In remission with Parkinson's

If your right hand started trembling 18 months ago and is visibly noticeable to all and you are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and your right hand stabilizes, no longer trembles and appears normal – does it mean that you might be in remission? If you know the answer to this question whether it is yes or no, could you respond to me? My hand used to tremble quite visibly and even if I am not doing anything, it still does not tremble. It might give a tremble when I watch a violent movie but for all intents and purposes people have noticed that my hand and arm no longer shakes.

Treatment and medication

I am currently on Levodopa for Parkinson’s and on Cipralex for anxiety, and also take the hectic calcium pills. The question behind the above question is that if my medication is giving me a reprieve and it IS a remission, does this mean that brain function will remain the same as it currently is and not deteriorate at the same rate? If you have any answers do let me know.  I am still writing and working on my 11^th novel but it would greatly encourage me if I knew that there was actually some hope of getting better or for the symptoms to subside. I am less concerned with erratic body movements than I am with brain function which is crucial for me. I have always suffered from anxiety, and am thrilled that my right hand has stopped shaking.

Is there hope for Parkinson’s patients?

Should I be encouraged when symptoms stop? Or is this just a freak thing that happens sometimes with Parkinson’s patients? One hears all sorts of things. I have heard of a woman whose symptoms stopped and she was in remission for four years. Can that be true? I was diagnosed about a year ago when my arm was shaking at a fast rate. To go to bed with a shaking arm and wake up with one that is not shaking and appears to be normal is quite a turnaround. Does anyone have any answers that might help this writer?

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Preparing to return to Canada

After returning home to South Africa in 1994 after 27 years in Toronto, I am going back to Canada and the US after spending 19 years in South Africa. It was a hard decision to make, but my responsibilities to my parents have ended as they are both deceased and I now want to be with my daughter, Zaida Harry, in New Jersey and forge a new life with her and her family. My grandchildren Ameera and Zara are waiting anxiously for my arrival, but having just made the decision to return to North America where I have lots of friends from my Canadian days there is much to do before I can get on a plane. The thought that I will be with them soon is exciting. They are both at a great age, one and a half years old and three-and-a half, I can relive some of my childhood with them.

Preparation for trip

·         Write to Canada Health and reinstate my Canadian health card

·         Get new passport photos for my Canadian passport

·         Write to Motor Vehicles in Canada and reinstate my driver’s licence

·         List and sell my Plumstead house

·         Sell my motor vehicle

·         Prepare my receipts for tax preparation

·         Speak to my sister for her accountant’s details so my Canadian tax can be prepared

·         Speak to realtor

·         What to do with books

·         What to pack for container

·         Home Affairs

·         Contact bank

·         Book tickets to Toronto

·         Publication of new book

·         Meeting with publishers

·         Contact National Arts Council

Making the decision to return

I cried bitterly yesterday when I made the decision to leave, but once I make a big decision like that I stick with it. The time has arrived for me finally to have both my kids and grandchildren in the same country and to enjoy the rest of my life. My grand-kids are at a great age and I am looking forward to Halloweens, skating and baseball games. Coming back to South Africa was the best thing I did. I got to know my country through research and writing. My dual lifestyle, however, now require that I join up with my family. Thank you, South Africa, and to all of you who have contributed to my happiness and success.  I am busy writing my personal experience living with Parkinson’s. We will still know each other through my forthcoming books if God so wishes for me to be here.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Parkinson's linked with constipation

Living with Parkinson’s can be easy at times or quite difficult, depending on your attitude and how you view the disease and your time on earth. There is no doubt that living with the disease is difficult. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year ago. It was a huge shock for me as a writer and surely put my life in perspective.  Surprisingly, my right hand trembles less now than before and trembling is slight, but I now also rock myself back and forth while I write which gives me some kind of comfort. 

Content and structure

 I use my daily articles to monitor whether I can still write content and structure a book, whether an article is taking longer to get written, whether I struggle for words, whether I lose a writing thread and cannot connect again. I am willing to admit that I now take fifteen minutes or more of my usual time to structure and write a paragraph of this size. If the above makes sense and is error-free, I can only say thank you to God who gives me the wherewithal to continue writing. I am monitoring my own level of progress and am happy to report that I can still make sense on the page. As long as that happens I will write.

Monitoring the stages

No two days are the same when you are a Parkinson’s sufferer. You might feel great one day and lousy the next; each day is different. Just a few days earlier I had a back-breaking incident with constipation where I did not have a bowel movement for several days. The tears rolled out of my eyes, my backside hurt, and I could not do anything except push. For four hours I struggled and by the time the doctor arrived I was lying on my stomach on the bed, gasping. Parkinson’s is known for causing constipation; check with your doctor and take the right natural medicine.  No two days with Parkinson’s is the same; you may wake up in the morning and feel happy with your life or you may wake up depressed. Consult a doctor for the best advice.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com