Seven years ago, I began doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®. Of course, back then it did not have a name…it was just what I was doing. At the same time, I began keeping a hand-written Parkinson’s Daily Journal. It is time to share my journal with all of you. Here is my October 20, 2009 journal entry, seven years ago today.
“10/20/09. Up at 4. Slow and stiff, so what’s new. I am constipated today. It is strange to be 48 years old and the highlight of my day potentially could be that I am not constipated…how sad is that.
Stairs have been very hard today — my legs are very tight and hurt a lot. I feel unsteady when I walk. I definitely need to get that figured out asap!”
Okay, this is kind of depressing. But, it was my life and I got better. I have had many conversations with people over the years centered around constipation. My view is simply this: If you are not emptying your bowels with regularity, your body as a survival organism is expending an enormous amount of energy trying to get your bowels to move. When this occurs, there is little energy left to hold the symptoms in check. The result is “stairs have been very hard today,” and “my legs are very tight and hurt a lot,” and “I feel unsteady when I walk.”
Most people when faced with “stairs have been very hard today,” and “my legs are very tight and hurt a lot,” and “I feel unsteady when I walk” think they are getting worse in their Parkinson’s. If that was the case, then I would not be cured of Parkinson’s. What “stairs have been very hard today,” and “my legs are very tight and hurt a lot,” and “I feel unsteady when I walk” meant was that my body had a higher priority for my energy — get the bowels moving. That’s it.
Here are a few reminders about how to help your bowels be more regular:
Click here for drinking more water.
Click here for drinking more water, part 2.
Click here for a discussion of a vegetarian diet.
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Please note: I will be posting one post per day through the middle of November. If you subscribe to receive email notifications when I post new blog posts and you would prefer to not receive those daily email notifications, simply send me an email at howard@fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com, and let me know that you do not wish to receive a daily email with a link to each post. I will remove you from the list through the middle of November and add you back on the list after the middle of November. However, I still would recommend you checking the blog on a regular basis as it will contain very useful information for understanding my journey and helping with your journey.
Big lesson to remember especially at this time of year when viruses can lay us low and exacerbate symptoms, body can’t do everything.
thanks Howard
Xx
Thank-you, Howard.
Very helpful, as usual!
We must all understand that we are the only ones that can cure ourselves. Howard can coach us in the right direction, but it’s up to us and us only. We have the ability to recover 100%, but it has to come from within us. We cannot rely on anything else but ourselves. We gave ourselves Parkinson’s and we can get rid of Parkinson’s just the same.
Thank you, Howard! This is very helpful and insightful.
I just want to say that today, my husband, Don, was able to put on his own man’s necklace. He was able to manage the little spring loaded clasp. He did not need my help at all. This tells us that Don is slowly healing.
Both of us are thanking our Creator for you and for his progress.
Sincerely,
Karen
“the highlight of my day potentially could be that I am not constipated…”. I remember that state of affairs so well! Howard is so right about the value of drinking plenty of water and a vegetarian diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition to that I eat a bowl of prunes every evening and I also have a tablespoon of ground flaxseed/linseed in a glass of water twice a day – very important to have it with water, otherwise it can increase constipation. Since adding the prunes and flaxseed to my daily regime I no longer have to worry about the possibility of constipation. Glorious!