Parkinson’s Disease and other chronic conditions…….
“Wow, I am so tired!” Do you find yourself asking this question without any reason to account for the tiredness. Some days I feel an overall exhaustion without any good reason. I did not run a marathon ( or triathlon like my niece has done). I did not clean the house top to bottom. I did not hike a mountain, a hill or even a stroll around the neighborhood. So why do I feel so “dog gone tired?” Oh yes, I have Parkinson’s Disease.
As my neurologist has discussed with me several times since my diagnosis, Parkinson’s is a constant struggle internally. Your brain is sending messages to your muscles via neurotransmitters, but your dopamine levels may not be able to get the job done. This battle continues all of the time you are awake (tremors do not occur when you sleep). The physicality on your body is taxing and tiring. Now comes the challenge……you cannot stop being physical because it will only worsen your symptoms. So what are you to do???
I cannot speak for everyone, but here are a few tips I have found to be useful:
Do not over schedule . I am so much better talking the talk, then walking the walk. Sometimes my enthusiasm to have fun and/or socialize with friends overtakes my need to pace myself and before I know it, I have something(s) planned for each day of the month. And of course, there are always those medical, dental, vision and physical therapy appointments that seem to occupy more and more days as I get older. So try to leave some empty boxes on the calendar to give your psyche and your body a rest. When I do this, I actually try not to fill up the day with household chores, but rather do something relaxing, but not strenuous. I call them my lounge days….
Do include several lounge days throughout the month. I have found that there are days when I simply cannot do my normal chores, let alone include extracurricular activities (even fun ones). On these days, I actually wear my comfy hang-out clothes and my slippers. I apply no makeup and pull my hair back in a scrunchie. When I first did this, I felt terribly guilty, but I now see it as part of the overall treatment plan for my Parkinson’s.
Cancel events when you truly are too tired to attend. This has been tough to do as I hate to feel like a party-pooper, but I have learned over the 12 years of Parkinson’s that it is not worth the price of the fatigue I experience when I get overtired. When this happens, I simply inform the host of the event that it is a bad Parkinson’s day. Most people are incredibly understandable.
Put life into perspective. Slowing down and taking it easy have many advantages. Try new hobbies, read more, learn a new craft or just enjoy the view from your window. I have found YouTube offers so many outlets to enriching and enjoying more in life than I ever knew was possible. I highly recommend having a cup of tea and browsing through the YouTube channels. I sometimes just listen to the music while I relax on one of the many calming music channels. In fact, I have a beautiful piano background playing now as I write my blog post.
Keep praying….. This is imperative for me. If I am overwhelmed with thoughts or activities, I find that prayer helps tremendously. I remember that I am not alone and that all will be fine. There is a quietness that replaces the tiredness with a sense of wellbeing. Several of my friends help me during trying times by reminding me to be mindful of prayer. (Thank you dear friends.)
Finally, practice self-talk. Replace those negative messages with ones of hope and positivity. So often, I literally tell my brain to be kind to me. I am working on a daily bases of living with a chronic disease, but it does not have to define me. Being “sick” is a state of mind that you may change to being someone who has a condition, but does not define the great person you are!