Chapter 539 - Just Knackered
Colloquially speaking, I'm knackered. A descriptive two syllable word equivalent of simple four letter words used by the uncouth. That email sent last Monday received the following answer:
"Protein certainly seems to be having an effect. Even a chocolate treat is protein."
Since there were no negative reactions I have persisted with the experiment. A Google document search revealed that such a diet forcing protein intake to the evening meal is called a "Protein-Redistribution Diet" (PRD). During Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday she was more alert than usual, able to easily stand into the Sara Stedy, even began taking herself to the toilet from her wheel chair when I wasn't watching. On Friday she returned to experiencing periods of severe dyskinesia and again yesterday, Saturday. Had she found her chocolate cache I had hidden on a high shelf she is normally unable to reach? She denied doing so. But on Friday I caught her sucking a "Chupa Chups", from of a few bags of lollies given to her by a mate of mine and she was on her third. And again on Saturday morning. I have now confiscated the remnants of the lolly bags, leftovers from my mate's bad habit of advertising "Trick or Treat" bullshit for 31st October on Face Book, that creation of that git Suckerburg (an appropriately modified name, since if Trump's country peasants can replace an "s" with a "z" then surely I can do the opposite). My mate handed out bags of lollies to 416 kids that night!! On the Chupa Chups website one can find the ingredients in the various flavours of these boiled lollies on a plastic stick, and one flavour contains a little over 2 gms of protein, the remainder being various salts and flavours. Surely not enough to cause levadopa up take problems either in the small intestine or at the blood/brain barrier? Anyway, her diet during daylight hours continues to be two tubs of diced fruit and a glass of fruit juice for breakfast (NO yoghurt), then a small tin of spaghetti in sauce on toast, a glass of fruit juice and a small piece of sticky bun with thinly spread margarine (NO Sustagen) for lunch. Her evening meal is an easily eaten frozen cottage pie meal (or a similar frozen meal), ice cream topped with fresh sliced fruits and berries, all covered in custard into which three scoops of Sustagen are mixed then the whole topped off with chocolate topping or other flavouring. Sometimes she is given grilled fish.
The following two images of the FitBit recordings attached to her right ankle 24x7 since Saturday 2nd November show the impact of her having protein at breakfast and lunch.
Minimal Dyskinesia with Limited Protein Intake Saturday 2nd November 2019
Typical Dyskinesia with Normal Protein Intake Sunday 3rd November 2019
Realising that blindly adjusting her diet as I am is not the safest thing to do, I took her to see her lady GP on Friday morning for a referral to a Dietitian on 18th November. Before that I weighed her on the jockey scales at the hospital; her weight adjusted for the wheel chair, duodopa pump, clothes and shoes is 51.5 kg.
On Friday while wheeling her into the GP's room I stumbled a little as I took a seat; this was noticed by the GP who asked "Are you alright?" Of course I answered yes; and I had walked some 500 metres downhill pushing her in the wheel chair from the hospital. Being a cautious sort of bloke, I made an appointment to see the other GP on Monday; my balance is not what it should be.
Last year she often wanted to buy a new watch, the $20 type, the modern day equivalent of the 2 bob watch, at Kmart or Target. A day or so ago I found her trying to open the back of one of these watches, "To see what is inside" she said, working away with a small sewing machine tool kit type of screwdriver, various pins, needles, tweezers and small scissors. "Be careful not to stab your hands" said I. Well she did of course, both stabbed her left hand index finger a number of times and opened the watch. "What will you do with it now?" "Throw it in the bin" she replied, having seen what is inside.
Another of her activities this past week was counting the coins in the box in which she keeps my small change. I tend to use cash to buy small items such as coffee so that I have change in my pocket for her. At least a whole day was spent in the counting of coins, not quite $100 worth.
I sent an email to the Clinic Nurse at the other Big Smoke hospital, where she has attended all day clinics with Allied Health Professionals, to tell her about discovering the effect of protein I seem to have found affecting my dearly beloved's dyskinesia. She rang me back about 1915 last Wednesday night, a dedicated lady. I was comforted to have a good conversation with her about the impact of protein on PD symptoms in a Duodopa regime.
Our microwave door has given problems, either not latching or to be perverse, not unlatching. In our household a microwave is as essential as an electric kettle. Perhaps more so, since a cuppa can be made in the microwave. The one I bought contains a griller as well, and only cost $129. So the small bench top oven/griller has been pensioned off as well. The old microwave has been left in its cupboard cavity, its door held in place with double sided sticky.
I feel much like that microwave, much in need of being pensioned off. Knackered.
"Protein certainly seems to be having an effect. Even a chocolate treat is protein."
Since there were no negative reactions I have persisted with the experiment. A Google document search revealed that such a diet forcing protein intake to the evening meal is called a "Protein-Redistribution Diet" (PRD). During Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday she was more alert than usual, able to easily stand into the Sara Stedy, even began taking herself to the toilet from her wheel chair when I wasn't watching. On Friday she returned to experiencing periods of severe dyskinesia and again yesterday, Saturday. Had she found her chocolate cache I had hidden on a high shelf she is normally unable to reach? She denied doing so. But on Friday I caught her sucking a "Chupa Chups", from of a few bags of lollies given to her by a mate of mine and she was on her third. And again on Saturday morning. I have now confiscated the remnants of the lolly bags, leftovers from my mate's bad habit of advertising "Trick or Treat" bullshit for 31st October on Face Book, that creation of that git Suckerburg (an appropriately modified name, since if Trump's country peasants can replace an "s" with a "z" then surely I can do the opposite). My mate handed out bags of lollies to 416 kids that night!! On the Chupa Chups website one can find the ingredients in the various flavours of these boiled lollies on a plastic stick, and one flavour contains a little over 2 gms of protein, the remainder being various salts and flavours. Surely not enough to cause levadopa up take problems either in the small intestine or at the blood/brain barrier? Anyway, her diet during daylight hours continues to be two tubs of diced fruit and a glass of fruit juice for breakfast (NO yoghurt), then a small tin of spaghetti in sauce on toast, a glass of fruit juice and a small piece of sticky bun with thinly spread margarine (NO Sustagen) for lunch. Her evening meal is an easily eaten frozen cottage pie meal (or a similar frozen meal), ice cream topped with fresh sliced fruits and berries, all covered in custard into which three scoops of Sustagen are mixed then the whole topped off with chocolate topping or other flavouring. Sometimes she is given grilled fish.
The following two images of the FitBit recordings attached to her right ankle 24x7 since Saturday 2nd November show the impact of her having protein at breakfast and lunch.
Minimal Dyskinesia with Limited Protein Intake Saturday 2nd November 2019
Typical Dyskinesia with Normal Protein Intake Sunday 3rd November 2019
Realising that blindly adjusting her diet as I am is not the safest thing to do, I took her to see her lady GP on Friday morning for a referral to a Dietitian on 18th November. Before that I weighed her on the jockey scales at the hospital; her weight adjusted for the wheel chair, duodopa pump, clothes and shoes is 51.5 kg.
On Friday while wheeling her into the GP's room I stumbled a little as I took a seat; this was noticed by the GP who asked "Are you alright?" Of course I answered yes; and I had walked some 500 metres downhill pushing her in the wheel chair from the hospital. Being a cautious sort of bloke, I made an appointment to see the other GP on Monday; my balance is not what it should be.
Last year she often wanted to buy a new watch, the $20 type, the modern day equivalent of the 2 bob watch, at Kmart or Target. A day or so ago I found her trying to open the back of one of these watches, "To see what is inside" she said, working away with a small sewing machine tool kit type of screwdriver, various pins, needles, tweezers and small scissors. "Be careful not to stab your hands" said I. Well she did of course, both stabbed her left hand index finger a number of times and opened the watch. "What will you do with it now?" "Throw it in the bin" she replied, having seen what is inside.
Another of her activities this past week was counting the coins in the box in which she keeps my small change. I tend to use cash to buy small items such as coffee so that I have change in my pocket for her. At least a whole day was spent in the counting of coins, not quite $100 worth.
I sent an email to the Clinic Nurse at the other Big Smoke hospital, where she has attended all day clinics with Allied Health Professionals, to tell her about discovering the effect of protein I seem to have found affecting my dearly beloved's dyskinesia. She rang me back about 1915 last Wednesday night, a dedicated lady. I was comforted to have a good conversation with her about the impact of protein on PD symptoms in a Duodopa regime.
Our microwave door has given problems, either not latching or to be perverse, not unlatching. In our household a microwave is as essential as an electric kettle. Perhaps more so, since a cuppa can be made in the microwave. The one I bought contains a griller as well, and only cost $129. So the small bench top oven/griller has been pensioned off as well. The old microwave has been left in its cupboard cavity, its door held in place with double sided sticky.
I feel much like that microwave, much in need of being pensioned off. Knackered.
posted by Kilpike | 4:48 pm
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