What are you thankful for?

[wordworks2001]

Today is Thanksgiving Day in America. What are you thankful for?

[ronn]

Thankful for? Here's a list: 1. Live in a wonderful country,(so far). 2. Married a wonderful woman. Her health is a little shaky now, so we trade off being care-giver. 3. Four delightful daughters, each married to men we are proud to call sons. We just came back from Thanksgiving at Carin's house where everyone had a great time. Christmas will be at someone else's. 5. Retired after 60 years of employment, fifty of them at a job I loved and enjoyed robust good health during most of that time.

6. (This one may upset some but, if so, it is done with good intentions.) In the late 1970s I developed the first symptoms of, and in 2011 was diagnosed with PARKINSON'S. After the diagnosis I remember leaving the doctor's office feeling relieved and, yes, THANKFUL. At this time all I knew about PD was that Michael J. has it and he was the picture of health.

To make a lengthening story as short as possible, I also developed coronary artery disease and a serious heart problem, after my retirement in 1990. At one point, when trying to talk me into open heart surgery, the cardio surgeon departed from protocol and told me he could "give me" 8 years with a Cardiac Bypass Graft. This was in 1995. After the byass and two other operations of varying success, I was left with a drawerful of heart, cholesterol, blood pressure and other medications, and carried nitro for chest pain. I went through life giving thanks for each morning and making no long-range plans.

Then along came Parkinsons. The usual; tremors, saliva problems,speech, short term memory. There was one symptom that didn't seem to fit. Dizziness, weakness. We checked blood pressure, found it running very low. Got an appointment with cardiologist. She agreed that blood pressure was the problem, zapped prescriptions for Lysinopril and Zettia. This put the BP in the ideal range and all the problems went away.

My neurologist was aware that blood pressure, lowered by Parkinson's can be significant to heart problems. She also mentioned that studies are showing that PWP have a decreased risk for developing heart problems and stroke. I only know that I no longer have to carry Nitro and am no longer surprised to wake up in the morning. I owe that, at least in part, to Parkie.

,

[wordworks2001]

Ronn, thanks for sharing. I could tell you how much our lives have been similar, but I'll just leave my blog's url at the end of this comment. I had a 4-vessel CABG in June after a heart attack. I was originally told in 2004 that I would probably have a killer heart attack or stroke if I didn't have the surgery immediately. As for being thankful to have PD, I am thankful for that as well. I thought I had ALS!

wordworks2001.blogspot.com/

[Annie81963]

I am thankful for so many reasons,1.married to my best friend for 30 years,dont know what I'd do without his love and support. 2.my beautiful daughter,my friend who along with my son in law,will some day give me grand children to love 3.my family,who love me and are there for me when I need them.4.all my friends who i've known and all the ones I continue to meet.

The biggest reason I am so thankful this Thanksgiving - that I am here today able to write this that I am ALIVE !! Thanks for listening

[wordworks2001 in reply to Annie81963]

Thanks for sharing Annie

[marthasway]

Thanks is for giving, and I give thanks for family, friends, and plenty. I am blessed to move within many communities, both in vivo and in cyberspace. I am thankful for the challenges in life that make me more compassionate. I am thankful that I can live, one day at a time, with PD, even when days are really bad.

Before responding to this, I got stuck getting out of a too-low chair. How could I have such an interesting life if not for PD?

My answers vary from day to day, but I always try to find something that inspires thanks and gratitude.

[tlongmire]

I am thankful for my best friend and husband (45 yrs), my children, family, good friends and my health. I may have PD and have my bad days but I am grateful for all that I can still do and grateful to God for giving me strong bones to go with PD (2 falls this week).

Hugs, Terri

[shasha in reply to tlongmire]

HELLO TERRI - ARE YOU SURE IT IS PD ? MY NEURO SAYS THAT FALLS IN EARLY PD ARE RARE AND IF I REMEMBER RIGHTLY YOU WERE DX IN 2010 ?

MUCH LOVE TO YOU

SHA XXX

[tlongmire in reply to shasha]

Yes, you are correct it was 2010. I read about PSP from the link you posted on FB. It could be PSP or PD. Either way there is no cure so best to put one foot in front of the other and move forward and enjoy life to it's fullest for as long as we are able.

Hugs and love to you, Terri

[Parkinson_Schmarkinson]

I gave this a lot of thought. So first of all thanks for posing it. I am convinced that an "attitude of gratitude" is a a key mental habit or strategy for avoiding depression and negativity.

On the other hand I try to avoid being sappy and cloying I mean, I'm grateful for kittens and strawberries, but please, it's not about that. I am also wary of boasting: "Look at me, everybody, I am so sensitive and precious that I swoon over the shaft of sunlight piercing the gloom of the forest canopy".

This summer I performed a poetic duet in Spain with my daughter. The subject of our poems was "gratitude". I explained how a near miss by a burst of automatic weapons fire years ago provided a lesson in appreciating life itself. I went on to thank the organizers of the poetry festival and the various performers who had made me feel so welcome within this very special international community of artists. I thanked my family, and the scientific method, and certain heroes and heroines of history. And I thanked my labor union, who negociated a contract that allowed me a reasonable disability retirement.

There's no end to phenomena I feel grateful for. The challenge is to keep them in mind and to "play" them in a timely and sincere way when i start to get depressed or sorry for myself.

Thanks for listening!

Philip

[wordworks2001]

I am thankful for what all of you are and I am thankful that we have this venue to write about how we feel and to communicate with others who share life's problems and victories .

[fishinggirl]

I'm tired tonight so if I wrote a list it would be short.To wordworks2001, I also came out of the doctors office thankful I had Parkinson's and not a brain tumor or worse. I have to remember that on "bad " days but there really isn't a bad day,they are all good days. I am really thankful for my husband, who has been my best friend for 23 years, my family, my second best friend, my beautiful dog, callie, who can always cheer me up, and hopefully a cure or better Parkinson's meds. Have a good week everyone!