Praise GOD from Whom All BLESSINGS Flow!!!

I really am doing great, and it's wonderful to be able to say that. Some days I don't have any abnormal movements at all, and on others I have only tolerable ones. I have been on cloud nine now for a couple of weeks, and it looks like I'm here to stay.

I have noticed that as I become more active and expend more muscle effort that the medicine wears off sooner in the evenings. The Movement Disorder doctor said to call him back in two weeks, and he would discuss raising the daytime dose maybe a half pill at that time. Sounds good to me. He just doesn't want me to zombie out on the Primidone, and I don't want that, either. He mentioned physical therapy to help with the slow walking, but that just does not seem necessary to me. I know how to be safe, and as I feel better I am naturally increasing my physical activity. I'm so used to listening to what my body is telling me that I can judge pretty well when it's time to quit.

My house certainly appreciates the extra attention I have been able to give it lately! There's plenty more to do, though. I have about two years of clutter to wade through. When you feel as bad as I have and as unsteady as I have it's just easier and safer to ignore a lot. Hubby has kept us in good meals and clean clothes, but the "stuff" has piled up.

We celebrated our 44th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. I wrote a long post about it on our Yesterday's Memories blog, so I won't repeat that here. The fantastic thing is that even though I was exhausted at night from all we did during the day the last two days, I feel fine today. My muscles are definitely adjusting to more activity.

So I leave this post with a positive outlook and a heart full of thanksgiving!! Whooopppieeeeeeeeee!!!

My Thanksgiving Prayer

This Thanksgiving will be our first without any of our parents with us. It's the first Thanksgiving where our older daughter and her hubby take over the reins of being hosts, passed down from my Grandmother, to Mama, then to me, and now her. It's a reminder that as things change, they really stay the same. It's a reminder of how very important family is. And how important friends are.

It's also a reminder that I am no longer the caregiver, a role I held for much of my married life. But now, I am "the sick one" in the family. Parkinson's Disease does not have any cure in sight yet, but only ways to manage the symptoms, with varying degrees of success and often horrible side effects. It is progressively debilitating, which I'm daily reminded of, as I talk to so many PWP who are so much worse off than I am. I see it in the difference in what I can do now, compared to last Thanksgiving. But, I am so very thankful that I am still able to walk, talk normally, write fairly legibly, use the computer without problems, that my digestive problems are calming down somewhat, that I am sleeping better, and that I am mentally still ME. I pray that I can still say that next year.

You dear cyber friends, who have been a listening ear as I chronicled this journey, you will never know how much you have helped me deal with all that has been going on this last year. You have helped me give voice to my reactions to this disease. I can't thank you all enough.

I pray that you will all have as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I will, surrounded by family, wrapped in love.

Amen