Chapter 78 - Half a Story

Last Thursday & Friday were "normal" days - Modopar Rapid at 6am, Sinemet CR + Indorel at 9am, 2pm & midnight and Dothiepin at 10pm. Except Friday night she was asleep before midnight, waking with shakes around 2:30am to take the CR & I. On both days a little embroidery in the afternoon-evening. Then on Saturday she forgot to take pills at 2pm; she had been so engrossed with emails & reading PD notes on line that she just forgot, not remembering until 5pm. Her usual tremors etc had not alerted her to what should have been her "need". I suggested she skip the dose, taking the 7pm dose as usual. She shuffled a little, some difficulty standing from a seated position but nothing out of the ordinary. After the 7pm dose she walked reasonably well, not very shaky, slightly bent. By 9pm she didn't feel very mobile, so we walked the village to loosen things. During the evening she had been continuing with her calendar embroidery. When she went to bed at 11:45pm she admitted feeling lousy since around 8pm. At 12:15am she felt cold when taking her midnight dose so asked for a quilt to be placed over her (I felt comfortably warm; the night was mild) and around 2am she fell asleep.

Then Sunday after the 6am MR dose we both returned to sleep until 9:15 when she had her usual meds. At 9:30 she needed the TENS machine on her lower back which was giving her a lot of pain & discomfort. Obviously no church today. At 10:45 she showered & dressed herself completely, surprising me when I went to check on her to suggest she should shower! Then at 2pm she decided to skip the dose. During the afternoon she felt OK except she tended to wobble up & down while standing in a stooped position but she had no difficulty rising from a firm chair. After 7pm meds we walked the village. She began sweating around 10:30pm then to bed at 11:30pm, waking at 3am Monday for what should have been her midnight dose. Taking that dose so late decided her to skip the MR at 6am Monday morning. Later she showered & dressed without difficulty, took her 9am dose the proceeded to do the washing. As normal, I was criticised for hanging things haphazardly on the line. Again she skipped the 2pm meds and later re-folded the sheets & towels I had left in a mess. Meds at 7pm & 10pm then very tired & into bed at 10:30pm. No midnight Sinemet CR & Indorel. She slept straight through until 6:15 this morning when she took the MR.

So in a few days she has reduced her Sinemet intake by almost half without causing herself any problems. However, we had noted previously that at least a week is required for her system to stabilise after a change in medications so we still have a few days to go. I feel quietly confident, although I'm unsure where this is leading. Half the pills for half a week. Watch this blog.

During the last few days she read a biography, most unlike her, she who has always been satisfied reading Mills & Boon stories for relaxation. The scooter waits patiently in the corridor; its owner not seeming to need the freedom expected of it.

Chapter 77 - The Good & the Bad Days

Early & dark Sunday morning she was up 4 times, which she blamed on the cold change in weather. After showering & dressing the TENS was needed on her lower back. Then she decided she was not up to going to church. In the afternoon she needed assistance rising from her chair to go to the loo. Then we walked a few yards around to a friends' place for a chat. Another walk in the evening was abbreviated by a few misty drops of rain.

Monday an uneventful day, although she guided me pushing the van back into its port after having its wheel bearings re-packed.

Tuesday a momentous day! Firstly, she was able to attend KYB in the morning and in the afternoon, without prompting, she fitted the hooped material to her embroidery machine & stitched the first of 3 sections in a calendar design prepared & hooped many weeks, maybe several months ago.

Next day about 4 hours shopping, including lunch, she on her scooter, me trudging along, sometimes in front, sometimes behind. Great hesitancy waiting to cross at traffic lights; keeps well back from the footpath edge until the lights change and they usually return to signalling "don't walk" by the time she has entered the roadway. She tends to keep to the centre of footpaths, does not enter small shops. In Kmart she side-swiped a rack after entering a narrow aisle. She admitted later that driving the scooter scares her. However, since she remains seated on the scooter she is not obviously effected by lack of medication, is able to continue scootering. About 2:30pm while still in the supermarket she mentioned not having taken her 2pm meds, left at home because we had not intended so long down the street. About 3pm before home & meds. As we left the shopping centre she noticed a small shop displaying ladies' filmy things; her eye noticed satin nighties in red & black. After all, it had escaped my attention that Feb 14th was of imported cultural significance. I had to approach the enticing racks at the doorway to check prices. She attracted the attention of a shop assistant who found more suitably longer and less colourful items for which I had to enter the shop & pay for. After such a fun filled day we attended the quilting group in our local hall, although she was not up to doing anything once we re-hooped for the next section of her calendar in progress.

Last night she did not try out her new aids for movement ease in bed I noticed when I rose this morning. Perhaps in consideration of my blood pressure?

Chapter 76 - Some Outings

She had mentioned wishing to see a movie "Miss Potter", about which I knew nothing, presumed to be some Hollywood production in which a nymphomaniac seeks a suburban pent house relationship with a New York advertising executive - you know the sort of thing, shallow & tasteless. Her sister had seen the movie & suggested to her that a bloke wouldn't like "Miss Potter", so she was hesitant about dragging me along to see something obnoxious. Well, for someone who read all of Jane Austin's novels some 45 years ago, the movie biography of Beatrix Potter was a breath of fresh air, beautiful scenery, great acting, no Yank accents and only one romantic kiss (others were familial pecks on cheeks). A pleasure to have learned a little about a complex personality. I think she enjoyed the movie too.

After the movie we had intended to have lunch at the club, but she was not up to it, saying "We will be there tomorrow anyway". As we were, chairing our PD group's monthly meeting. Only a small number attended, & that encouraged the PWP's (People with Parkinsons) present to compare notes more than normally. I played a downloaded video of a therapist extolling the benefit of exercise for PWP's. After about 30 minutes the attention spans of those present collapsed so we adjourned to lunch in the club.

Early Friday morning, 0:30 - 2:45am she did not sleep. Early meds at 6am then I woke her at 7am when she was having trouble with her legs. The meds had not kicked-in. At 8:15 she rose, showered & dressed, except for the bra clip. Quite often now after standing she says "I can't find my feet. I have to find them to walk." At these times she stands with her feet very close together, very much in danger of toppling over. Later in the morning a lady came to discuss ironing, it seems we will call her when needed, they got on well together. By 2pm she was "too tired to put one foot in front of the other" so off to bed for an hour & a half then I had to wake her. Upon helping her rise she said "I can't find my pins yet" as she thought I was trying to propel her forward. She seems very sensitive to any unbalancing force. The other day I was accused of pushing her when I simply brushed passed her. When she holds my arm while walking I am often accused of changing direction too quickly, or worst of all, attempting to force her backwards. By 4:30pm she was a slightly dizzy, then cold although an hour later she felt "better in the head". Asleep in her chair at 6pm. Later she woke then we watched a Pommy who-dunnit. To bed a little after 11pm.

This morning, Saturday, has begun well. She showered, even washed her hair, and dressed except for the bra clip. Usually hair washing knocks the stuffing out of her. The day will tell.

Chapter 75 - Bad Days

Continuing from where I left off on Monday. We have been discussing finding someone to do our ironing. I am quite happy to wear wrinkled T shirts, shorts & trousers but for some reason she isn't. So after rising late after taking meds late she decided to catch up with the ironing. She had me place the old ironing board in front of the TV where she seated herself. Throughout the day I was asked to bring in the clothes racks on which we place our clothes after washing. There were 3 of them, fully loaded. I didn't realise we had so many clothes. By early evening she slowly completed the task. Then she completed her questions for the first KYB meeting for the year. At 11pm the TENS machine was required on her upper back, then into bed and applied to her lower back. Her right leg was painful.

Tuesday began with 6am meds as usual but she only rose at 8:15am when she found she was tipping to the right hand side. Her balance has been poor for a couple of days now; almost falling in the kitchen recently. After showering she called for help. I needed to dry her and completely dress her, ready for KYB. She needed TENS on her right leg. About 9:45 she gave up, said she couldn't make it to KYB. She rang them to avoid inquisitive phone calls later. Interestingly, during the morning the help line from the church we attend (her KYB group is at another church) rang to check on how we were faring. Almost as an after thought I mentioned our ironing problem; they will ask around to find someone needing a little work. A neighbour popped in for a yack near lunch time, otherwise a day watching DVD's and a little PC work for her.

This morning we are keeping our schedule. She rose at 7:30am, showered & dressed herself, although she called me on the CB for the bra clip.

Chapter 74 - Much of a Muchness

These past three Sundays we made it to church; a bit of a record. We go, we come home again; she cannot dawdle outside milling with tea & coffee drinkers and I have never been one for small talk after church. We are drifting to the edge of the congregation's sphere of involvement; she through her disability, me due to their simplistic expressions of their fundamental beliefs (so what's new? but where are the people who have progressed from thinking as they were taught as children?)

Sometimes we supermarket shop after church, although yesterday I went to the chemist to replenish our pill supply from the chemist while she stayed in the truck because we had not packed the scooter. Saturday evening was our first full supermarket shopping binge in an almost empty store since acquiring the scooter; she whizzed around at bottom speed while I pushed the trolley. My feet complained they had walked miles while she enjoyed her comfort.

Her right hand pains improved markedly so she began leaving off the glove bandage. The last few days it is worn regularly once again; the thumb joint became painful again. She has required less application of the TENS machine.

Last Wednesday back to the hot air city to have new tires fitted to the truck (another story, a long one). We filled in a couple of hours by scootering across a number of streets, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights & across an elevated foot bridge to enter the upper floor of a major shopping centre to its food hall level (no escalators or lifts required) where we had a junk food lunch. Again crowds of people. She bought a more scooter friendly hand bag, and one that will be harder to snatch & grab should an attempt ever be made. After collecting the truck I drove to another shopping centre, all at street level & almost deserted but she had had enough. Her feet had swollen; time for home.

Mornings have become a ritual; 6am meds, I shower & dress at 7am then retire to my dungeon, she showers & dresses only calling for assistance with her bra clip. Not so this morning. She turned off the 6am alarm' dropping back into sleep before taking the meds. I woke at 7am to discover this lapse. She took the meds an hour late so stayed in bed. I woke her at 8am but no kick-in had occurred so she stayed there. I must disturb her again so that she is not too far out of sync all day.