Nine Out of Ten Doctors Recommend You Read This Post to Keep up With Anchorage PD Events for December

Well here we are in the dark days of December, but remember, it's always darkest right after the lights go out, and then you can gradually begin to make out dim shapes, obstacles and impediments, and before you know it,  you are navigating like it was broad daylight, unless it's really dark, in which case you should stay in bed... um... where was I ? Oh yes! It's PD update time! Should you  decide to get out of bed, and nine out of ten doctors recommend that you do, here are some things to which you could do:

Yoga for PD, lead by Rocky Plotnick, who says:

Our Yoga for PD class will continue in December through Thursday, December 19th.
This means we meet:  December 5, 12 & 19.  Still at 1:15 pm at ADT.

There will be no class on Thanksgiving, however every year the
Inner Dance Yoga Studio has a special yoga practice on Thanksgiving.
It's at 10:00am.  Karen Greenwood is a skilled teacher and I am sure all
levels & abilities are welcome.

For January, Mike & I will be traveling so no class.

Once the schedule is approved by ADT, I will be ready to start classes again in February.

And Dance for PD, led by Carolyn Lassiter, who says:


Hello beautiful dancers,

Here is updated class schedule information:

Tuesday November 26, 2013:  NO CLASS, ADT is closed for Thanksgiving week

Tuesday December 3, 2013:   regular class

Tuesday December 10, 2013 through Tuesday January 14, 2014:  NO CLASS, teacher will be out of state

Tuesday January 21, 2014:  regular class resumes

Then of course, there is also the  Telehealth broadcast, the 9th of December at 1:00 pm in room 2401 of the Providence oncology wing on Piper St.  Go to the second floor, walk down the lonnnnnnnng hall that stretches South from the cafe and look for room 2401 pretty much at the end of the hall on your right. This month: Laughter and Parkinson's.

Then it's on through the drifted snow and holiday revels to our regular meeting the 21st, at 3:3o, it will be time for our annual holiday potluck! I'll bring something main-dishy, and you all bring what you like that you think the rest of would like.

I think that about covers it. I hope to see you at some or all of the PD events  in December. Happy (insertholidayofyourchoosing) Peter

A Comics Thought Experiment

I have this recurring feeling that I should be through with Parkinson's. That I can go back to normal now. That I have done my time. It's a feeling that is reinforced each morning when I wake up. Until I try to move, I feel the same way I did in the days, more than ten years ago, before my first symptoms showed up. Then I try to walk to the bathroom. Bang goes another illusion. And yet I retain the feeling that, if I just knew whom to talk to, whom to see, they could wave their hands and make my PD disappear. So this comic is a look at how that would likely play out.

Here is the Trailer for a New Film About Parkinson's Disease

This looks promising. I backed these guys on Kickstarter, and as a premium, they are supposed to send me a video DVD. When it comes, I plan to share with our support group.  The trailer looks great

What Parkinson's Disease Feels Like

I don't know about you, but my email is filled daily with email from people who don't know me sending me generic appeals for things in which I have no interest.  So I was surprised yesterday when I opened my email program and found an email from a Website called Townspot. It was written by an actual human who had obviously looked hard for what she was after, and given some thought to what she would say. They are interested in including my videos about Parkinson's Disease on their Website as examples of quality work being done in Anchorage in the video medium.

What? You haven't seen the videos? That's an OUTRAGE! (By the way, how can "enraged" and "outraged" mean the same thing?)  Luckily for both of us, this gives me an excuse to post the videos here. Again.  These are not meant as complaints, (Well, maybe the last one is an exception) merely as descriptions of what it feels like to have this LOUSY, CURSED, INFURIATING DISEASE! Oops, sorry for that little outburst, nothing to worry about. Just a little tear in my cloak of invulnerability. Here, you watch the videos while I go off and patch that. Roll film! ( I am posting two versions, apparently iPad users cannot see the first one. Sorry the second one is cut off, but if you tap on the frame it will take you to YouTube where it willplay full-frame.)

The Parkinson's Forecast for Anchorage and Vicinity for November

​Hello one and all, here's the Parkinson's Disease roundup for the merry month of November. The word from the Parkinson's​

​ Resource center is that we will not have a telehealth broadcast in November. The program will return on December 9th. The topic for that day will be "laughter MAY be the best medicine". Stay tuned for more as details emerge. For the November meeting on the 16th, I'm trying to get the assistance dog people to come. If they do come, we'll see if we can get them to sit, and speak. So far, they are just playing dead.

And finally, put this bee in your bonnet. I have been the alleged ringleader of the support group for eight years now. It has been a tremendous experience. But I am losing the fire in my belly. It is time for someone else to leap into the breach and lead us to a brighter tomorrow. If you've been thinking to yourself lately that the meetings seem a little flat and that there is more that the group could be doing, that is a sign that you may have what it takes to be the next Parkinson's Poobah here in Anchorage. 

It's not a complicated position. Just a matter of setting up a monthly meeting, getting the word out, and being  resource/liaison to the local community and to the PD world at large. The position comes with some unique privileges. You get to work with some terrific people, and in the course of carrying out the various functions of this office, you will be the person through whom the information flows about the latest developments in the world of PD.

If you have an interest in this, shoot me an email or let me know at the next meeting, which, as noted above, will be November 16.

Thanks,

Peter