PD causing problems

[Gitmo1995]

I have had PD for three years. Many symptoms but the latest problem is very weak legs and ankles. I have to be very careful getting up from a sitting to standing position, holding on to something . I trip a lot when trying to walk, I am finding it hard to judge distance and bumping into things.

[tid1]

Do you have a walker? If not it would probably help. A physical therapist can show you how to use the walker to help you stand up, and how to use the walker to step up/down on curbs. Put strips of duct tape on the outside of the walker legs so it won't scratch furniture you bump into.

[Gitmo1995 in reply to tid1]

I do have a walker but it's still hard to get around the house. I was exposed to agent orange in Vietnam and the VA just recently acknowledged that my PD was the result. I am now drawing VA compensation, for anyone that was around agent orange in Vietnam you too may be entitled to compensation.

[Don_oregon_duck in reply to Gitmo1995]

Hi Gitmo , I was exposed to Agent Orange in Korea. I have filed my claim. What percentage disabled did they determine for you?

[Gitmo1995 in reply to Don_oregon_duck]

I was rated at 100%. I get $3,100.00 a month.

[Don_oregon_duck in reply to Gitmo1995]

Wow, that is great. I will just have to wait and see how they rate me.

[Gitmo1995 in reply to Don_oregon_duck]

Keep in mine, this you will die from this or sooner from something else. I'm just glad I can give my wife some additional money. I am at the point I don't leave the house.

[Don_oregon_duck in reply to Gitmo1995]

One of my doctors says "you won't die from Parkinson's, but you might die from the fall." That's not fun to look forward to. I am still able to get out of the house on most days. I get to do rocksteady boxing twice every week. I probably won't get the 100 % classification at first.

[sharron2 in reply to Don_oregon_duck]

You may well be surprised at how you are rated. Be sure your doctor noted loss of smell, gait issues, hand swing, bowel changes, swallowing and voice changes, posture and balance issues and fatigue. These all add to the rating.

My husband is still operating pretty well, but with a lot of exhaustion, and most of the issues listed above(he is in the early stages). He was rated at 80%. With his other agent orange issues and war injuries he is now 100%.

If I remember correctly, you get 30% just for the diagnosis and the other impacts add to the total.

[Gitmo1995 in reply to sharron2]

The VA has a crazy way of reaching a disability rating. I am rated on PD, 9 stents in my heart, PTSD, hearing loss, high blood pressure problems that is hard to control. I would rather forgo the compensation for perfect health. I joined the military at age 17, thought I could do anything forever. Seems like 17 was just yesterday and now I'm going on 71.

[JohnPepper]

Join the club! There is something you can do about it, but it involves exercise, and you probably think that the last thing you need or are capable of is exercise. You may be wrong!

Parkinson's plays havoc with anything we do without having to think about what we are doing, like walking, bringing food to our mouth and writing. But did you know, our brains can still perform those movements NORMALLY, WHEN WE LEARN HOW TO USE OUR CONSCIOUS BRAIN AGAIN TO CONTROL THEM!

have a look at my profile and see what has happened to me!

[BillDavid]

The Primary effect of PD is the destruction of Dopamine producing Neurons located in the Black Nucleus at the bottom of the brain. Setting on top of the nucleus is the Straitim like the cap on a mushroom. it provides the signals to control posture and and gait. Posture s controlled by ankle joints, knee joints, waist joints, so forth up the body. Joint movement is controlled in turn by opposed sets of muscles the extensors and flexors. The control problem is that the strengthen command for the extensors gets messed up, they become weak. This in turn causes major problems with the flexors, now opposed by a weak extensor muscle, they become too strong, resulting in pain, muscle fusion, even atrophy. These secondary and tertiary effects are the problems. Also offer the solution, the fix for weak extensor muscles is strengthing exercises. For the too tight flexor muscles it is stretching these muscles, reducing the over pull and often the pain. Recommend consulting a Physical Therapist.

BillDavid

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[BillDavid in reply to BillDavid]

Enthusiastically recommend John Pepper's advice, he is a true outlier, a guiding light showing the way.

BillDavid

[Beverly2017 in reply to BillDavid]

I believe that Exercise not only keeps the muscles working but in my case I think that my brain manufactures dopamine when I exercise. I start my walk with my left arm rigid and my left leg dragging. Both function better after a 40 minute vigorous walk. So I try and exercise daily. It's my life line!

[BillDavid]

Beverly2017 I agree with your observation. The Cleveland clinic, a few y ears back, ha d some researchers whom where into participating in the annual Iowa summer high speed bike Tour. They did a test by having P:arkinson's iDisease Patients ride tandem to maintain

a criterion pace of a round 90 cycles per minute.. The effect was as you described, symptoms improved whiuh was atributed to more dopamine.. Search Ceveland Clinic on "YOUTUBE". Examples of this research are published.

Congratulations, You are indeed a "Parkinson 's Warrior."

BillDavid