Exercise & Supplements

It’s been about three years since I was diagnosed with PD and for the past year and a half it has been severe. I have barely any visible tremor, but I walk with great difficulty and have trouble using my right hand and the entire right side of my body. I use a wheelchair if I need to walk any distance and do a lot of things with my left hand that I used to do with my right. Driving a car is a problem because my right foot is slow and unresponsive. When I want to take a step or move my right foot it often gets “stuck” and doesn’t seem to want to move.

            I have been trying different approaches in an effort to improve my well-being and even heal myself without using drugs. From my research, I believe that PD can be cured although the neurologist who diagnosed me says there is no cure, and the only treatment a cornucopia of powerful brain drugs to ease symptoms. He does encourage exercise however.

            I agree about the exercise. Now I do a few stretching exercises every morning and take a yoga class about three times a week. I have been using a rowing machine, but that has not been going well lately. I seem to lose momentum on the forward part of the stroke. My waist is slow to bend and my arms seem to falter. I took a Feldenkrais class and a Gentle Pilates class this week too.

            Today my yoga teacher, Donna gave me a book, Entering the Castle, by Caroline Myss. Myss could be described as a healer and a mystic. Donna recommended I see her in person at a lecture or workshop, and if I could see her privately, she would probably be able to “see” what caused me to have this disease and give me help in its cure.

            I am increasing the dietary supplements I am taking after reading what Walter Last recommends for PD. Now I will be taking:

breakfast: Solgar Women’s Multi-Vitamin, 400 mg vit. E, 500, vit. C, 99 mg. potassium (for muscle cramps), ginkgo biloba (for energy), bee pollen and spirulina mixed in juice

lunch: vit. C, E, ginkgo biloba

dinner: vit. C, E, Calm (magnesium + calcium)

before breakfast & dinner: L-tyrosine (an amino acid that is a building block for dopamine)

Add to every meal: Udo’s Oil  (omega fatty acids)

My diet has been mostly vegetarian since the beginning of summer. I’m trying to cut back on sugar. I’m going back to coffee as of today as per Walter Last. This is in opposition to Jozef, the intuitive healer who gave me a diet to follow last summer.