It works for me

I know that I am winning my battle with Parkinson's when, in any given day, I forget that I have this annoying little fucker hanging around and trying to get my attention. That's where I have been for a few days now. If I forget that I have it, then how bad can it be? But I think that the reason I can do this is that I have something stronger, more compelling, that is distracting me a lot more than the disease is capable of doing. Try it. For this to work, the key is to find something to absorb your being, your reason to exist, and then let yourself get lost in it. I now have several things that absorb me to this extent. In case you haven't noticed, one of these is physical fitness. Some people might think that physical fitness for someone with PD is an oxymoron. I don't mind (what I mean is I don't give a shit). I am obsessed with my fitness with unreasonable goals that any sane person will realize are unattainable. I appreciate those family and friends who allow me the space to obsess. Thank you.

Another totally consuming endeavor is photography. I have spent a lot of time trying to explain how this has been a life-long obsession. Given the right conditions, I can actually become a camera lens with the only thing I am aware of is taking the perfect picture. Ask my wife whose phone calls have gotten me out of my camera lens trance while wandering around the city more than once.

I have other things I disappear into and I am always looking for new things in which to bury myself. I am working on a music project now with a couple of people that is consuming and fun. You don't have to have Parkinson's to use a distraction as a way to beat a disease. And it might not work for everyone. Hell, it might not work for anyone. But it works for me.

I shot this photo in lower Manhattan while wandering around totally absorbed with the amazing images surrounding me.

No more diversions. Let's get obsessed again.

I doubt anyone has noticed, but I have been scarce when it comes to this blog. To those that find this blog useful, I apologize and promise to do better, or at least try harder. I hate excuses. I'd rather not dwell in poor performance, but things got crazy with my health for a little while. So, just to summarize the craziness, about four weeks ago, I had surgery on my spinal cord to relieve a compression that was causing pain and some paralysis symptoms, some of which were identical to Parkinson's. Over a three or four week period, I want from walking as I normally do (with a tiny little unsteadiness (old age?) but with full control and no cane or assistance) to literally dragging myself around with a walker. So blogging became something I put aside until things settled in or I took other action. The other action was spinal surgery. The pain is now gone and I am walking without a cane or any other assistance. I still feel that my legs need more strength and my balance still sucks a little. But I am back exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day and gaining all my strength, and then some, back. I am obsessed with this.

With PD, I have found that muscle mass and tone deteriorate rapidly if you do not push those muscles with intense, strenuous exercise. I monitor my muscle appearance as part of my program. If my muscles start shrinking or losing tone or get flabby, I double down on the exercises needed to rebuild those muscles. Don't get me wrong. I am no muscle head body builder. But paying attention to muscular shape is really important. A side benefit is psychological: if you look good in a mirror, it is proof that PD is not winning the war against your body because your muscles can't look good without you feeling good. Those who know me understand this obsession with the body. And you don't have to have PD to get obsessed. There are worse things in life.

My spinal surgeon is amazed at my recovery from his surgery in such a short time.  . He said he would not order physical therapy for my recovery because it might hold me back from my own program, which he said was perfect for me. He said he would not be able to improve on what I am doing and that I know my body best from my description of how I have managed to beat back Parkinson's.

This year is my 15th anniversary of Parkinson's. I still do whatever the hell I want and never let PD stop me from what I want to do (except when I was crawling around with a walker. Ha!). My recent health episode proves once again, you can fight Parkinson's and reverse it's annoying symptoms, even when those symptoms are not even Parkinson's. Ha!

Photo is a Hudson River Lighthouse from my Hudson Valley Collection.