The Stress Factor

I'm a little ashamed I haven't posted since well before Christmas. But, I suspect everyone else was as busy as we were during the holidays. I love Christmas and the winter season, but I enjoy getting back to normalcy just as much, I think!

As I believe I've said before, Parkinson's symptoms increase when stress is present. And  it doesn't need to be "bad" stress; it can be "good" stress as well. What I mean by that is, even stress like visiting people over holidays, or having grand-kids over, though it's enjoyable, can be stressful and lead to increased symptoms.

The holidays were filled with fun activities and lots of visiting with friends and family, but the aftermath, and even during some of it, often leaves Jamey exhausted and less mobile than usual. Of course, I forget about that and schedule plenty of events for us. Needless to say, it takes its toll on him. Thankfully, he's a pretty good sport about it and trudges along like a trooper.

To help your Parkinson's sufferers, cope a little better during bad stress, as well as good stress, take these things into consideration:

1. Try not to schedule more than one event in a day. Sometimes a doctor's appointment followed by a visit from the grand kids can be too much. Know your loved ones' limits.

2. Have a "safe" place where your loved one can remove themselves, when necessary, from the over-stimulation. Jamey's man cave and our master bedroom are at opposite ends of the house, so he is able to go to one or the other, and close the door when he needs to.

3. Include your loved one in the scheduling decisions when you can. Make sure your loved one knows the itinerary and what is planned for each day. Sometimes it might be necessary to tell them several times, to prepare them.

4. Talk about the event before hand and be sure you understand what your loved ones' desires are. Find out their expectations and make your decisions based on pros and cons of the event.

5. Know the difference between not wanting to participate and not being able to participate. It might sometimes be necessary to insist your loved one participate in something he or she doesn't want to do, for their own benefit. Talk it out before overloading the schedule.

6. Try not to schedule several days of events in a row. Leave a day or two of rest in between.

This biggest obstacle for us has been a tendency to drop out of things to protect ourselves from the exhaustion or added symptoms (I have the same issues because of stroke symptoms). So I urge you not to cut back completely. God created us for community and Christ modeled that well. It's important for our well being to participate in life as much as we can, to meet with friends, socialize and join in when possible.

Stress or no stress, keep moving and participating when you can. Movement and socialization are healing activities whether or not you feel it right away!