More Than You Want to Know

Did I ever mention that PD is a baffling moving target for most of us? The symptoms vary widely, and occur in different combinations in people...and vary sharply over time, even in one person over the course of a day. It is more of a syndrome that one illness, really...and then add the complexity that physical exertion or emotional stress can exaggerate the symptoms. This morning, at the risk of providing what the kids call TMI (too much information!) let's look to subtle symptom of Parkinson's. The lesser-known evils one might say, things that don't draw the same attention as our tremors, but keep us on our toes. OK, that's a bad joke...

When WebMD says "problems with sleep...are common," that only hints at changes most of us experience. Problems getting to sleep can be due to anxiety or or to physical restlessness, (been there, done that) while "problems staying asleep may be due to difficulty turning over and adjusting position in bed." Yes. that same turning over or shifting easily...that you sleepily do out of awareness most of the time because it is so automatic. Subtract the automatic, make it take some focused effort- and you wake up, muscles stiff and brain going full speed ahead.

So when our support group meets, we talk about ways to creatively deal with that change. Our own favorites include getting relaxed before bed in the hot tub, meditation, reading or puzzles, melatonin, and a bed that doesn't shift both of you when one moves ( can I say tempurpedic here?) - since the partner still needs to sleep. And of course, if you have a blog, most of the articles can be written at 5 am! ...............and then sneak quietly back into bed.

One little pebble, tossed in the still water- changes much.