Natural Options to Reverse Parkinsons Symptoms

Month: August 2009

When Parkinsons Disease Started

I wonder when Parkinsons Disease started? I wonder if it when the industrial revolution began, in the late 18th century, or before that?

Annette

The individual who is credited with isolating the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease is James Parkinson who wrote an article entitled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy” in 1817. Forty years later the symptoms of Parkinson’s were identified as “Parkinson’s Disease” by Jean Martin Charcot. His name is thus now used as the diagnostic term neurological diagnosis of symptoms by medical doctors. As far as medicine is concerned this is the date when Parkinsons disease started.

Did the symptoms exist before then? Obviously we do not know for sure, but there is evidence in early writings of neurological problems that existed hundreds and hundreds of years previously. Since Parkinson’s is affected by stress, I suspect that the prevalence of Parkinson’s has been more pronounced during those periods of history which were tumultuous.

The neurological system is very delicate. It does not take much to challenge it. It would seem logical to me to conclude that the symptoms were present in one form or another throughout history.

Keep in mind also that there is a very long list of symptoms which overlap with many other “diseases.” It is obvious that many of these symptoms have been present throughout history (e.g.: speech impairments, masked face, depression, constipation, etc.)

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

 

Recovery is a Process

What follows is an e-mail I have permission to post from Bobby who has fully recovered. It is truly inspiring and reveals the reality of how recovery is a process.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

I was just reading one of your articles about recovery is possible. Robert your articles are excellent and inspiring. There is no doubt that if one wants recovery and simply follows the suggestions you have outlined there will be recovery. This old paradigm of the diagnostic approach is sometimes hard to get around, people just don’t see the truth when it is in front of them. I wonder sometimes if a person has to have some sort of predisposition for truth in order to digest the changes in medicine. They are certainly taking place but never quickly.

Sometimes people write and ask me how I recovered from PD since I was diagnosed with advanced pd, I used to know what to say but anymore I am not sure. I want to say something that gives hope without concentrating on myself. These days I am starting to get a lot of professional types through the Bar Association and different doctors around here who knew me when I had the symptoms.

I was recently asked to speak to a group of doctors about my recovery, I am not sure whether I should or not Robert. It is a lot like practicing law, once you say something they hang their hat on that when recover is more a process than just any one thing that I did. Mostly I did many of the things you advocate, in fact I have not found anyone else who articulates the things I believe strongly in. All I know to tell you my friend is your teaching is wonderful. I consider myself fortunate to have crossed your path.

Bobby

What I Learned About Myself Since Parkinsons

The following is an e mail I received from Terry who discusses “what I learned about myself since Parkinsons”. She gave me permission to post her correspondence here.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

In June 2008 I sought medical attention for the chronic fatigue and depression I was feeling after losing my job of 18 years, a close friend, my beloved cat and my apartment. On September 17, 2008 a neurologist told me that I have Parkinsons Disease. This beginning of my PD journey, barring a cure, will last the rest of my life. There is always the optimistic hope that a cure will be found, but realistically, we will he fighting this thing for years to come. Yes, we will continue to benefit from new treatments, drugs, perhaps surgery, gene therapy and results of all kinds of research. But it is not going to be over tomorrow. So dealing with the emotional side of having PD is something I need to face.

I learned a lot about the condition itself and its various treatments, but some of theWhat I Learned About Myself Since Parkinsons most important discoveries I made were not about PD itself. Here are some of the things I learned about myself and others in my first 9 months of PD.

1. Attitude is important. Striving to maintain a positive attitude will affect my experience with Parkinsons. For sure, facing up to the consequences of PD and dealing with the issues it presents effectively will be the key to maintaining a positive attitude that is vitally important.

2.PD is not my life. I have PD and I am now realizing it is inevitably going to have a significant effect on my life, but I am working hard to not have it be the one focus of my life. I am going to carry on doing things I enjoy and although these may be affected by my condition, I am working on a balance. For as long as I am able, I will not let it be the one dominating thing in my life, as it was when I first was diagnosed.

3. I am in this for the long haul. At first I was in denial after the diagnosis then I was hungry for information wanting to know as much as possible about PD. After a short period of time, reading everything I could on PD, I suffered from information overload and now pace myself a little better.

4.I have to help others come to terms with my PD.  To me, telling family and friends about my diagnosis of PD has been the most difficult thing of all. I was emotional and nervous at first knowing that the news would be a shock to them. I find that most people know little about PD and you have to explain it. I tell them it is what Michael J. Fox and Mohammad Ali have.

Their attitudes vary from genuine concern and support, to not knowing what to say and coming out with something like, Oh, well, the treatments are very good these days, and not really wanting to talk about it. After my immediate family knew about it, it became easier for me to let a select few friends know. Each person I tell, hearing my diagnosis of PD, for the first time is clearly quite difficult for some. I find myself feeling sorry for them having to deal with the news and end up being supportive towards them when perhaps it ought to be the other way around.

5.Some people never ask how I am. Some do take the trouble to inquire, but I get the feeling that only some really want the true answer. Perhaps those who do not ask look at me and make their own assessment. Some avoid the subject finding it difficult to deal with the problems I am encountering, maybe not knowing what to say. Some ask my sister when they find it difficult to ask me.

6. Unemployed. In April 2008 I was fired from my job of 18 years, in one telephone conversation, by the owner of the company. She told me some clients said that I did not look happy and the tone in my voice was not friendly. She suggested that I look for another type of work that I truly would like. This was a shock to me. I asked her if I could take some time off because I felt it might be the tress of the soft economy that I was feeling. She said no. At this time I had no idea that I might be ill and my employer did not know either. I went from being praised for years as a top sales producer and being told I was like family, to getting kicked to the curb in one unexpected telephone conversation. What is upsetting to me is that she did not stand by me or try to provide guidance to meet the clients needs. This was a wakeup call for me leading me into an immediate depression.  At least it made me seek medical help which lead me down the road to my diagnosis of PD.

7. Pride can get in the way. Help is available but having been a self sufficient single working female possessing a certain pride in self reliance, requesting help can be difficult. Family and friends are encouraging me to ask for help with some of the things I used to do but are now much more difficult. For now I will still try to manage, but eventually there will be a time I will need help with daily living activities.

8.Will receiving help knock my confidence? When the time comes that I need help, will it make me feel less able? Will it affect my confidence? Will this change my attitude as someone who strives to achieve things, to someone who does not push themselves at all? These are thoughts I wrestle with.

9. The one upside to having PD for me it is that I have met and made friends with a group of people whom I would have never met otherwise, and who have helped me see the way forward. I hope I have helped a little as well. It is the blitz mentality. I suppose, comrades in adversity. It makes the whole experience somewhat bearable to see others who are more seriously affected than me, continuing to live their lives and not feel sorry for them, and fighting their illness with dignity and inner strength.

10. I know I am not alone. There are doctors, nurses, therapists, researchers, my support group, friends and family members all available to help. And there are other people, just like me who are facing the challenge of PD, not by chance, but because the lottery that selected me, also came up with their number. Somehow I think if we all put our heads together we can make the journey we face easier to cope with and we might have some fun along the way.

And there you have it. Up to this point this is what what I learned about myself since Parkinsons.

Terry

Bach Flower Essences

Alan gave me permission to post his experience with Bach Flower essences as therapies for his symptoms.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

While I’ve had to just live with my symptoms sometimes, I’ve also made some good strides with the Bach flower essences–just two of them. I saw a list of 17 essences (in boiled liquid form taken in drops) in a book on detox by Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald. For my use selection, I used the light chair/heavy chair method, mentioned by the psychic woman a few weeks ago in your interviews, naming each one and then seeing what the chair response would be rather than figuring out intellectually what me emotional symptoms were. From her, Lenore, I learned that the universe is made a certain way, meaning that our steps are just before us. Although I’ve noticed these flower essences in my reading for some years, I knew nothing about them and didn’t care to–too complicated! When they were needed, I learned enough about them in just a few days to employ them exactly as I need them for benefit. A woman in a chat room I visited was schooled in Bach, and I asked her the questions that I needed to. I read on websites suggested by Fitzgerald and found a documentary about Bach on youtube that is out of this world. The universe is made a certain way.

I have a stone collection and inherited some of it from my Grandfather’s collection in 1998. I had put an opal near my computer monitor, just because I like having favorite rocks around. On a particularly difficult day, I thought, “doesn’t this stone have some particular type of energy? I wonder what it is.” (I used to be into the energy of stones). I looked for it in Love is in the Earth. Sure enough, this particular stone is called “fire opal”. It doesn’t have iridescence, but it is bright orange. The last item mentioned in the reference as far as energy is concerned was (is used) “to assist in the recovery from Parkinson’s disease.” This didn’t surprise me because “the universe is made a certain way.” What did surprise me was the language of “recovery from Parkinson’s disease,” language like you use, while this book is from 1995! I’ve decided to sleep with the opal, having it near my pillow.

I work in a church as a music director, and my symptoms are quite public. It was a victory for me tonight to take part in an annual potluck, be sociable with a strong enough voice, get up from the table, walk, return, and eat without anyone seeming to notice symptoms. All I ever say to questions is, “I have some problems in my nervous system, and I hope to recover.” Tonight, there were no questions. I know that I have emotionally changed for the better, and that has helped everything.

For those who might have questions, the Bach flower essences affect the emotions only with no guarantee that physical healing will result. It was Edward Bach’s genius to notice that one’s emotional disposition has a lot to do with the course of physical healing. This was observed when two people would have the same disease or two returning British soldiers would come back from WW I with the same type of injury. One would heal easily and rapidly; the other would have a difficult time in the healing of the same problem! Bach took his research into the emotional dimension of his patients to try to help those who had difficulty in healing. I am grateful to him.

I am also grateful to you for setting a style of research into the Parkinson’s recovery field.

Thank you.

Alan

Recovery is Happening for Me

Below is an email I received from Monica who explains how “recovery is happening for me”.  She gave me permission to post her inspiring account.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery 

So thankful for your site !!! It seems the drugs are surrounding me, wanting me to cave in and take them…..its like a cloud that wont go away Inspiration that comes from the other side of the coin is fewer and farther away.

A neuro that I saw yesterday, who disqualified me for a Q-10 clinical trial, just about persuaded me that I was doing disservice to myself by not beginning drugs soon. I asked him a stupid question about whether he knew of anyone who had recovered..He said no. I forgot that he is in the prescription business and that probably seeing my recovery symptoms would made him uncomfortable…

I am 6 yrs with unmedicated symptoms and doing just fine. I am focused on makingrecovery is happening for me new neural pathways for balance right now through specific exercise, visualization and emotional freedom technique. Every year that I am in med free recovery, I celebrate. It is hard work. Recovery is happening for me…

Monica

Recovery Poem

Tuetle sent me this recovery poem she wrote and gave me permission
to post it here on the Parkinsons Recovery blog.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Pd is reversible, Yes, it is true!
No longer a need to be sad or blue
What works for me may not work for you
We can recover when we try things new

Neurons firing as new pathways are made
We all believe, feel secure, not let our hopes fade
As our brains and our bodies change in so many ways
Mobility, balance, joy, we will praise

Negative thoughts may creep in and creep out
We can make it if we throw out our doubt
Waking up, decided that this is all real
No more worries about some crazy new deal

So goodbye Stalevo, Requip, C-R
We will not need you, we know who you are
Healing takes time, energy, and will
We have learned the answers do not live in a pill

Science is searching, their motion is slow
Look- we have things to do, and places to go
Our journey begins now, for you and for me
We simply can not wait till we are one-hundred and three!

New spirit, new hope, new habits!! Freedom!!, we will say!
As the symptoms of Parkinsons pack their bags and go away!
We will heal and recover the skies will be blue
As we live in each moment, we will know that we grew!

Turtle

Thanks to Turtle for allowing me to post her recovery poem which
is an inspiration to us all.