hit me was depression at the age of about 40. My wonderful GP and I both agreed it was probably the beginning of the "change". After numerous and various anti-depressants (plus sessions with psychologists and psychiatrists), I just wasn't improving and it had got to the stage I had to crawl off my bed to get to the bathroom because of the "lightening strikes" firing off in my head. For about 2 years I gave up on the medical world but my worried boss and dear friend phoned my brother (Jessie's Uncle Hugh) who, in turn, insisted I go back to my GP after he visited him to itemise my symptoms. The result was an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) that showed extensive demyelination and the resulting frightening initial prognosis of Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis. Things moved quickly - days later I was seeing a Neurologist and hours after that I was hospitalised for the first of many times. I was prodded and poked, scanned and x-rayed, eye-tested, spinal tapped (ouch) and then for three days I had a shunt in my hand and a twice daily infusion of high dose corticosteroids as at that time I was suffering from an exacerbation (meaning, I'd relapsed) and steroids were needed to kick-start the body into remission, or as we say in the MS world into remitting.

To cut a long story short - that first visit to a hospital occurred 10 years ago. Since then I have been through the relapse/remit cycle so many times I can't count. Three day stays in hospital for corticosteroid treatment have become an annual norm in my life. For this post I looked at my MRI scan history and see that I have had over 30! It's a wonder I'm not a magnet by now! I've spent 6 years on Interferon Beta-1b (called Betaseron) as these 2 times a week, self- administered injections are supposed to delay the onset of relapses and progression. This has not yet been proven in Clinical Trials to my satisfaction. The side-effect of this drug is "flu-like symptoms" so, with the begrudging approval of my Neurologist, I decided to quit. I am prepared for the consequences of my actions but I do not fear them, as living with the flu for 6 years is the pits.


I now have Secondary-Progressive MS but have been on a plateau for a number of years. I do have a permanent limp and peripheral damage to the sight in my right eye. I suffer cognitive dysfunction, meaning I no longer have the ability to quickly problem-solve or perform calculations. My balance is "crappy" and I often have falls, usually in the most embarrassing places like the supermarket car park, so it is rare to find me without a scrape, bruise or bandage of some kind. At times I'm reduced to using a walker to get around and at other times you could pass me on the street and only notice a slight limp. I do try to eat a healthy diet and get my 1/2 hour of sunshine a day (my Vitamin D hit) but find that summer is hellish."

  

@JessieJaney

Mary here: I'll give you the second half of Jane's story in the next post.  Be sure to come back and find out why Jane's Summers in Australia are hellish!   I have learned so much about MS from Jane.

PD Drugs (brand name vs generics) and PD vs Weather

The other day one of Mario's Twitter friends asked him if the change in weather bothered my Parkinson's Disease.    I then did some research both thru "The Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book" by J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D. Mayo Clinic Parkinson Specialist, and thru http://www.parkinson.org/.   I could not find any reference to weather playing a role in Parkinson's Disease.  It doesn't seem to affect me either - but read on......

However, i do have arthritis in many of my joints and spine.   I can tell you without a doubt that weather does impact my arthritis.   The past couple of mornings I have awaken to a very sore, stiff body and it has been difficult to get moving.   So, thank heavens for the Tramadol and Tylenol combination my family doctor prescribed.   

While doing the research on Weather/Parkinson's, I happened on an article published in http://www.parkinson.org/.  In an article (half way down the page on the left hand side) - click on:

• Generic vs. Branded Drugs for Parkinson’s Disease

The following paragraphs were copied from that article:

"Currently, there are multiple pharmaceutical companies that manufacture a generic formulation of carbidopa/levodopa, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and anticholinergics. If you have Parkinson’s, are taking brand name medication and then are offered a generic substitution for one of your Parkinson’s medications, you should know that the FDA requires that generic drugs must show an “essential similarity” to the branded drug prior to market approval, but that in some cases, this standard is not high enough. A review supported by NPF chronicles compelling evidence that if you are in more advanced stages of the disease, switching from branded drugs to generic, or from one generic to another, may have adverse effects. The authors, including NPF National Medical Director Dr. Michael S. Okun, believe that the standards for approving generic drugs for Parkinson's may not be strict enough to demonstrate that the generic alternatives are equally effective."

"Work with your physician to develop a tailored treatment plan. Using generic drugs may provide a cost savings, but they may not be appropriate for you, especially if you already tolerate the branded drug.
If you make the switch, be sure to follow these tips:

• Report to your physician how effective the drug is
• Carefully keep a diary of any side effects
• Record dose adjustments that your physicians make (higher or lower)
• In general, try to stay with a single drug manufacturer for your generic medications (You may need to ask your pharmacist to special order for you)

When attempts to tailor drug therapy with a generic drug have been unsuccessful, have your doctor appeal to the insurance company for a branded drug. It is important to include meticulous details of the various adverse side effects with the generic medication in your appeal letter."

So this article supports the problems I experienced when the doctor switched me from the Brand name Mirapex to the generic one.  My system couldn't tolerate it and it wasn't my imagination.   Many of my readers also confirmed they many times they have had problems with generics.  This is not to say that generics are bad.  They are not, but if they don't work for you, then they don't work for you.  Tell your doctor.   This may be why I had problems with the generic levodopa/carbidopa drug that the doctor tried me on, which was also a generic.   I will be talking to him about that and am printing off a copy of this article to take with me.


In my opinion, doctor's are beginning to prescribe more and more generics because


1.  It does save the patient money. but, more importantly......
2.  The Insurance Companies prefer the use of generics to save money.  If a brand name is prescribed, the doctor has to jump through hoops to request the brand name.  They are already over booked with patients and just don't have time for the added paper work.   Strictly my opinion, not based on fact but seems to be what happens in my case.  


Thanks for reading about this subject again.  But I had to document what I found to back up my comments on the problems I was having.  


Mary

Happy New Year 2012

Dear Friends,


WOW - another year over - where did it go.  When I retired 4 years ago, I wondered what I'd do with the rest of my life!!   I'm still wondering, but here I am just shuffling along each day.



When I started this blog in September, I had no idea what direction it would take.  ha ha - I still have no sense of direction, but am shuffling along with this too.  I do know that you, dear readers, are the ones who keep me going.   


I am so very thankful for each of you.


....You put up with me when I'm down.
....You provide encouraging words that pick me up again.
....You sympathize with me when I need it.
....You provide helpful, useful information in your comments and on Twitter.
....Your support is SO VERY APPRECIATED!


Thanks for "hanging" in there with me.


We celebrated New Year's Eve in typical fashion by going to a movie - "I Just Bought A Zoo" with friends, which is very good and worth seeing.  Then out for a sandwich, and home by 7:30 p.m.  Woohoo!    The New year's Eve pawty at  #nipclub on Twitter was great fun but I had to call it a night at 10:30.   I can remember when we were in our 30's we'd stay up all night and top the night off with breakfast.   Guess we've really slowed down over the years.  


Then of course today is FOOTBALL - GO PACKERS - GO BADGERS!!   It will be a happy day in Wisconsin if they both win!   Most of my friends in town know I don't especially care for football, but even I get excited when our state goes to the Rose Bowl and the Green Bay Packers might just get to the Super Bowl again this year.   My fingers are crossed, and Mario's paws are crossed.  We're hoping for a win-win for both.   


Our New Year wish for all of you is that you ...


...find a job if you are looking for one (so many are these days),
...have good health in 2012 - if you have good health, you have all the richness of life
...have enough $$ to keep you in food and shelter 
...have a warm roof over your head
...find happiness from within
...find a reason to laugh daily- for laughter is the best medicine of all and no side-effects except maybe a sore side!   (get it - splitting your sides from laughter!)


Happy New Year and love to each and every one of you.


Mary