Everyday activities

Yesterday my husband and I seized the opportunity to get outside. After weeks of subfreezing temperatures, together with lots of snow that would not go away, we had a sunny day with temps in the upper 50s. It was too wet for the woods, but we covered 5 miles in the beautiful Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. It felt good.

I would have expected to feel like someone raised from the dead, having not done any outdoor exercise in weeks. But, wait! I may not have exercised, but that doesn't mean I was not active. Snow shoveling! I did a LOT of that. And got a lot of exercise doing it. So see if you can find ways to build exercise into your everyday activities. You may need to up the intensity, but lots of
yard work and house work can be very active. So keep moving!

The right doctor

A friend of mine who also has Parkinson's was diagnosed by a neurologist -- just a neurologist, not a neurologist specializing in movement disorders. A movement disorders specialist is a doctor who sees only patients with Parkinson's or other related movement disorders such as Lewy body dementia, Wilson's disease or Huntington disease. (Parkinson's is by far the most common movement disorder. )  In the ten or so years since my friend was diagnosed, she has continued in the care of her general neurologist, although I have encouraged her many times to see a MDS. This week she finally relented and was able to get an appointment with a MDS in the same practice as my own doctor. She called to thank me for persisting in my efforts to get her to switch. She felt much better cared for by a doctor who was much more attuned to her situation and her medication possibilities.

If you are not 100% comfortable with your doctor, find another one! Too many people put up with substandard care because they don't want to hurt a doctor's feelings. Don't be ridiculous! Most good doctors can replace you with another patient in a heartbeat. And certainly if you have Parkinson's, unless you don't have access to a MDS, you should definitely be seeing one. All PWPs should because PD is so complex that specialists are the only ones who really know what it is all about. To find a movement disorders specialist in your area, check with the American Parkinsom Disease Associstion or the Parkinson Disease Foundation.