Like a bad penny I have returned!!

Hi everyone, hope my fellow 'parkies' are as well as you can be and staying positive, though that can be difficult at times, as anyone living with a long term health condition can testify.

As you will know I and my daughter for whom I am the principle carer have just downsized to a bungalow albeit in the same village, as she was really struggling with the stairs in our previous home, and believe it or not there is an 18 month wait from assessment to having a stair-lift fitted. I knew that was far too long for her to struggle and risk an accident, so when this 2 bed bungalow became available I applied, not really hopeful that we would get it, but we did!

That started a couple of months of arranging the move and downsizing from a 3 bed house to a 2 bed bungalow, and all the packing etc etc. I could not believe we had so much in that house, I gave lots away on freecycle, took car loads to the tip, but the dining room was still stacked with boxes full of possessions from the loft through to the shed! I wish I was more minimalistic but I don`t think that will ever happen, I  like my memories and my personal things around me, they all have their distinct memories and maybe it,s due to this Parkinson's  that it's even more important now. Combine this with 30 plus tubs etc from the garden and you will have some inkling of the scale of the operation!

As to the Parkinson's, I think I have been running on adrenaline during the move, and as my GP increased my Ropinerole to 12mg which seems to be the right dose as it has largely stopped the tremor in my left arm at lest until the evenings and prior to my morning meds. However, the aches from my body didn`t ease and my left arm has become noticeably weaker particularly my grip, and I'm starting to compensate for this automatically. I will wait to see if this eases now that the bulk of the heavy work is done. I have noticed this past week that my shoulder on the left side is getting sore and stiff particularly at the end of the day, I'll mention this to my consultant when I see him in the New Year, but I'm guessing it's a natural progression of this disease.

Talking of my consultant, I need some help from my fellow Parkies. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is getting a lot of press ( http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/deep-brain-stimulation )
that is a useful link if you are new to DBS.

Have any of you looked into this seriously? if so can you kindly contact me tjkernow@hotmail.co.uk
and let me know what you found out and if you are considering it. I know there are a lot of assessments and psychological tests to take to check suitability, and the biggest hurdle of all appears to be granting the funding from our health authority. Opinion appears to be to have it sooner rather than later to get best advantage from the DBS  and it also seems the months following can be pretty crap while the brain settles down again. So you can see it is not to be taken lightly but the advantages can be a lowering o drug dependence and slowing down the parkie tremor thus a greater quality of life. If in time I am accepted, and funding is found, it looks at the moment that Bristol is where I would need to go for surgery, bu in time maybe Derriford in Plymouth may do it, as they do a lot of research programmes there.

Well enough for now, do please contact me to share anything Parkinsons, take good care of yourself and each other.

Tony.