by Patricia Lightner, guest blogger
There is an older man in my church, and he always comes up to me and says, “Be good to yourself.” That’s just four little words. But when you think about it, and in my situation, that means a lot. That keeps me on track. Like if I don’t exercise, I think, ‘Oh, I’m not being good to myself.’
There are four important things I must do each day. First, I get plenty of rest. I go to bed at the same time each night. Next, I must eat right. I have to watch my protein intake, because too much protein makes the Stalevo less effective. Third, I have to take my pills at the same time every day, because my brain expects it. Finally, exercise is important. I have a personal trainer who is branching out more and more with a lot of stroke patients and Parkinson’s patients. He finds it rewarding.
If I don’t stick with these four important things, I get off track. I get that warning signal – I start feeling shaky. That helps me to know I need to ‘be good to myself.’ I hope you have the time and energy to pursue activities that help you live with Parkinson’s disease. Be good to yourself!
Patricia Lightner will contribute an article to the upcoming My Parkinson’s Info newsletter, about living and suffering with Parkinson’s disease. She draws from her 13 years of living with Parkinson’s disease to illustrate her ideas.Earlier this year the Parkinson’s Action Network awarded her the Murray Charters Award for Outstanding Service to the Parkinson’s Community. She has been active in advocacy, outreach, and education efforts in her home state of Pennsylvania. She has also contributed to the cause with her medical research advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. She is the author of Parkinson’s Disease and Me: Walking the Path, and she occasionally writes freelance articles for the Harrisburg, Patriot-News. You can also visit her personal Web site, www.parkinsonsdiseaseandme.com.
