Every now and again the same issue surfaces on a number of coaching calls, and I take it as a sign that I need to write about the issue. I feel if that many people are facing the same issue, then many of you might be facing the same issue as well. This time the issue deals with a form of feeling worse that clearly is a sign of getting better.
I had a similar thing occur in 2016, and I wrote about it at that time. Here is the updated version of the issue.
The issue: “My left hand has been the impacted hand and my right hand has worked well. A couple of days ago, I started having more difficulties with my right hand and now I am afraid that my Parkinson’s is spreading to the other side.”
My response: “Your organ meridians flow on both sides of your body. If your left hand was not working and your right hand was working just fine, can you see how “out of balance” that is in the flows of your organ meridians. You are doing the Recipe and opening up blockages, so your energy is flowing better and your meridians are starting to become more balanced. In physical terms, this means that you temporarily may see a “feeling worse” change in your right hand, but I would not be surprised if you see a “getting better” response from your left hand in the next few days.”
There was a brief pause and then the person said: “I was so caught up in the fear of what might be happening to my right hand that I completely forgot to notice that my left hand is getting better and is functioning better than it has functioned for the last year.”
Over the following week in 2016, four other people had expressed to me almost identical situations. My explanation was the same, and each then responded in a very similar manner –each acknowledged that their “bad side hand” was functioning better.
This week, I have had three people express to me this exact issue with the same fear, “I think my Parkinson’s is spreading to the other side.
Along with the explanation above, let’s be really clear about one thing: Parkinson’s does not spread. Symptoms are a notification system that something is amiss. In Parkinson’s, they do not spread.
Fear is an unreasonable viewpoint of what is occurring. Left to its own devices, fear will spread. And when fear spreads, symptoms get worse. Even in this situation, the symptoms are not getting worse because the person is getting worse in the disease. They simply are getting worse because fear sets off very strong negative energetic flows in the body that make people shake more, become stiffer, become slower, and become frozen.
The important thing is to know this: Fear gets in the way of recovery. Knowledge and understanding of what is occurring helps faith in your recovery defeat the fear.
Simple recap: Your Parkinson’s is not spreading. Your meridians are getting balanced. Balanced meridians are necessary for your recovery. Sometimes, feeling a little worse in order to have your recovery is what is necessary. Learning to tolerate the energetic changes in your meridian flows is necessary for your recovery as well.
I have written many times that if you are doing the the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®, you always are getting better, never getting worse; even though sometimes you will look worse and feel worse, you still are getting better.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” In the Parkinson’s world, this equates to “Be the cure you wish to see in yourself.” Do not wait. Keep moving forward, living your life as if you already are cured. Be that change, be that cure. Let go of fear. Feel your faith. Open your heart and let your dopamine flow.
You can do this!
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Love you Howard. God bless you and Sally, and thank you for the commitment you have made to helping others.
Another timely topic! My symptoms have been getting worse and this fear popped into my ‘monkey mind’ the other day. Thank you Howard for the reassurance that we all are on the road to recovery.
Inspiring! On our last call you said, if you didn’t have Parkinson’s would you do ____? Then do it.
This has been in my mind since, and even though it’s often a challenge to do whatever that is, I feel better just in trying.
Yesterday, with my husband’s help I got into a golf cart and rode along while he played, and I loved being in the fresh air and sunshine 🌞.
Thanks for all your inspired guidance, Howard
Thanks Howard, you help us to be on the road to recovery, your steady support is very great👍
Howard et al –
So I need to:
1) remember all change is another step toward recovery,
2) replace fear with happiness,
3) replace negative habit thinking with positive habit thinking,
4) and seriously tackle the above points in a care-free, relaxed and joyful manner.
With love to all and may you all find your Pooka,
– Elwood P. Dowd
Howard, thank you so much!
Your unwavering support is very much appreciated.
Sharon in North Carolina
I am happy to hear this because I had been sleeping well but last night was a nightmare of restlessness, anxiety and aches. I will continue to keep the faith and concentrate on healing. Thank you.
How ironic! I too have recently had some symptoms on my good side but I haven’t been worried about it as I’m not afraid anymore. Fear just hasn’t worked for me. I also noticed improvement on my struggling side so I have to smile. I have my joy back and I’m hanging on to it. I’m cured in my soul. Hallelujah! I patiently follow the recipe as I encourage my mind and body to follow.
Thank you God. Thank you Howard. Thank you fellow fighters. We are worth fighting for!
Thank you for this. With extremely worsened symptoms I have a mammoth battle with fear at the moment.. like a self defeating inner voice. I’m preparing for battle! X
I say this prayer every morning and night for all of us.
Heavenly Father, I
call on You right now in a special way.
It is through Your power that I was created.
Every breath I take,
every morning I wake,
and every moment of every hour,
I live under Your power.
Father, I ask You now to touch me with the same power.
For if You created me from nothing,
You can certainly recreate me.
Fill me with the healing power of Your Spirit.
Cast out anything that should not be in me.
Mend what is broken.
Root out any unproductive cells.
Open any blocked arteries or veins
and rebuild any damaged areas.
Remove all inflamation and cleanse any infection.
Let the warmth of your healing love
pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas
so that my body function the way You created it to function.
And Father, restore me to full health
in mind and body so that I may serve You the rest of my life.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Big love to all and great post Howard xx
❤️🙏
Thank you, Karen for including us all. That is absolutely beautiful! What a lovely prayer, it covers everything. I’m also going to add it to my morning and night-time prayers and meditations.
xoxox
You’re so welcome Margaret. I love that it covers everything and as we are all connected on here, I feel good including all Howard’s Warriiors as we all have good and bad days. 😊
Big love to you and thank you to you as well Petra. xx 💞💞
Beautiful Karen 🌹
As always Howard you seem to know just what we need to hear. I’ve been grounding and there are so many sensations surfacing on both sides of my body. I wish I could say I’m fearless, but what I can say is God, I give you my fear and attempt to reassure myself that this is because I’m reconnecting and it may take some time to do it in a flowing fashion. Thank you all who are sharing your journey; it helps with the isolation and hopelessness.
Pamela
Dear Howard,
Again another timely issue. We discussed it the other day about this FEAR and the ‘monkey mind’ I have in my recovery. With positive mind and your continuous encouragement will make me overcome this fear. As you said “Knowledge and understanding of what is occurring helps faith in my recovery and defeat this fear.”
Thank you for sharing the experiences you underwent.
I sometimes desist from commenting on Howard’s blog because I don’t want to introduce any negativity (also, I can hardly type). I identify with what Melanie S says about the battle with fear as well as with symptoms. This remorseless, relentless disease has taken me to the darkest of places. However, I am grateful for being part of a fraternity in the fight for recovery. And we couldn’t have a better cheerleader and supporter in Howard – an expert not just from studying the disease but from having overcome it, which gives hope for us all. I haven’t noticed any compensatory improvement in my bad, left side for the encroaching symptoms on my right side but now that Howard has brought this into my awareness, I will look out for it. I apply what he says about the meridian flow to my experience of Parkinson’s pain and rigidity intensifying in one area for a few weeks or months and then moving up or down – e.g. from scapula to arms. Hopefully, a case of getting better by degrees.
Thank you all so much and Howard for all the positive feedback. I like to remind myself that I’m worth it as well, I have Parkinsons but it doesn’t have me , I’m going to keep the faith and not give up, Like the good Lord says each day is hard enough as it is , take one day at a time, and keep fighting!