Weekly Post, March 20, 2011

Hi Everyone:

This is the fourth in a series of posts on my blog about my health. It covers the period from March 14 to today, the 20^th. Here are my reports in the areas of greatest concern.

1.       I have continued my use of Remeron for sleep and mood and Mirapex for PD symptoms. I am in my second week of Mirapex, which means my dosage is twice that of last week, 0.25 mg, 3 times daily. I have noticed no really problematic side effects, and the benefits have been substantial.

2.       I continue to get good sleep each night. I HAVE been waking up, and getting back to sleep definitely has not been instantaneous, but this really is no longer an ongoing problem. When I lay down in bed now, I expect to fall asleep. What a relief!

3.       My voice quality and loudness continue to improve. I taught a 1 hour, 40 minute class, last Wednesday, without incident, despite the fact that the class is rather large, requiring me to project to students in the back of the room. I really had no signs of vocal fatigue at all.

4.       My other PD symptoms have diminished dramatically. I feel a lot more like myself; I have been more interested in music, and laughter can once again be heard around the Fey household. Most importantly, I think I’m performing at work at a level approximating my standard; I have more energy and passion and focus. This means I can get my productivity back on track, at least over the short term. This will have a major positive impact on my mood; everything affects everything else. In any case, in most regards, my status is very good, taking into consideration the nature of PD.

5.       I continue to do the things that I think will improve all aspects of my health, including perhaps, the progression of PD. I am exercising more and enjoying it more. I am practicing Qigong in the morning and at night, and this helps me to focus and relax. Then, I’ve got this blog and my correspondences with you all. Oh, yes, and I almost forgot, the Wichita State Shockers and Jayhawks basketball teams continue to contribute positively to my well being.(Who knows what would happen if they lost???) All of these things make me feel more like myself and keep me optimistic. If there’s any chance of slowing the progression of my disease, I’m sure a positive attitude and interactions with all of you are essential.

Thank you so much for continuing to look in on my health updates. I realize that the news is considerably more prosaic since the first posting. Perhaps, my posts are only of interest to my closest friends and family.  Whether or not this is true, it should help everyone if we have an understanding as to when new posts are available. My plan from here on out is to put up a new post, once a week, on Sunday, by 8:00 PM at the latest. If I have nothing to report, I’ll simply state as much. This way, those interested will get the update they seek, and they won’t be disappointed by checking the blog only to find that I’ve been too bored or too lazy to write.  

That’s it for tonight. The Jayhawks have total control over my mood as of tonight (well, the Shockers sure helped things this morning.) Rock Chalk.

Marc