Robert Smith, a retired landscaping architect who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2006, has just come out with a book that explains how he turned his life around five years after his diagnosis.
Apparently from 2006 until 2011, he was on a downward spiral, still working long hours and getting by primarily on Parkinson’s meds, but nonetheless going through a lot of turmoil, disease progression, and acting out. He doesn’t specify exactly what the negative behaviors were, other than to allude to “the credit card bills, the strange phone calls in the middle of the night on family vacations, my increased isolation…[indicating] the compulsive behavior habits that I had been hiding” (pg. 42). (Note: some Parkinson’s meds can have negative side effects, whereby you compulsively gamble, compulsively shop online, compulsively pursue sexual encounters with strangers.)
In 2011, his wife and some friends held an intervention with him, in which they mapped out a plan for Robert to change the direction he was headed in. He rebounded. He presents his book, “The Parkinson’s Playbook,” as a football team’s playbook, showing how to beat the fight against PD, quarter by quarter.
The main result, which you read in the opening as well as the closing pages, is that Smith is now nearly symptom-free. For example, this is what his doctor writes in the preface:
“In early 2011, Robert began an upward climb in health and fitness, which sparked a goal to produce a playbook for people living with Parkinson’s. His check-ups in the past few years have been rather remarkable, with steady improvement to what would be considered a normal report card. He remains alert, intellectually engaged, and physically very active. If you were not aware of his history, you would not know that he has Parkinson’s disease.”
And here’s what his psychologist says at the end of the book:
“Bob, you have come so far….Look at you. Physically, you barely present any Parkinson’s symptoms; and emotionally, you’re a far cry from the angry, bitter, and frightened man who walked into my office not too long ago.”
How does this playbook plan work? Can anyone do it? Let me enumerate some of the major strategies:
- Of course, take your prescribed meds. However, Smith was able to cut back on these as his health improved.
- Build a team to support you: your general practitioner, a neurologist, a psychologist, a Parkinson’s disease counselor, a yoga therapist, a personal trainer at the gym, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and more.
- Work out at the gym and elsewhere. Smith exercises about 10 hours a week (500 hours/year).
- Retire from your job and apply for disability benefits. I’m not sure that everyone can do this, but in 2011 Smith received three years of disability coverage from his company.
- Revamp your home with grab bars and railings everywhere, a higher toilet, a bench or chair in the shower.
- Strengthen your intellect with crossword puzzles, Sudoku and similar brain games.
- Change your diet to include better nutrition for your brain: eat more fruits and vegetables, eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners, cut back on alcohol consumption, gorge on brain-friendly foods like beets, spinach, nuts and lentils.
- Watch TED talks for inspiration and mental stimulation.
- Get enough sleep and practice good sleep hygiene.
Smith also delves into various supplements he takes, and is a big proponent of Bowen Therapy, a kind of massage technique that “stimulates the body to undertake a complete review of all its systems and functionality and, where possible, initiates restorative and healing processes. Many symptoms just disappear” (pg. 73).
What’s my take on all this? Allow me to bullet:
- I like what he says on page 136: “Keeping exercise as the most important part of your daily life is necessary to always stay a step ahead of this chronic disease.” (I should print this as a sign that I hang everywhere.) I wish I could exercise 10 hours/week, but I still work long hours at a regular job, and typically exercise half that amount or less. (You can see how often I work out, because I track it on my calendar.)
- I don’t see a psychologist but would probably profit from the experience if I did.
- Based on this book and another book I reviewed recently (“How Not to Die from Parkinson’s Disease”) I am changing my diet to be even more brain- and body-friendly than it already was.
- I would like to try Bowen Therapy.
Bottom line:
“Keeping exercise as the most important part of your daily life is necessary to always stay a step ahead of this chronic disease.”
