How Am I Doing? 2nd Update

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Almost two weeks have passed since the doctors at Mount Sinai turned on the batteries for my Deep Brain Stimulation setup.  How am I doing?

Check it out:

I could never have done this before – walk down a flight of stairs with just one hand on the banister.  I always had to keep both hands on the banister, and sometimes I couldn’t even do that – I’d have to ask my husband for help, or I would refuse to even attempt coming down the stairs.

These days I’m finding how to live with Parkinson’s and DBS.  I closely monitor when I take my Sinemet, when I eat, and when I wake up in the morning and exercise.  Currently I’m taking two tabs of Sinemet (carbidopa-levodopa) at 7:00 when I wake up, at 11:00, and at 3:00.  If I do this on an empty stomach, I have no “down time” throughout the day.  But if I’m not careful, the down time can get pretty severe.

At 7:00 in the morning, I take my Sinemet and then immediately slither down to the floor to do exercises that strengthen my core (e.g., planks) for 30 minutes.  By that time, I’m  able to stand up and walk without a cane.

I eat lunch at 12:00 noon, but have to be careful later in the afternoon when my stomach starts growling for a snack.

It’s a learning process.  But I can’t remember when I last needed to use a cane.