The stockings were hung on the fireplace with care in hopes that.....well, that's it exactly, "in hope". The holiday season is the season of hope. We all hope for different things; goodwill, peace for man. You hope that you receive the perfect gift that you asked for or the perfect gift that you did not expect. The majority of us consider gifts as a tangible object, something we can touch or experience like a bad Christmas sweater or that great vacation to somewhere without snow. Wait...... It's not Christmas without snow so I hope we have a little snow.
How often do we use this word, hope? Every day. If you think about it, we hope for and against things all the time. The definition of hope is "To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment". This word is used more during the holidays than any other time of the year. It is because the message of hope is what Christmas is all about. Three wise men hoped that a star would guide them to their savior, and Mary and Joseph hoped that there would be room at the inn, which led us to the story of hope being born into the world, the birth of the Christ child. We tend to celebrate it as a birthday. I have always looked at it as the heralding of a message that God had hope in all of us, and that he would send his son down to earth to tell us, "I have hope in you".
The mere fact that you have a religion or a faith tells me that you are full of hope in something you cannot touch or see. That is hope and faith personified. Hope is an incredible gift given to us that we each experience in many different ways throughout our lives. I saw hope in my wife's face when she said she would marry me, I saw it in my mother and father-in-law even when we were very young and planning to marry, and I saw hope in the faces of my children when they were born. We all have hope in each other and others who have no hope will find it in us. Just as the story of the Christ child, the miracle of hope is a power that lies within us. It was a Christmas gift given to all long ago.
It would be easy for me to forget about that gift. I could resign myself to the reality of my situation, but I don't because I have hope. All around the world there are people who will go to bed hungry, sick, and homeless. They are not sure what they will do about tomorrow, how will they make it through the next day, and in the truest spirit of Christmas, they wake up and somehow, some way, they still have hope.
Hope can be contagious. It can grow like a great tree taking root and spreading its branches everywhere, like the story of Christmas itself. Hope is that miracle. Let this gift shine in each one of you this holiday, a bright spot to light the world. In all of us is the ability to give this gift to each other -- the phone call to a friend you know might be down, telling them that they are loved and not alone; the child you sponsored who would not have food, clothes, or a gift this holiday, but now does because you let them know somewhere someone cared and now a seed of hope is planted in their hearts; the donation you made to help fund research to find a cure for a disease has given so many who suffer hope that one day they might be cured; the simple act of being mindful and kind to one another gives us hope in humanity.
According to the Christian bible, Jesus fed, clothed, cured, forgave and loved all people by his actions. He gave hope to the world. No matter what religion you are or if you have a religion, it is a wonderful message. Live a life of good deeds and of right actions; What you do every day will bring hope to you and those around you.
As you celebrate your faith this time of year, give the gift of hope to someone who might not have any. Hope can be so fragile. The lack of it can leave you empty. The strong presence of it can be miraculous. Hope is the first Christmas gift ever given. It is eternal.
To all my friends who support and show generosity to me and my family and to all the researchers, doctors, and organizations that champion all those who are battling adversities, thank you for the hope you have given me and so many others. To all of you who struggle this time of year, never give up because a long time ago the message of hope was born into the world. Have a truly blessed holiday and New Year!
I'm Pat Younts and I Move To Live
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thanksgiving - the Joy of Long Lines
I don’t know how all of you celebrate the holidays, but at my house it is an all out, over the top affair. This sense of joy and love of the holidays was instilled in me by mom and grandmother many years ago. My mom and grandmom raised us to believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas was the best time of the year and it is. We were not a family of great means, but my mom always made it feel as if we were and always made this time of year special for me and my two brothers. The food, the lights, the glow of candles setting warmth and comfort for friends and family that have gathered around the table always bring back great memories.
The preparation and the build-up are started by Thanksgiving. A lot of people take this wonderful time of the year to remind us of what we have to be thankful for. I will give you some of my not so typical things I am thankful for, like going shopping at Costco with my wife. I love the crowds and the lines. Most people would consider this unusual, but I look at it as one more memory my wife and I share of another holiday and her telling me "put that back, you can’t have it". I am able to buy food when many cannot; pushing a heavy grocery cart is something we all need to give thanks for. I am thankful for the parents who drag their kids to the store so I get to see the joy and anticipation on their faces of the holiday soon to be. I love free samples of all the great foods and the smiles of the friendly seniors who prepare it. They look like everyone’s grandparents.... well, most of them are friendly. After the second round of samples it counts as dinner out with the wife, another treasured moment. The dessert section is a mandatory. The pecan pie at Costco is wonderful; just ask my black lab Duchess. Looking forward to my first piece of pie of the season last year, I was surprised to see the pecan pie was no longer on the counter. There sat Duchess licking her lips with pie remnants all over the top of her head. She was very thankful. I am thankful I get to see those same strange people as myself with happy looks on their faces because the long lines and crowds of Thanksgiving are here; the one time of year we can all meet and look inconspicuous.
The one day my family and I look forward to and most people avoid is Black Friday shopping. This is one of our great joys. We all jump into the car, find the radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 for the next four weeks, and drive to the mall. Getting a great parking spot at the mall after driving around like a great bird of prey for a half an hour, swooping in and snagging a spot, triumphantly stepping out of the car to see the faces of my fellow shoppers with parking envy; all the decorations at the mall; Santa listening to wishes of children; the voices of carolers as they stroll amongst the festive throng of people; Victoria's Secret playing their video of their annual runway show in the store window right across from the bathroom that my wife always needs to stop at, all bring a smile to my face! The leaves - gold, red and brown - along with the crisp fall air of Virginia finish the perfect backdrop to the start of the holidays. What could possibly add to this holiday nirvana for my family and me?
This year my daughter being the kind and beautiful person she is has adopted a family in need. Caught up championing PD can be distracting at times. Thanks to her for reminding us that there are others in need. Along with her wonderful friends, we are pooling our resources together to make sure that this family does not go without this holiday. You make your dad proud!
We should never look at long lines and crowds of people who are preparing to celebrate holidays as a burden or an inconvenience. It is a blessing to be cherished. How many people would give anything to trade places with you? At the end of their line waits a bowl of soup and a night at the shelter, but I'm sure they are probably thankful to have that. If you can, please help those who go without food or gifts for the holidays. It is something you will be truly thankful you did.
From me and my family, have the happiest of holidays. See you at Costco.
I'm Pat Younts and I Move to Live.
The preparation and the build-up are started by Thanksgiving. A lot of people take this wonderful time of the year to remind us of what we have to be thankful for. I will give you some of my not so typical things I am thankful for, like going shopping at Costco with my wife. I love the crowds and the lines. Most people would consider this unusual, but I look at it as one more memory my wife and I share of another holiday and her telling me "put that back, you can’t have it". I am able to buy food when many cannot; pushing a heavy grocery cart is something we all need to give thanks for. I am thankful for the parents who drag their kids to the store so I get to see the joy and anticipation on their faces of the holiday soon to be. I love free samples of all the great foods and the smiles of the friendly seniors who prepare it. They look like everyone’s grandparents.... well, most of them are friendly. After the second round of samples it counts as dinner out with the wife, another treasured moment. The dessert section is a mandatory. The pecan pie at Costco is wonderful; just ask my black lab Duchess. Looking forward to my first piece of pie of the season last year, I was surprised to see the pecan pie was no longer on the counter. There sat Duchess licking her lips with pie remnants all over the top of her head. She was very thankful. I am thankful I get to see those same strange people as myself with happy looks on their faces because the long lines and crowds of Thanksgiving are here; the one time of year we can all meet and look inconspicuous.
The one day my family and I look forward to and most people avoid is Black Friday shopping. This is one of our great joys. We all jump into the car, find the radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 for the next four weeks, and drive to the mall. Getting a great parking spot at the mall after driving around like a great bird of prey for a half an hour, swooping in and snagging a spot, triumphantly stepping out of the car to see the faces of my fellow shoppers with parking envy; all the decorations at the mall; Santa listening to wishes of children; the voices of carolers as they stroll amongst the festive throng of people; Victoria's Secret playing their video of their annual runway show in the store window right across from the bathroom that my wife always needs to stop at, all bring a smile to my face! The leaves - gold, red and brown - along with the crisp fall air of Virginia finish the perfect backdrop to the start of the holidays. What could possibly add to this holiday nirvana for my family and me?
This year my daughter being the kind and beautiful person she is has adopted a family in need. Caught up championing PD can be distracting at times. Thanks to her for reminding us that there are others in need. Along with her wonderful friends, we are pooling our resources together to make sure that this family does not go without this holiday. You make your dad proud!
We should never look at long lines and crowds of people who are preparing to celebrate holidays as a burden or an inconvenience. It is a blessing to be cherished. How many people would give anything to trade places with you? At the end of their line waits a bowl of soup and a night at the shelter, but I'm sure they are probably thankful to have that. If you can, please help those who go without food or gifts for the holidays. It is something you will be truly thankful you did.
From me and my family, have the happiest of holidays. See you at Costco.
I'm Pat Younts and I Move to Live.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Moving Forward
I first saw the video below on a Facebook posting by Enzo of Ten Mountains, Ten Days. This is truly one of the best inspirational videos that I have ever seen. Thank you, Enzo. That being said, it does have images of movie violence (boxing). If this is disturbing to you, look away and listen to the audio. If the movie, Rocky, did not bother you, you should be good to go.
I think this video speaks to everyone who has had adversity. It gives us the perspective that we are accountable for our own lives and that we have the ability to impact our situation whatever that might be.
Do not be afraid to fight back, I know it's hard. I know you hurt. Every day I have that one golden minute where I'm not asleep, but not quite awake and I am not shaking. Just that one moment reminds me of what it was like to be "normal", what it felt like before. Then the reality of day begins. That one golden moment reminds me of what I want back.
I know many people wake up and think where is the hope, who will help me. The hope lies in everyone of us. All great things ever done, all the achievements ever reached, every impossibility that was made possible, was done by one of us. I believe God built miracles into everyone. We need to stop looking at each other or up to the sky for a miracle to fall in our laps. We need to pray for the courage to unleash our own greatness and for the courage to move forward.
Impossible is just another word used when someone is to scared or tired. It is the word that gives you permission to quit even before you make an attempt. There is nothing wrong with fear, apprehension, or anxiety. It is what the rational person feels before something great is attempted. Some of our brothers and sisters can no longer fight this battle, but we can and if a cure was not meant for us, then for our children and our grandchildren.
Every day Parkinson's pushes me and every day I push back. Every day I ride my stationary bike or walk with my wife, work out at the gym, go to the driving range, or golf. You must ask your doctors what is safe for you to do, and then let them help you make a plan, diet nutrition. Don't forget to exercise your brain, play games like backgammon, chess, poker, things that challenge you mentally. Sad or depressed? Who would not understand that? Go to YouTube, watch something that makes you laugh or call someone and tell them you need some cheering up. Read a book, something uplifting and positive, or read a blog by one of my fellow bloggers. Their links are listed to the right of this post. There is a great three part article at POSITIVELY PARKINSONS on staying positive. It's a wonderful, well written blog that you should add to your favorites. 12 Paws and Frogs -- Kj's wonderful photos and posts always inspire. She is a great example of someone living life with joy and style despite PD. If you do read our blogs, please leave a comment, question, suggestion, or an idea of a subject you would like us to blog about. We take the time to do this for you and letting us know in our own small way that we helped, inspires us.
We need to come together and support each other, get active in this fight. I know it's not easy, not easy at all, but don't sit and do nothing. The only thing that I ever did that was easy, was doing nothing at all.
"I may shake, but my resolve is steady."
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
I think this video speaks to everyone who has had adversity. It gives us the perspective that we are accountable for our own lives and that we have the ability to impact our situation whatever that might be.
Do not be afraid to fight back, I know it's hard. I know you hurt. Every day I have that one golden minute where I'm not asleep, but not quite awake and I am not shaking. Just that one moment reminds me of what it was like to be "normal", what it felt like before. Then the reality of day begins. That one golden moment reminds me of what I want back.
I know many people wake up and think where is the hope, who will help me. The hope lies in everyone of us. All great things ever done, all the achievements ever reached, every impossibility that was made possible, was done by one of us. I believe God built miracles into everyone. We need to stop looking at each other or up to the sky for a miracle to fall in our laps. We need to pray for the courage to unleash our own greatness and for the courage to move forward.
Impossible is just another word used when someone is to scared or tired. It is the word that gives you permission to quit even before you make an attempt. There is nothing wrong with fear, apprehension, or anxiety. It is what the rational person feels before something great is attempted. Some of our brothers and sisters can no longer fight this battle, but we can and if a cure was not meant for us, then for our children and our grandchildren.
Every day Parkinson's pushes me and every day I push back. Every day I ride my stationary bike or walk with my wife, work out at the gym, go to the driving range, or golf. You must ask your doctors what is safe for you to do, and then let them help you make a plan, diet nutrition. Don't forget to exercise your brain, play games like backgammon, chess, poker, things that challenge you mentally. Sad or depressed? Who would not understand that? Go to YouTube, watch something that makes you laugh or call someone and tell them you need some cheering up. Read a book, something uplifting and positive, or read a blog by one of my fellow bloggers. Their links are listed to the right of this post. There is a great three part article at POSITIVELY PARKINSONS on staying positive. It's a wonderful, well written blog that you should add to your favorites. 12 Paws and Frogs -- Kj's wonderful photos and posts always inspire. She is a great example of someone living life with joy and style despite PD. If you do read our blogs, please leave a comment, question, suggestion, or an idea of a subject you would like us to blog about. We take the time to do this for you and letting us know in our own small way that we helped, inspires us.
We need to come together and support each other, get active in this fight. I know it's not easy, not easy at all, but don't sit and do nothing. The only thing that I ever did that was easy, was doing nothing at all.
"I may shake, but my resolve is steady."
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Life's purpose
History tells us that at the end of Alexander the Great's campaign to increase the real estate holdings of Greece the Macedonia looked at all he had accomplished and wept because there was no more world to concur. I actually think there was, but without GPS, Google maps, or a good woman by his side giving him directions, what's a guy going to do? Pull over and ask directions, I think not. Alexander believed he reached the end of his life's work and on the way home from the ultimate road trip he died, perhaps from the empty void left from achieving his goals and having nothing more to live for.
From time to time we all wonder what our purpose in life is. Prior to my diagnosis a year and a half ago I found myself getting a little anxious about what I was doing with my life. Often I would tell my wife that I was not using my abilities. I felt stagnant and frustrated. I was looking for my own world to conquer. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing up to this point to complain about. I have a great life. I am married to my soul mate, have great kids, and over the last decade have what I consider a very relaxed lifestyle, blessed with great clients who also happen to be dear friends in my personal training business. I love all of my people and would keep on training them even if I won the lottery. This did not solve that little voice in the back of my head asking me what great thing are you doing? Are you using all your talents? It was an itch that was not getting scratched. I bought one of those self help books that help you discover what it is you are supposed to do with your life. I know some might consider self help books a little hokie, but I was getting really frustrated. I prayed at night for guidance toward my purpose -- that's how frustrated I had become.
Okay, I have not told this to anyone except my wife, so let's keep this between us. I read the self help books, but nothing was clicking. What to do? My life's calling was still a giant question mark and then the diagnosis came -- I had Parkinson's. I am a sick person, that's my new career? To hell with that, like good old Alexander the Great, a world conqueror, had shown me. I now fight a desperate battle against an undefeated opponent. With no army at my disposal, how was I to fight this battle? I recall someone once telling me that you can fix most problems if you throw enough money at it. What weapons would I need for my first battle to raise funds to fight Parkinson's? Golf clubs, some tee's, and lots of golf balls, and my battlefield would be the Kastle Greens Golf Club. The First Annual PY Vs. PD Golf Tournament would be the first step in a long journey to conquer Parkinson's.
It dawned on me at some point during the event that I was doing exactly what I had been searching for. All the things I have learned, all my modest talents came into play to create this event. My prayers in an odd way had been answered. I prayed for a purpose, a direction, and that moment of reckoning came in the form of PD. I do not question the way my now life's work has been given to me. I simply accept the challenge and use what skills and talents I have acquired through my life and put them to work to face this challenge.
It was a wonderful feeling to see the idea take shape and exceed expectations. So many people came together to support all of us battling PD. Their generosity and effort was amazing. I wish all of you could have been there. A golfer walked up to me after the tournament and told me he had a great time and would definitely be back next year. His golf partner said, "Not if they find a cure." The thought had not occurred to me that everyone's fundraiser might be the last one ever needed. Unlike Alexander I will not weep. There are still more worlds to conquer and causes to champion.
Do not let your situation distract you from your dreams and goals. Find your purpose and live your life.
From time to time we all wonder what our purpose in life is. Prior to my diagnosis a year and a half ago I found myself getting a little anxious about what I was doing with my life. Often I would tell my wife that I was not using my abilities. I felt stagnant and frustrated. I was looking for my own world to conquer. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing up to this point to complain about. I have a great life. I am married to my soul mate, have great kids, and over the last decade have what I consider a very relaxed lifestyle, blessed with great clients who also happen to be dear friends in my personal training business. I love all of my people and would keep on training them even if I won the lottery. This did not solve that little voice in the back of my head asking me what great thing are you doing? Are you using all your talents? It was an itch that was not getting scratched. I bought one of those self help books that help you discover what it is you are supposed to do with your life. I know some might consider self help books a little hokie, but I was getting really frustrated. I prayed at night for guidance toward my purpose -- that's how frustrated I had become.
Okay, I have not told this to anyone except my wife, so let's keep this between us. I read the self help books, but nothing was clicking. What to do? My life's calling was still a giant question mark and then the diagnosis came -- I had Parkinson's. I am a sick person, that's my new career? To hell with that, like good old Alexander the Great, a world conqueror, had shown me. I now fight a desperate battle against an undefeated opponent. With no army at my disposal, how was I to fight this battle? I recall someone once telling me that you can fix most problems if you throw enough money at it. What weapons would I need for my first battle to raise funds to fight Parkinson's? Golf clubs, some tee's, and lots of golf balls, and my battlefield would be the Kastle Greens Golf Club. The First Annual PY Vs. PD Golf Tournament would be the first step in a long journey to conquer Parkinson's.
It dawned on me at some point during the event that I was doing exactly what I had been searching for. All the things I have learned, all my modest talents came into play to create this event. My prayers in an odd way had been answered. I prayed for a purpose, a direction, and that moment of reckoning came in the form of PD. I do not question the way my now life's work has been given to me. I simply accept the challenge and use what skills and talents I have acquired through my life and put them to work to face this challenge.
It was a wonderful feeling to see the idea take shape and exceed expectations. So many people came together to support all of us battling PD. Their generosity and effort was amazing. I wish all of you could have been there. A golfer walked up to me after the tournament and told me he had a great time and would definitely be back next year. His golf partner said, "Not if they find a cure." The thought had not occurred to me that everyone's fundraiser might be the last one ever needed. Unlike Alexander I will not weep. There are still more worlds to conquer and causes to champion.
Do not let your situation distract you from your dreams and goals. Find your purpose and live your life.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Art of Giving
It has just been a few days since I officially announced that I am hosting my first annual PY Vs. PD golf tournament. The idea of hosting a golf tournament is just that - an idea. It has no form or substance until people give it life. The generosity of people never ceases to amaze me. Every day I check my Facebook, emails, blogs, and all forms of social media and every day someone has stepped up to help. I have said this many times in my blogs that I am blessed with so many great friends! My idea has been given life through all these wonderful people, through their generosity and support, and now friends of my friends have stepped forward to lend their help.
What is giving? It comes in many forms. I have received donations, sponsorship, volunteering, well wishing, prayers, and business support from friends and family in just a few days. We can all learn the art of giving. It is not always based on a charitable event. It also comes in the form of a smile to a passing stranger that you happen to have eye contact with. Writing a blog is a gift of sharing your thoughts with people. How about the gift of interest in the well-being of other people? "How are you today?" and an attentive ear can change somebody's day. Holding a door open and saying, "After you,” is the gift of placing someone else before you. And the gift of "thank you", the affirmation of something that someone has done for you. One of the most precious gifts you can give someone is your time. Ultimately time is all we truly possess. It is everything that occurs between our birth and our eventual passing. There is no better gift.
The golf tournament is not just my event. It belongs to all of us battling this disease and for all of you who are now helping us in this fight, there are over 10 million people in the world who want to give you a big hug and thank you.
Give every day.
What is giving? It comes in many forms. I have received donations, sponsorship, volunteering, well wishing, prayers, and business support from friends and family in just a few days. We can all learn the art of giving. It is not always based on a charitable event. It also comes in the form of a smile to a passing stranger that you happen to have eye contact with. Writing a blog is a gift of sharing your thoughts with people. How about the gift of interest in the well-being of other people? "How are you today?" and an attentive ear can change somebody's day. Holding a door open and saying, "After you,” is the gift of placing someone else before you. And the gift of "thank you", the affirmation of something that someone has done for you. One of the most precious gifts you can give someone is your time. Ultimately time is all we truly possess. It is everything that occurs between our birth and our eventual passing. There is no better gift.
The golf tournament is not just my event. It belongs to all of us battling this disease and for all of you who are now helping us in this fight, there are over 10 million people in the world who want to give you a big hug and thank you.
Give every day.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Why Me?
Why me? Do I ever contemplate the eternal question of someone who has been dealt a bad hand in life such as Parkinson's Disease? I can honestly say it has never entered my mind. Let me explain the version of "why me" that never entered my mind; the self pity woe is me version of that question. I could waste a lot of mental energy on why me. Maybe if I fell to my knees in the pouring rain, hands extended to the heavens yelling whyyyyyy to God as lightening flashed all around like the priest in Caddy Shack when the putt set on the lip of the cup and did not go in to set the club record. Did it help? Nope. Life is full of the why me's. Most of the time when I hear it, you don't even have to ask why because you know it was something you did or didn't do or it was just out of your control. It does not matter if you thought the end result was just or not. It is what it is. Do you know why I have PD? I don't either, neither does my neurologist. It would be wrong for me to ask why me. That would mean I did not deserve my current situation, but everyone else did. I am sure there were people on the Titanic who asked the question, why did we hit an iceberg? It does not matter. It does not affect the current situation that the ship is sinking. Although you could ask, why is the band still playing? I would be duct taping a couple of cellos together and getting off that ship ASAP. Did they invent duct tape yet? If they did, I bet they could have fixed the ship.
"What if", this is another great time waster, but let's play the what if game. What if I ate better when I was younger and worked out more, would I have PD? What if one of my parents carried a PD gene? What if no one knows, but through genetic marker studies we are getting closer to that answer? What if it was something in the environment? This one that keeps me up at night -- what if those poor people did not take that three hour tour? I would imagine they would never been stranded on that island. We can ask, why did Ginger wear that dress? Why did the Howell's not own their own yacht? How come the Skipper never lost any weight? The people on Survivor always do. Why can the professor make a nuclear reactor out of coconuts, but not fix a two foot hole in a boat? Could Mary Ann be any cuter? Not a question, just a personal observation.
See it's a fun game, but we are not meant to apply "what if" to our current real life situations because we can't go back in time. I do admit to playing what if after my sports team loses a game. I am working on that in small steps and that's not a PD pun.
Now here is how I look at "why me". Why me? Because I can make a difference. I have the ability to help. That's why me. Instead of feeling sorry for myself I choose to take that negative thought and turn it into positive action.
What if? What if I did not have PD? Would I ever have been involved in trying to help get this disease cured? Probably not. I have never known anyone with PD. People usually do not take up a cause until it affects a family member or a friend so I look at it as a calling.
I like to ask the questions, how and what? How can I help and what do we need to do? Everyone has had the opportunity in their life to ask these questions. You have not been singled out in life. Mistakes turn into lessons. Lost loved ones are to be carried in our hearts, not to hold us back. Life will place shut doors in front of all of us. Don't spend time knocking, hoping someone will open it for you. You need to go through, around, over, under, but you must move ahead.
"What if", that's the past. "Why me", you're stuck in neutral. "Life" is what you do when you move forward. Michael J. Fox was asked by an interviewer on TV, "Do you ever think why me?" His response was "Why not me?"
"What if", this is another great time waster, but let's play the what if game. What if I ate better when I was younger and worked out more, would I have PD? What if one of my parents carried a PD gene? What if no one knows, but through genetic marker studies we are getting closer to that answer? What if it was something in the environment? This one that keeps me up at night -- what if those poor people did not take that three hour tour? I would imagine they would never been stranded on that island. We can ask, why did Ginger wear that dress? Why did the Howell's not own their own yacht? How come the Skipper never lost any weight? The people on Survivor always do. Why can the professor make a nuclear reactor out of coconuts, but not fix a two foot hole in a boat? Could Mary Ann be any cuter? Not a question, just a personal observation.
See it's a fun game, but we are not meant to apply "what if" to our current real life situations because we can't go back in time. I do admit to playing what if after my sports team loses a game. I am working on that in small steps and that's not a PD pun.
Now here is how I look at "why me". Why me? Because I can make a difference. I have the ability to help. That's why me. Instead of feeling sorry for myself I choose to take that negative thought and turn it into positive action.
What if? What if I did not have PD? Would I ever have been involved in trying to help get this disease cured? Probably not. I have never known anyone with PD. People usually do not take up a cause until it affects a family member or a friend so I look at it as a calling.
I like to ask the questions, how and what? How can I help and what do we need to do? Everyone has had the opportunity in their life to ask these questions. You have not been singled out in life. Mistakes turn into lessons. Lost loved ones are to be carried in our hearts, not to hold us back. Life will place shut doors in front of all of us. Don't spend time knocking, hoping someone will open it for you. You need to go through, around, over, under, but you must move ahead.
"What if", that's the past. "Why me", you're stuck in neutral. "Life" is what you do when you move forward. Michael J. Fox was asked by an interviewer on TV, "Do you ever think why me?" His response was "Why not me?"
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My blogger friends
What has Parkinson's given me? It is currently an incurable disease, but there are great people working on that. So what gift could I receive or what possible good could come from PD? First, you see the quality of your friends; the support and love they give you in your time of need. It’s very easy to be a friend in good times. It doesn’t take much effort, but when the chips are down and you need help and support, a friendship can be tested. I have been very blessed with the friends I have! Friends and family are part of the many different communities we belong to.
One good thing that has come out of PD is that my community has expanded by an incredible group of bloggers who have chosen to battle this disease through their inspirational writing. I think that most of my fellow Parkie bloggers will tell you that you don't know who is reading your blog. When you first put it up, friends and family are there to support it. Sure that's how we got to be searchable on the web and get it out to the Parkinson's community. There I was feeling like those guys at NASA sending out signals into outer space hoping to get a response back. I have never written anything before so my other fear was that I was going to be like those guys in the fishing boat drinking beer that the aliens always find and decide to contact. Immediately after a conversation with them, Bubba enlightens our alien friends that our world is doing great because of a TV program called Bassmasters. Was I going to be the Bubba of the blogging universe feeling that higher life forms have passed me by? I was so excited when I first received a comment posted by a fellow Parkie on one of my posts. I instantly felt less alone dealing with PD. It was validation.
Since then my PD blogger community has expanded. We find each other through this wonderful social media, brought together by our common challenge. There is intelligent life out there and they are called bloggers; a community of people getting the message out to the PD world that you are not alone and there is hope. We strike out at PD with every stroke of our keyboards. We lift the spirits of someone who suffers, whose hope was rekindled by the words of a blogger they never met. At the same time it makes us feel that even with our PD, we are viable and we will not go quietly into that good night! We can make a difference. What we all do counts!
On my blog are links to bloggers who have so generously taken the time to read my posts and respond to them. Please take the time to read their wonderful blogs. A special thanks to kj who writes 12 Paws and Frogs. She is a very special person who truly shows us what grace is even with PD and a father who is going through his own battle with cancer. kj reflects joy and positivity in her writings. Thank you, kj!
To all my friends who read my blog, I can’t thank you enough!!! Okay, Parkie bloggers, hit those keyboards. There are people who are counting on us!
P.S. - To all the fine people out late at night who are fishing on boats, the next time you make contact with extraterrestrials stop showing them that 8 pounder you caught and using the words "ain't she a beaut". Please tell them to stick around. We sure could use the help....Okay, got to go. Bassmasters is coming on.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
One good thing that has come out of PD is that my community has expanded by an incredible group of bloggers who have chosen to battle this disease through their inspirational writing. I think that most of my fellow Parkie bloggers will tell you that you don't know who is reading your blog. When you first put it up, friends and family are there to support it. Sure that's how we got to be searchable on the web and get it out to the Parkinson's community. There I was feeling like those guys at NASA sending out signals into outer space hoping to get a response back. I have never written anything before so my other fear was that I was going to be like those guys in the fishing boat drinking beer that the aliens always find and decide to contact. Immediately after a conversation with them, Bubba enlightens our alien friends that our world is doing great because of a TV program called Bassmasters. Was I going to be the Bubba of the blogging universe feeling that higher life forms have passed me by? I was so excited when I first received a comment posted by a fellow Parkie on one of my posts. I instantly felt less alone dealing with PD. It was validation.
Since then my PD blogger community has expanded. We find each other through this wonderful social media, brought together by our common challenge. There is intelligent life out there and they are called bloggers; a community of people getting the message out to the PD world that you are not alone and there is hope. We strike out at PD with every stroke of our keyboards. We lift the spirits of someone who suffers, whose hope was rekindled by the words of a blogger they never met. At the same time it makes us feel that even with our PD, we are viable and we will not go quietly into that good night! We can make a difference. What we all do counts!
On my blog are links to bloggers who have so generously taken the time to read my posts and respond to them. Please take the time to read their wonderful blogs. A special thanks to kj who writes 12 Paws and Frogs. She is a very special person who truly shows us what grace is even with PD and a father who is going through his own battle with cancer. kj reflects joy and positivity in her writings. Thank you, kj!
To all my friends who read my blog, I can’t thank you enough!!! Okay, Parkie bloggers, hit those keyboards. There are people who are counting on us!
P.S. - To all the fine people out late at night who are fishing on boats, the next time you make contact with extraterrestrials stop showing them that 8 pounder you caught and using the words "ain't she a beaut". Please tell them to stick around. We sure could use the help....Okay, got to go. Bassmasters is coming on.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Little River Band - Help Is On Its Way
For all you Parkies out there that might be having a down day, here's something
I found -- a little pick me up inspirational song. Hang on, help is on its way.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
We are people in common
What’s your problem? We all have them to lesser or greater degrees. No one’s life is problem free. Even if you don’t, someone you care about does and that’s a problem, too, because you care about them and it makes us concerned when people we care about have problems. Since we all have them that means we all have something in common and that makes us part of a community called the human race. As part of a community, we need to be mindful of each other’s problems. A community survives by looking out for each other and at the same time not expecting the help. We also must be responsible for ourselves. Could you imagine a whole world of people taking responsibility for their own lives, not blaming each other for our problems, and at the same time helping someone else? How much could we get done?
If everyone on the planet earth could indulge me for a moment, I presume everyone reads my blog. I need to check my stat counter…1..2..3... billion, yep, everyone’s here. Now, if everyone could reach back and take the hand of the person whose problem is worse than yours, and with your other hand reach forward and take the hand of a person in front of you who has a smaller problem than you, it should look something like this -- the person at Morton's Steakhouse whose steak came back not quite medium rare should be holding onto the person’s hand behind them who just got a ticket in their new Mercedes Benz for double parking. That person is holding onto the executive who just lost their job and only has a year’s severance pay. The executive has a firm grasp of the person’s hand that lost their home because they had no severance package and now lives in a one room apartment with three kids. In that person’s hand is the hand of the abused mother and her children who have fled their situation. She looks back to see the pink shirt of the woman who is battling breast cancer, but it was fortunately caught early. The same could not be said for the man whose hand she holds who was diagnosed too late. He has some time to say goodbye to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and in short time will be reunited with his wife. He tries to be strong for the young African woman who after being attacked by solders that killed her family, months later gave birth to a baby with Aids in the refugee camp that has no medicine, food, or clean water.
We have problems to greater or lesser degrees. Individually it’s about our own personal perspectives, but regardless of how you view them, what we have is the ability to extend our hands forward asking for help. We also have the ability to reach back and help someone less fortunate than ourselves. People of the earth, we have each other. On the count of three, everyone pull. Very nice. We gave each other a hand up. We moved the human race forward instead of standing there and focusing on our own problems. We helped and received help in return. Empathy is blind. You might have noticed that the hands of people you held are the same, not Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. It wasn’t a black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern hand. It was the hand of a human being who needed a little help; a people in common.
If everyone on the planet earth could indulge me for a moment, I presume everyone reads my blog. I need to check my stat counter…1..2..3... billion, yep, everyone’s here. Now, if everyone could reach back and take the hand of the person whose problem is worse than yours, and with your other hand reach forward and take the hand of a person in front of you who has a smaller problem than you, it should look something like this -- the person at Morton's Steakhouse whose steak came back not quite medium rare should be holding onto the person’s hand behind them who just got a ticket in their new Mercedes Benz for double parking. That person is holding onto the executive who just lost their job and only has a year’s severance pay. The executive has a firm grasp of the person’s hand that lost their home because they had no severance package and now lives in a one room apartment with three kids. In that person’s hand is the hand of the abused mother and her children who have fled their situation. She looks back to see the pink shirt of the woman who is battling breast cancer, but it was fortunately caught early. The same could not be said for the man whose hand she holds who was diagnosed too late. He has some time to say goodbye to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and in short time will be reunited with his wife. He tries to be strong for the young African woman who after being attacked by solders that killed her family, months later gave birth to a baby with Aids in the refugee camp that has no medicine, food, or clean water.
We have problems to greater or lesser degrees. Individually it’s about our own personal perspectives, but regardless of how you view them, what we have is the ability to extend our hands forward asking for help. We also have the ability to reach back and help someone less fortunate than ourselves. People of the earth, we have each other. On the count of three, everyone pull. Very nice. We gave each other a hand up. We moved the human race forward instead of standing there and focusing on our own problems. We helped and received help in return. Empathy is blind. You might have noticed that the hands of people you held are the same, not Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. It wasn’t a black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern hand. It was the hand of a human being who needed a little help; a people in common.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The words I love you
Through the course of the day I say the words, "I love you" at least 8 to 10 times per day to my wife. I never hang up the phone without saying I love you; of course, I mean to my family. I might have said it to my car mechanic one time when he fixed something and said no charge. I tell my brothers I love them and kiss them on the cheek in public. We are not embarrassed to show our love for each other.
My son is a varsity offensive line coach for the high school he graduated from and on occasion when he needs me to drop him off at school in front of his players, he gives me a kiss on the cheek and tells me, "I love you" -- big tough coach and a loving son.
My daughter was a cheerleader in high school. When we dropped her off, I would tell her, "I love you," and wait until she got close to her friends, then stick my head out of the car and yell it again. Embarrassing your kids is one of those great joys in the world. She always looked back and through gritted teeth would say the words, "I love you."
Sam is my future daughter-in-law and is getting used to our 'I love you household'. Not all people verbalize their emotions. She shows us in her sweetness and thoughtfulness, which is very special. She gets closer every day to uttering those awesome words.
My in-laws are two of the greatest people you will ever meet. I think of them as parents. They have always made me feel like a son. Not everyone loves their in-laws. I do and I tell them I love you.
Let's see, who else...I will answer my friends who post those nice comments on my blog and tell them I love you. My brother-in-law is one of the sweetest guys you will ever meet and he gets an I love you. I tell my dogs and cats, "Daddy loves you." Okay, I know, who does that? I think lots of people will -- I hope. I will tell my Titleist driver when I hit the ball straight down the fairway, you guessed it, I love you.
I never miss the opportunity to use the words and the point of all this is no point at all. For all of you who are nice enough to read my blog, I just wanted to say......well, you already know.
My son is a varsity offensive line coach for the high school he graduated from and on occasion when he needs me to drop him off at school in front of his players, he gives me a kiss on the cheek and tells me, "I love you" -- big tough coach and a loving son.
My daughter was a cheerleader in high school. When we dropped her off, I would tell her, "I love you," and wait until she got close to her friends, then stick my head out of the car and yell it again. Embarrassing your kids is one of those great joys in the world. She always looked back and through gritted teeth would say the words, "I love you."
Sam is my future daughter-in-law and is getting used to our 'I love you household'. Not all people verbalize their emotions. She shows us in her sweetness and thoughtfulness, which is very special. She gets closer every day to uttering those awesome words.
My in-laws are two of the greatest people you will ever meet. I think of them as parents. They have always made me feel like a son. Not everyone loves their in-laws. I do and I tell them I love you.
Let's see, who else...I will answer my friends who post those nice comments on my blog and tell them I love you. My brother-in-law is one of the sweetest guys you will ever meet and he gets an I love you. I tell my dogs and cats, "Daddy loves you." Okay, I know, who does that? I think lots of people will -- I hope. I will tell my Titleist driver when I hit the ball straight down the fairway, you guessed it, I love you.
I never miss the opportunity to use the words and the point of all this is no point at all. For all of you who are nice enough to read my blog, I just wanted to say......well, you already know.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Our Furry Friends
When I come home, the first greetings I get are from my two dogs, Duchess and Dexter. Their butts and tails wag a mile a minute. The rest of my family greets me later with an “Oh, hey you’re home and what are you cooking for dinner?” My dogs are still greeting me. If they had a human voice, it would come out as, “Dad, Dad, Dad. I love Dad. Dad, Dad, Dad, your home.” My cats purr and rub against me, all three of them. Cats always seem like renters that don’t pay and still would like me to feed them. In lieu of rent they cuddle up on my lap and repay me with one of the most pleasant sounds in the world, a steady and loud purr. My wife seems to take great joy in the mischief that our pets cause. My cat Oh No loves to knock things off countertops or anything that provides enough height to make a dramatic noise upon impact. My wife will say, “Oh No, that was bad.” Yet she has grin on her face. I think that’s an enabler.
As far as interspecies friendships, my cats and dogs love each other. They think they are all the same species, "human". My dog Dexter gets what I like to call a spa day. He will jump on the bed between the cats and let the cats groom him. I have actually seen him fall asleep while getting his tongue bath, sheer doggy bliss.
Over the last few years my wife and I have taken care of our dear friends Karen and Mark’s cats when they are out of town. You know where your friendship is with a person when they ask you to take care of their pets. I think that should be one of the questions on a government security clearance check: Have ever been asked to take care of a friend’s pets? Answer: Yes. Great, welcome to the CIA. Here's the key to the file room and you get the corner office with a view.
Our pets are very important to us. I write this blog today because I am sad for my friends Karen and Mark. They lost their kitty Trigger yesterday. Trigger was a great cat. Every time we watched him, he would greet us at the door with, “Hi Pat and Darla.” I think that’s what he would have been saying if he could talk. Trigger would rub and purr all over you and always have a different toy waiting for you at the door. It was as if he knew we were coming over and he was offering a door prize for the nice people who fed him when his mom and dad were gone. Trigger was sweet.
Our pets are family. They give us unconditional love and for those of us facing some adversity in our lives they give us a special comfort. We love our furry friends and for those who have lost their pets, I take the Buddhist outlook that all living things have a soul and when it’s our time, they will be waiting for us with a wagging tail, a bark or a purr.
As far as interspecies friendships, my cats and dogs love each other. They think they are all the same species, "human". My dog Dexter gets what I like to call a spa day. He will jump on the bed between the cats and let the cats groom him. I have actually seen him fall asleep while getting his tongue bath, sheer doggy bliss.
Over the last few years my wife and I have taken care of our dear friends Karen and Mark’s cats when they are out of town. You know where your friendship is with a person when they ask you to take care of their pets. I think that should be one of the questions on a government security clearance check: Have ever been asked to take care of a friend’s pets? Answer: Yes. Great, welcome to the CIA. Here's the key to the file room and you get the corner office with a view.
Our pets are very important to us. I write this blog today because I am sad for my friends Karen and Mark. They lost their kitty Trigger yesterday. Trigger was a great cat. Every time we watched him, he would greet us at the door with, “Hi Pat and Darla.” I think that’s what he would have been saying if he could talk. Trigger would rub and purr all over you and always have a different toy waiting for you at the door. It was as if he knew we were coming over and he was offering a door prize for the nice people who fed him when his mom and dad were gone. Trigger was sweet.
Our pets are family. They give us unconditional love and for those of us facing some adversity in our lives they give us a special comfort. We love our furry friends and for those who have lost their pets, I take the Buddhist outlook that all living things have a soul and when it’s our time, they will be waiting for us with a wagging tail, a bark or a purr.
Friday, August 6, 2010
What can a dollar buy
My wife and I recently returned from celebrating our thirty year wedding anniversary in Atlantic City. We love AC. It holds a fascination for us -- the ocean, the smell of all the food as you stroll down the boardwalk, and the diversity of the people. Of course, the one group I never see too much of are people from New Jersey. They are all in Vegas. At least that’s what everyone in Vegas said when I asked them where they were from. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vegas and hope to get back soon so I can see people from New Jersey.
Out I walked and, of course, no wife. A moment later she appeared. A side note - to this day I still get great joy watching my wife walk into a room. It makes me feel giddy. Off we went past the slot machines and out the door. We walked a little ways and realized I needed to take my medication. We stopped by a pizza place, one of the many on the boardwalk, to buy a soda so I could take my pill. I stepped to a section of the counter and asked the pretty young girl if I could get a soda. She was working very hard making the pizzas and was not the cashier, my mistake. I should have stepped inside and asked the right person; not the young girl who looked frazzled by how busy she was making the pizza. She asked, “Just a soda bottle?” in a slight Russian accent. I said, “Yes, please.” She stopped what she was doing and got the soda for me. “Three dollars,” she said. I gave her the money and she quickly turned back to the task of cooking when I said, “this is for you.” I handed her a dollar. She paused for a second with a surprised look on her face, smiled at us, raised the dollar high in the air, and walked away.
At the end of the evening after splitting the creamiest brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and strawberries at a great restaurant called Meghan's Place, we started back down the boardwalk. As we were walking back, a homeless man approached us and asked if we could spare some change. I didn’t ask what it was for, presuming it would go to a bottle of liquor. I handed him a dollar in change. “God bless you, sir. It’s just that I'm hungry,” and he was. I watched him go to one of the food stands to get something to eat and thought at least tonight he will not be hungry.
What did my dollar buy; it bought me three moments of joy.
It made me forget about my problems for those moments. Understandably, people with problems sometimes get a narrow perspective and focus on ourselves, but it’s a big world and I won’t let PD take away my ability to show kindness and be mindful of others. We tend to get caught up in our own lives and forget there are others out there who might be going through their own trials and tribulations. Simple every day acts of kindness can turn someone’s day around; hold the door for someone, let the person with one item go in front of you in the grocery store, use thank you and please - powerful words.
In today’s economy a dollar can buy a lot. It was the price of a smile. Money well spent!
Back to the Jersey Shore, on this particular day we finished eating dinner at the Trump Taj Mahal. Before we headed out for our stroll down the boardwalk to enjoy the beautiful evening sunset, we had to make the obligatory bathroom pit stop. I was getting ready to leave the men's room hoping that my wife might actually beat me out and would have to wait on me. On my way to witness this possible miracle, I noticed an elderly gentleman in a sharp looking Trump Taj uniform cleaning the bathroom. His head was down, concentrating on his work, keeping the place very clean. Now let me clarify, he was not an attendant. No cologne was offered or a towel or the uncomfortable stare waiting for you to finish. He was just the man cleaning the toilets. As I passed him, my hand went to my wallet and I pulled out a dollar. I thanked him for the great job he was doing. He looked at me with surprise that I was tipping him. A huge smile crossed his face as he thanked me many times for the dollar. It was not the amount of the tip, but the acknowledgement that what he was doing had worth.
Out I walked and, of course, no wife. A moment later she appeared. A side note - to this day I still get great joy watching my wife walk into a room. It makes me feel giddy. Off we went past the slot machines and out the door. We walked a little ways and realized I needed to take my medication. We stopped by a pizza place, one of the many on the boardwalk, to buy a soda so I could take my pill. I stepped to a section of the counter and asked the pretty young girl if I could get a soda. She was working very hard making the pizzas and was not the cashier, my mistake. I should have stepped inside and asked the right person; not the young girl who looked frazzled by how busy she was making the pizza. She asked, “Just a soda bottle?” in a slight Russian accent. I said, “Yes, please.” She stopped what she was doing and got the soda for me. “Three dollars,” she said. I gave her the money and she quickly turned back to the task of cooking when I said, “this is for you.” I handed her a dollar. She paused for a second with a surprised look on her face, smiled at us, raised the dollar high in the air, and walked away.
At the end of the evening after splitting the creamiest brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and strawberries at a great restaurant called Meghan's Place, we started back down the boardwalk. As we were walking back, a homeless man approached us and asked if we could spare some change. I didn’t ask what it was for, presuming it would go to a bottle of liquor. I handed him a dollar in change. “God bless you, sir. It’s just that I'm hungry,” and he was. I watched him go to one of the food stands to get something to eat and thought at least tonight he will not be hungry.
What did my dollar buy; it bought me three moments of joy.
It made me forget about my problems for those moments. Understandably, people with problems sometimes get a narrow perspective and focus on ourselves, but it’s a big world and I won’t let PD take away my ability to show kindness and be mindful of others. We tend to get caught up in our own lives and forget there are others out there who might be going through their own trials and tribulations. Simple every day acts of kindness can turn someone’s day around; hold the door for someone, let the person with one item go in front of you in the grocery store, use thank you and please - powerful words.
In today’s economy a dollar can buy a lot. It was the price of a smile. Money well spent!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
What Does it Take to Cure Parkinson's
My wife and I were out on our evening walk (move to live). About half way home we noticed a small dog up ahead running and barking at people in the school parking lot. You could tell he was all bark and no bite. Across the street I also noticed a young man with a blanket in his hand. The dog must have escaped the house and I guess the plan was to throw the blanket on the dog and capture it. I thought to myself.....really, that's your plan. It seemed futile and ill conceived, but what the heck, I was on board if it actually worked. It would give me something to write about in this blog.
Well, let me tell you, this plan had all the success of the coyote strapping a rocket on his back and catching the roadrunner. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure the blanket had the word ACME on it. He was a little dog and he was fast like the kid in gym class who out ran everyone and looked back to see how far ahead he was. The problem was he started running into the street, not good. What if a car hit him? I could not live with that so my wife and I were in the hunt.
The young man said his dog's name was Neeko and I thought, "You should name him Nike the way he was running circles around us." He handed us a treat and asked us to give it to Neeko while he threw the blanket on the dog. I tried to feign hopeful with the new element of the dog treat, but knew better. It was all we had though. Surprise! Total failure and with a snack in him he had extra fuel. Off he went, running down to the corner. When the young man's sister pulled up in her car to lend assistance, I thought dogs love car rides. Great, this should work. Another bad idea. You would think we worked for BP the way our plans to solve this problem were going. Neeko was down the main drag and off the side streets into more traffic. I was starting to worry as cars had to break to avoid hitting him. My wife had her jacket off and threw it at him. I'm not sure what this was going to do. Maybe his little legs were going to go in the sleeves, the hood flip on his head, and then Bam! we'd have him.
Now at this point you must be wondering what does this have to do with PD or any problem. I'm getting there.
I wish I had a video camera to see my wife trying to run after that dog with her hoody, the kid with his blanket, me with PD, and the sister with the pursuit vehicle. Too funny! The four of us can't grab him so what do we need, more people. A guy walking his dog has joined the great hunt to capture the elusive Neeko. I remember the guy saying, "You know you are never going to get him with that blanket." Thank you, Mister Obvious. We are up to six people and apparently not faster or smarter than a 5 lbs. dog. Down the street we all go with that little dog kicking our....You know what, we need more help. We saw a group of small children just ahead of us playing with their new puppy. Okay, that's ten of us, score - humans 0, Neeko 10. The kids had the only thing that Neeko the dog was interested in, the puppy. We had the bait and now we just needed a trap. As always, there is a fly in the ointment. One of the kids in the group started to throw things at Neeko and chase him into the street, all the while laughing his head off. I'm not saying I believe in demonic possession, but I swear his head spun all the way around during his tirade. Fortunately, one of the kids stopped him. I believe he will grow up to be a Jesuit priest the way he stopped that demon child.
We were back in business. I noticed that the kids had a fenced in yard. Immediately I had a plan. Put the puppy in the yard, keep Captain Chaos under control, and block the holes in the fence. Neeko fell for it. He went into the yard after the puppy, we closed the gate, and the owner walked into the yard. Neeko was beat. He laid down and showed his belly. We had him safe and sound. Neeko's owner told us that Neeko was a rescue dog. He was a pure bred dog that had a flaw because he was born with an extra toe on one paw, not saleable, just expendable, off to the pound.
What did I take from all this? On the road of life when you have problems, it takes lots of people to solve them and you never know how or why people come to your aid, but they do. With all their help and a good plan, you can reach a goal no matter how elusive it may seem. There is always someone with an agenda who tries to detour the group's effort, like that little kid, but we must stay the course. It will take the team working together to beat PD. With the help of others who join our cause along the way, it will happen. Stay positive, do what you can to help like play in a charity golf tournament (shameless plug) like mine in the fall. Keep moving Parky Warriors!
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Well, let me tell you, this plan had all the success of the coyote strapping a rocket on his back and catching the roadrunner. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure the blanket had the word ACME on it. He was a little dog and he was fast like the kid in gym class who out ran everyone and looked back to see how far ahead he was. The problem was he started running into the street, not good. What if a car hit him? I could not live with that so my wife and I were in the hunt.
The young man said his dog's name was Neeko and I thought, "You should name him Nike the way he was running circles around us." He handed us a treat and asked us to give it to Neeko while he threw the blanket on the dog. I tried to feign hopeful with the new element of the dog treat, but knew better. It was all we had though. Surprise! Total failure and with a snack in him he had extra fuel. Off he went, running down to the corner. When the young man's sister pulled up in her car to lend assistance, I thought dogs love car rides. Great, this should work. Another bad idea. You would think we worked for BP the way our plans to solve this problem were going. Neeko was down the main drag and off the side streets into more traffic. I was starting to worry as cars had to break to avoid hitting him. My wife had her jacket off and threw it at him. I'm not sure what this was going to do. Maybe his little legs were going to go in the sleeves, the hood flip on his head, and then Bam! we'd have him.
Now at this point you must be wondering what does this have to do with PD or any problem. I'm getting there.
I wish I had a video camera to see my wife trying to run after that dog with her hoody, the kid with his blanket, me with PD, and the sister with the pursuit vehicle. Too funny! The four of us can't grab him so what do we need, more people. A guy walking his dog has joined the great hunt to capture the elusive Neeko. I remember the guy saying, "You know you are never going to get him with that blanket." Thank you, Mister Obvious. We are up to six people and apparently not faster or smarter than a 5 lbs. dog. Down the street we all go with that little dog kicking our....You know what, we need more help. We saw a group of small children just ahead of us playing with their new puppy. Okay, that's ten of us, score - humans 0, Neeko 10. The kids had the only thing that Neeko the dog was interested in, the puppy. We had the bait and now we just needed a trap. As always, there is a fly in the ointment. One of the kids in the group started to throw things at Neeko and chase him into the street, all the while laughing his head off. I'm not saying I believe in demonic possession, but I swear his head spun all the way around during his tirade. Fortunately, one of the kids stopped him. I believe he will grow up to be a Jesuit priest the way he stopped that demon child.
We were back in business. I noticed that the kids had a fenced in yard. Immediately I had a plan. Put the puppy in the yard, keep Captain Chaos under control, and block the holes in the fence. Neeko fell for it. He went into the yard after the puppy, we closed the gate, and the owner walked into the yard. Neeko was beat. He laid down and showed his belly. We had him safe and sound. Neeko's owner told us that Neeko was a rescue dog. He was a pure bred dog that had a flaw because he was born with an extra toe on one paw, not saleable, just expendable, off to the pound.
What did I take from all this? On the road of life when you have problems, it takes lots of people to solve them and you never know how or why people come to your aid, but they do. With all their help and a good plan, you can reach a goal no matter how elusive it may seem. There is always someone with an agenda who tries to detour the group's effort, like that little kid, but we must stay the course. It will take the team working together to beat PD. With the help of others who join our cause along the way, it will happen. Stay positive, do what you can to help like play in a charity golf tournament (shameless plug) like mine in the fall. Keep moving Parky Warriors!
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Parkinson's Challange Update
Just got back from a wonderful 30th wedding anniversary in Atlantic City. As those of you who have kept up with my blog know, I had three challenges for the summer. I wanted to get my bench press back up to 250 lbs before we left July 12 and I’m happy to say that goal was met. Thanks to Big Mike for letting me work out with him. Mike spotted me and kept me motivated by also trying to hit the same goal of 250 lbs, which he also did. This was challenging for Mike, too. At a height of 6'7”, he has a long way to push that bar up. Mike has his own neurological difficulty after suffering a broken neck in the line of duty as a police officer. Great job, big guy!!
I haven’t met my body weight goal yet, but I have lost 10 lbs, bringing my body weight down to 184 lbs. I should have calculated adding extra muscle mass which I have done. I still need to drop 10 more to get abs.
As for my golf game, we have played best ball the last three outings so I am not sure what my individual score is, but I can tell you I am hitting longer and straighter with my driver than ever.
My balance and big motor skills are doing great even with PD, but I am working very hard to keep them going. Remember by giving yourself goals to achieve, you keep the mindset of improving in the future instead of the mindset that things are diminishing. This will help maintain a positive attitude and a better quality of life.
I am Pat Younts and I move to live.
I haven’t met my body weight goal yet, but I have lost 10 lbs, bringing my body weight down to 184 lbs. I should have calculated adding extra muscle mass which I have done. I still need to drop 10 more to get abs.
As for my golf game, we have played best ball the last three outings so I am not sure what my individual score is, but I can tell you I am hitting longer and straighter with my driver than ever.
My balance and big motor skills are doing great even with PD, but I am working very hard to keep them going. Remember by giving yourself goals to achieve, you keep the mindset of improving in the future instead of the mindset that things are diminishing. This will help maintain a positive attitude and a better quality of life.
I am Pat Younts and I move to live.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Parkinson's and the People Who Take Care of Us
I am just a few days away from my 30th wedding anniversary. I have said many times to many different people that I have had the rare opportunity to have married one of the greatest women who has ever lived. No one could have done better than Darla. I know there are women of equal beauty and character as my wife, but no one better. I am in a rare category of men who can say this and to all of you who also have that rare privilege of a long marriage to your perfect mate, congratulations. You have something that money and power simply cannot obtain, true unconditional love. I know this because over the last thirty years every one of our wedding vows has been tested, and now we are challenged with the hardest of all the vows, "in sickness". It is not fair that after all Darla has done for me her reward for all her years of love and loyalty is a husband with Parkinson's. Yet here we are, and as always without even a pause she is taking care of me, supporting me every step of the way. I just want everyone who reads this blog to know how much I love my wife. I work out almost every day, I started this blog, I am hosting a golf tournament to raise money for PD research, and will do everything I can to find a cure and keep myself as healthy as I can because I owe it to my wife. All of us who have spouses that have given so much over the years owe it to our spouses to do all we can to make life easier for them. On behalf of all of us Parkies, I would like to say to all the wives and husbands who honor the hardest vow of all, thank you. We love all so of you much!
Happy anniversary, baby.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Happy anniversary, baby.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Working Out with Parkinson's and Finding Inspiration
I have been involved in the fitness field for the last 25 years as a gym owner and personal trainer. I have worked with a lot of people with countless challenges through the years. Now with challenges of my own, I am starting to think back about people in my life and how they have overcome adversity. My friend and client, Susan, came to mind right off the bat. Other than being one of the nicest people in the world, she also competed at a world class level representing the U.S. in the paraolympics powerlifting, specializing in the bench press. Susan was a postal worker delivering the mail one day when her mail car flipped. Susan was instantly paralyzed from the waist down. Tragic, unfair, sad, heartbreaking for Susan. These are words that describe her situation, but the words that actually describe Susan are joyful, positive, kind, determined and champion. Unlike us PD challenged - I think that's politically correct - our problem is creeping up on us slowly. We see it coming and we can take steps to slow things down and plan ahead for our future (Go Research!) For Susan it changed in a moment. One second you walk, and the next you don't. When you face this type of adversity your character is revealed. Susan could have felt bad for herself, and who could blame her. Instead Susan looked for another path, one that led her to the paraolympics, wearing the red white and blue showing her fellow Americans with challenges that even though she could not stand up from her wheelchair, she did rise up to represent her country and show how to beat adversity back.
For my part in all of this, I trained Susan in powerlifting. The bench press was her event and every week leading up to the games, we would meet at the gym. Susan would always greet me with a big smile and enthusiastic, "how are you doing?" I see a lot of people walk into the gym - I still call it the gym, not the fitness center. I think people get work done at the gym, but might do more socializing at a fitness center, but I digress! As I was saying, I saw a lot of grumpy faces at the gym, people coming in from long commutes, thinking what a pain in the butt, I still need to work out. Then there's Susan in her wheelchair, bright-eyed and ready to go. She was the one who actually had the right to be grumpy. Instead through her smile and determination, she chose to inspire. At a body weight of 145 pounds, Susan bench pressed well over 200 pounds. Free weight bench press is hard enough with the use of your legs for balance. It's 10 times harder without. Susan was undeterred, competing in more than one paraolympic game and several area powerlifting competitions.
We need to take this same can do attitude in our approach to PD. I am early on in my PD and I know that movement is the key, a must! We all need a plan on how we can help our bodies fight off PD as long as we can to improve our quality of life and buy time until a cure can be found.
As a trainer I can't help any of you without being there. We all have to be evaluated separately, no cookie cutter routines. For my workout I use free weights and some machines. The benefit of free weights is that it makes both sides of your body work together. It forces me to keep balance and trains all those small supportive muscle groups that machines tend to bypass. My next choice is machines. This is great for the stage where balance becomes an issue. Machines put you in the right position and keep you in the correct range of motion. This makes machines safer for your use also. I always work out my big muscle groups first; legs, back, chest, then shoulders, biceps, triceps and abs last. Working out big to small muscle groups is a good rule of thumb. Also, do not hit the weights every day. Allow your body to recuperate. I split my body parts up and work out 3 to 4 times per week with weights. I also work my cardio every day except Sunday walking evenings (fast pace) with my wife, weather permitting (use sunscreen if out in the sun, we are more susceptible to skin cancer). I'm on Parky 1, my stationary bike (check out previous blog), 30 to 45 minutes almost every day. I feel better after biking. Lots of studies are out there with empirical evidence of the benefits of bike riding. Once again, a stationary bike is much safer than outdoor biking. Although I might give outdoor biking a try this summer.
In addition to exercise, proper nutrition is very important. We need to support our bodies. Check with your doctor to see if you can have a consult with a nutritionist. As far as my diet, I watch my portions. You would be surprised by what people think a serving is. Measure one cup of rice or pasta and put it on your plate. You will be amazed. I eat frequently. It helps my metabolism,. I drinks lots of water (shocking new information! lol). I take a multivitamin, CQ10, calcium, omega 3, no magic pill, just healthy.
Be like all of those Parky Warriors I read about who climb mountains, run marathons, and enter bike races. We must be undeterred. Take charge, make a plan for your health, and take a lesson from my friend, Susan. Don't quit on life. Anything is possible.
P.S. - If anyone has questions about working out that I might be able to help with, please contact me at my e-mail address, pymovelive@gmail.com. And remember, never begin any exercise program without consulting your physician first.
For my part in all of this, I trained Susan in powerlifting. The bench press was her event and every week leading up to the games, we would meet at the gym. Susan would always greet me with a big smile and enthusiastic, "how are you doing?" I see a lot of people walk into the gym - I still call it the gym, not the fitness center. I think people get work done at the gym, but might do more socializing at a fitness center, but I digress! As I was saying, I saw a lot of grumpy faces at the gym, people coming in from long commutes, thinking what a pain in the butt, I still need to work out. Then there's Susan in her wheelchair, bright-eyed and ready to go. She was the one who actually had the right to be grumpy. Instead through her smile and determination, she chose to inspire. At a body weight of 145 pounds, Susan bench pressed well over 200 pounds. Free weight bench press is hard enough with the use of your legs for balance. It's 10 times harder without. Susan was undeterred, competing in more than one paraolympic game and several area powerlifting competitions.
We need to take this same can do attitude in our approach to PD. I am early on in my PD and I know that movement is the key, a must! We all need a plan on how we can help our bodies fight off PD as long as we can to improve our quality of life and buy time until a cure can be found.
As a trainer I can't help any of you without being there. We all have to be evaluated separately, no cookie cutter routines. For my workout I use free weights and some machines. The benefit of free weights is that it makes both sides of your body work together. It forces me to keep balance and trains all those small supportive muscle groups that machines tend to bypass. My next choice is machines. This is great for the stage where balance becomes an issue. Machines put you in the right position and keep you in the correct range of motion. This makes machines safer for your use also. I always work out my big muscle groups first; legs, back, chest, then shoulders, biceps, triceps and abs last. Working out big to small muscle groups is a good rule of thumb. Also, do not hit the weights every day. Allow your body to recuperate. I split my body parts up and work out 3 to 4 times per week with weights. I also work my cardio every day except Sunday walking evenings (fast pace) with my wife, weather permitting (use sunscreen if out in the sun, we are more susceptible to skin cancer). I'm on Parky 1, my stationary bike (check out previous blog), 30 to 45 minutes almost every day. I feel better after biking. Lots of studies are out there with empirical evidence of the benefits of bike riding. Once again, a stationary bike is much safer than outdoor biking. Although I might give outdoor biking a try this summer.
In addition to exercise, proper nutrition is very important. We need to support our bodies. Check with your doctor to see if you can have a consult with a nutritionist. As far as my diet, I watch my portions. You would be surprised by what people think a serving is. Measure one cup of rice or pasta and put it on your plate. You will be amazed. I eat frequently. It helps my metabolism,. I drinks lots of water (shocking new information! lol). I take a multivitamin, CQ10, calcium, omega 3, no magic pill, just healthy.
Be like all of those Parky Warriors I read about who climb mountains, run marathons, and enter bike races. We must be undeterred. Take charge, make a plan for your health, and take a lesson from my friend, Susan. Don't quit on life. Anything is possible.
P.S. - If anyone has questions about working out that I might be able to help with, please contact me at my e-mail address, pymovelive@gmail.com. And remember, never begin any exercise program without consulting your physician first.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
"Hi, great to see you" and my hands go in my pockets
Being officially a member of the shaky hand society for almost a year, there are lots of people who still don't know that I have PD. As a former gym owner and personal trainer, I have been blessed with many friends and acquaintances over the last 30 years. I run into a lot of people that I have not seen for awhile and the conversation always seems to be the same. "Hi, great to see you," (hopefully I remember their name) "how have you been?" "Great, how about you?" What do I say, "Oh I have PD." Well that conversation has all the social tact as asking someone, how's your Mom? Oh she's dead. Okay, great then. Have a nice day, see you soon. So that's why I don't like telling people that I have PD. It's not that I am embarrassed or ashamed. It's because I don't want to make them feel bad and then watch them squirm around for the right thing to say. Now I'm not going to tell anyone unless I get a direct question, but wait my shaky hands. What do I do? Shove them in my pockets like I always do and hope no one notices because shaking hands in pockets just does not look good in public. There also is the other situation where I know someone knows that I have PD and I see them for the first time after the diagnosis and they don't say a word about my PD. Not I'm sorry, I heard you have PD, or wow, I love the great blog site you started, you're so clever, I bet you're a terrific golfer, do you work out? Wait that last one was me talking to myself. The problem with PD is that it's socially awkward. Your hands shake, your body movements can be all over the place, and speech can be affected. You worry about being invited to a dinner party where they serve soup and everyone at the dinner party ends up looking like they sat in the front row at a Gallagher Show when you are done eating. PD is getting harder for me to hide so when I see someone, I always greet them with a smile and a sincere and enthusiastic, "How are you?" Even though my body is projecting a negative, my mind and spirit project nothing but a positive so people know that I'm doing okay so it's alright to act normal around me. If all else fails, I make a bad joke like I'm hoping that they will put martini shaking or sanding in the upcoming Olympics because I feel I would have a great shot at the gold. Yeah, I know bad joke, but sometimes all you can do is laugh. Stay positive and keep moving!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Bike Riding on Parky-1
The name of my blog, of course, is Move to Live - Beating Parkinson's. One of the things I use to help me move is my stationary bike, Parky-1. I recently modified Parky-1 by adding a platform to hold a laptop and a new seat because the last seat I had was not very kind to my body parts. With the new upgrades I have made to Parky-1 (to see an equivalent upgrade of this type of technology and magnitude, please check out IRON MAN 2), this allows me to monitor my heart and pulse rate, calories burned, biofeedback in real time, also a global positioning satellite tied into NASA to monitor my whereabouts......Wait GPS? NASA satellites? It's a stationary bike. It doesn't move, just shakes a little. As a matter of fact, I can't back any of that stuff up! Ah well, maybe the next upgrade. Sure sounded cool though didn't it? Actually I watch Youtube videos on golf and music, play cds and dvds, and work on this blog while I ride the bike because it's boring, but it's good for me so I do it. Research has shown some great benefits that bike riding provides people with PD. Here are some links that our crack research department (me and my wife) have found:
Make whatever you do fun and interesting. If you can sing along (great for speech therapy) to the music when you ride or walk, just don't talk to yourself. Those people scare me, and if you do talk to yourself, try to pair up with someone does the same. At least it will look like you're having a conversation. Bluetooth users are, of course, exempt. Whatever you do to fight back and slow the old PD train down helps! Keep moving!My trinity challenge update - I have lost 7 pounds, no six pack abs yet, but getting closer. My bench press is up to 210 pounds for 4 reps,still ahead of schedule, and as for my golf game, I shot a 97 last week (no mulligans), My driver was the best club in my bag. I hit long and straight. I want to break 80 before my charity golf tournament, which has an official date and name now. The Shaky Stick Golf Tournament to benefit Parkinson's research will be held on October 1, 2010, at Prince William Golf Course, Bristow, Virginia. More details to come.
Note: always get your doctor's ok before starting any new activities!
Note: always get your doctor's ok before starting any new activities!
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Young Boy at Costco
My wife and I made our usual Saturday pilgrimage to Costco to buy pallets of toilet paper, cases of drinks, and a jar of mayonnaise big enough for everyone in an island nation to have a sandwich. I personally enjoy the free samples which if you come at that right time of the day can hold you over until dinner. I just finished trying every sample in the store, which to me indicates that shopping is officially over. We took our giant shopping cart with our giant food to the giant conveyor belt so the giant lady could check us out....wait, she was normally proportioned, my bad. She asked me how I was doing today. It was okay for her to ask me. She was not a health professional (check out my first blog for an explanation). My wife and I both said fine, asked her how she was, she gave us that look of someone who has to ring up gigantic food items on a Saturday, but shot a smile and said fine. After she rang up the last food item, she asked us if we would like to donate a dollar to Children's Miracle Network. After we made our donation, she gave us the little thank you paper, we put or names on it, and felt good about our small but good deed.
Our cart was loaded and looked like the sled the Grinch had after he stole all the toys from Whoville. We pushed it about ten feet when a woman blocking our way with a box in her hand asked us if we would like to donate 3 dollars to Children's Miracle Network for the last rubber bracelet she had. I started to tell her we just gave and before I could finish my sentence she said, "I have one bracelet left and he's on 2 types of chemo." I thought who is she talking about? When I looked on the other side of the cart, I saw a small child about 5 or 6 years old in a stroller. My heart sank as I looked at him. He was a small boy, undersized for his age. His face was drawn and haggard by the cancer and the drugs. He had many tubes in his body. In an instant I could feel my lip quiver. It felt like a hammer hit me in the chest! I crouched down to his level. I remember saying, "hey buddy" and trying to smile. He reached his small hand out to me and as I started to reach out to him, I could see tubes in his arm. I pulled my hand back, scared I might hurt him or a tube might come loose. The woman said thank you and gave Darla the bracelet. I stood up and waved goodbye to him and pushed our cart. I looked over at Darla and I could see the tears well up. I said, "that was heartbreaking." She nodded and said he had pretty green eyes. He did.
Parkinson's is something I am aware of every waking moment of the day, but for several minutes I was totally unaware of my PD. I could only think, "I can't help him." As a personal trainer, trying to help people is what I do and feeling totally useless is something that doesn't usually happen. We loaded up the car and I told my wife no matter how bad I get, I have had a great life, a great mom and grandmother who raised me, two wonderful brothers, and a host of friends that are like family to me. I have been married 30 years to one of the greatest women on this planet. I have two children who have been nothing but a joy, and a wonderful soon to be daughter-in-law. My dad and I talk now on a weekly basis instead of just on holidays. I could go on forever, but I have been truly blessed. Will my small friend ever have the opportunities I have had? I think that's what bothered me most of all, that he might not have that chance.
Let me ask everyone something If it all ended right now, did you appreciate your life? I am not talking just the good times. I'm talking about cherishing every low, every heartbreak, all the tears shed, all the moments that you thought did not go your way, did you actually stop to think I am alive and privileged that I get to experience all those things that give life meaning? Because all those moments we experienced allowed us to live life. We needed them so all the joyful moments could have value. I have been blessed that I have lived life. My PD is not important. How I live with it is! Live life with gratitude. If I had the power, I wish I could give that sick boy the gift of heartbreak, laughter, disappointment, the love of a wife, failure, successes and most of all a chance to grow up and cherish all of life like I have.....I wish I would have held his hand.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Our cart was loaded and looked like the sled the Grinch had after he stole all the toys from Whoville. We pushed it about ten feet when a woman blocking our way with a box in her hand asked us if we would like to donate 3 dollars to Children's Miracle Network for the last rubber bracelet she had. I started to tell her we just gave and before I could finish my sentence she said, "I have one bracelet left and he's on 2 types of chemo." I thought who is she talking about? When I looked on the other side of the cart, I saw a small child about 5 or 6 years old in a stroller. My heart sank as I looked at him. He was a small boy, undersized for his age. His face was drawn and haggard by the cancer and the drugs. He had many tubes in his body. In an instant I could feel my lip quiver. It felt like a hammer hit me in the chest! I crouched down to his level. I remember saying, "hey buddy" and trying to smile. He reached his small hand out to me and as I started to reach out to him, I could see tubes in his arm. I pulled my hand back, scared I might hurt him or a tube might come loose. The woman said thank you and gave Darla the bracelet. I stood up and waved goodbye to him and pushed our cart. I looked over at Darla and I could see the tears well up. I said, "that was heartbreaking." She nodded and said he had pretty green eyes. He did.
Parkinson's is something I am aware of every waking moment of the day, but for several minutes I was totally unaware of my PD. I could only think, "I can't help him." As a personal trainer, trying to help people is what I do and feeling totally useless is something that doesn't usually happen. We loaded up the car and I told my wife no matter how bad I get, I have had a great life, a great mom and grandmother who raised me, two wonderful brothers, and a host of friends that are like family to me. I have been married 30 years to one of the greatest women on this planet. I have two children who have been nothing but a joy, and a wonderful soon to be daughter-in-law. My dad and I talk now on a weekly basis instead of just on holidays. I could go on forever, but I have been truly blessed. Will my small friend ever have the opportunities I have had? I think that's what bothered me most of all, that he might not have that chance.
Let me ask everyone something If it all ended right now, did you appreciate your life? I am not talking just the good times. I'm talking about cherishing every low, every heartbreak, all the tears shed, all the moments that you thought did not go your way, did you actually stop to think I am alive and privileged that I get to experience all those things that give life meaning? Because all those moments we experienced allowed us to live life. We needed them so all the joyful moments could have value. I have been blessed that I have lived life. My PD is not important. How I live with it is! Live life with gratitude. If I had the power, I wish I could give that sick boy the gift of heartbreak, laughter, disappointment, the love of a wife, failure, successes and most of all a chance to grow up and cherish all of life like I have.....I wish I would have held his hand.
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Challenge Update
Well it's been two weeks since I started my quest for being Mr.September in this year's Parkinson's calendar.....we do have a Parkinson's calendar, don't we? Ah, well, maybe next year. But I digress, so far I'm down 3 lbs., my bench went from 150 lbs. for 5 reps to 185 lbs. for 5 reps. That puts me ahead of schedule for my 250 lbs. goal. Thanks to Big Mike for letting work in with him while he works out. As for my golf game, I have been going to the driving range and will play this Saturday with my friends Karen and Mark. I hope to play well.
Okay Parky warrriors, that's what I'm doing. What about you? Post some comments and give me some feedback I would love to hear from you. Keep moving until we find a cure and we move even more!
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Okay Parky warrriors, that's what I'm doing. What about you? Post some comments and give me some feedback I would love to hear from you. Keep moving until we find a cure and we move even more!
I'm Pat Younts and I move to live.
Monday, May 3, 2010
My situation, not who I am
As I enter the world of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, trying all forms of social media to champion the cause of Parkinson's and anybody who has a situation where movement can help, I begin to get this feeling that my identity and my situation (not to be confused with anyone on Jersey Shore) were starting to be one and the same. Parkinson's is my cause. As for us and anyone else with a currently incurable (I am optimistic about a cure) disease, all we can do is handle our situation. I think people start to believe that their particular hardship or bad situation is what they have become, their new identity. I do not want to be known as "Parkinson's Pat". Wait, that does have a ring to it.... but no, that's not me! I never find myself saying, "that's Michael J. Fox, the Parkinson's sufferer and actor." I think, "that's Michael J Fox, the actor who has Parkinson's." When I think of Mohammed Ali, I think, "boxer who has Parkinson's," and by the way, God bless Mohammed and Michael for being champions of our cause. Their illness and mine is simply a situation. PD is now just part of my daily routine, like playing video games and not doing the dishes. How we deal with our PD or other situations define what kind of people we are. Do not become your situation. Be yourself and handle your situation. And if you write your own blog, try not to use the word situation so much.....Get a hobby, take a class, go for a walk if you can. Do everything you can to live, don't exist!! Keep moving Parky warriors.
I'm Patrick Younts and I move to live.
I'm Patrick Younts and I move to live.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
My Summer Trinity Challenge
As humans, we were born to move. If we didn't, we could not have survived. As a race we had to hunt and that required us to stalk and chase our prey. We had to move when our prey stalked and hunted us. This did not mean you had to be faster than what you were chasing. You had to be faster than your friend who was hunting with you. Sometimes it does matter where you place in the race! I look behind me and in the far distance there is a big furry beast called P.D. stalking me. Time to move to gain some distance on the PD beast!
At 48 I'm still considered young for Parkinson's and a shaky left hand and stiffness is not holding me back from the gym. My balance and coordination are still better than my wife's and if you don't believe me, watch me play her in a game of ping pong, not good! According to a recent article in the PDF (Parkinson's Disease Foundation) news and review, exercise may be a neuroprotective, which means it could slow down or reverse the progression of PD. This report was based on animal studies, and they are not sure if this holds true for humans. They do know exercise improves flexibility, range of motion, and balance. Exercise can also help with depression and constipation....constipation, yeah for that. I hoped it would help me not take 10 minutes to take my keys out of my pocket. PDF news and review is a great newsletter and I recommend signing up for it at http://www.pdf.org/.
As I look in my rearview mirror, I see that big beast trying to gain on me. I also see those words, "objects appear closer than they seem". No time to waste, Parky Warriors. Let's get moving. Below are my personal goals for the summer.
Challenge 1: Get back into great shape. I put on 12 lbs. over the cold and snowy Virginia winter and I want to drop down from my current weight of 194 lbs. at 5'7" to 170 to 175 lbs. and back to my bodybuilder days when I was buff. Just because I'm shaky, it does not mean I can't look good.
Challenge 2: Get my bench back up to 250 lbs. In my 20's I had a 350 lbs. max, weighing 215 lbs. In my late 30's I kept it around 300. Now I'm 48 with PD. I think a 250 lbs. max at a goal body weight of 175lbs is in my range.
Challenge 3: Improve my golf game by the time I hold my charity golf tournament in October 2010. I would like to shoot in the 80's and get out of the 90's, which I have been stuck in for the last few years. Someone once gave me a great golf tip. They said I should take two weeks off, then quit. I wonder what he meant? Quit is not in my vocabulary. That's me to the right, getting ready to hit it straight down the middle, at least that's where I hope it's going to go.
I'm Patrick Younts
and I move to live.
At 48 I'm still considered young for Parkinson's and a shaky left hand and stiffness is not holding me back from the gym. My balance and coordination are still better than my wife's and if you don't believe me, watch me play her in a game of ping pong, not good! According to a recent article in the PDF (Parkinson's Disease Foundation) news and review, exercise may be a neuroprotective, which means it could slow down or reverse the progression of PD. This report was based on animal studies, and they are not sure if this holds true for humans. They do know exercise improves flexibility, range of motion, and balance. Exercise can also help with depression and constipation....constipation, yeah for that. I hoped it would help me not take 10 minutes to take my keys out of my pocket. PDF news and review is a great newsletter and I recommend signing up for it at http://www.pdf.org/.
As I look in my rearview mirror, I see that big beast trying to gain on me. I also see those words, "objects appear closer than they seem". No time to waste, Parky Warriors. Let's get moving. Below are my personal goals for the summer.
Challenge 1: Get back into great shape. I put on 12 lbs. over the cold and snowy Virginia winter and I want to drop down from my current weight of 194 lbs. at 5'7" to 170 to 175 lbs. and back to my bodybuilder days when I was buff. Just because I'm shaky, it does not mean I can't look good.
Challenge 2: Get my bench back up to 250 lbs. In my 20's I had a 350 lbs. max, weighing 215 lbs. In my late 30's I kept it around 300. Now I'm 48 with PD. I think a 250 lbs. max at a goal body weight of 175lbs is in my range.
Challenge 3: Improve my golf game by the time I hold my charity golf tournament in October 2010. I would like to shoot in the 80's and get out of the 90's, which I have been stuck in for the last few years. Someone once gave me a great golf tip. They said I should take two weeks off, then quit. I wonder what he meant? Quit is not in my vocabulary. That's me to the right, getting ready to hit it straight down the middle, at least that's where I hope it's going to go.Okay my fellow Parkies, this is how I plan to challenge myself. What are you going to do? What is physically challenging to you and how are you going to challenge yourself to battle it? I'd like to hear from you.
NOTE: Always consult your doctor before you do anything and get professional help if it applies. Be smart and be safe!
NOTE: Always consult your doctor before you do anything and get professional help if it applies. Be smart and be safe!
and I move to live.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My Parkinson's Beginnings
I knew what I had; I suspected for a year and a half and was positive for a good six months. I promised my wife I would make a doctor’s appointment. It was obvious to her and my kids that this was not a bad rotator cuff or a pinched nerve in my left arm because my right hand started shaking, too.
We were getting ready to go to Nags Head to play in my father-in-law’s church golf tournament. It would be a nice family function; a team made up of me, my son, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. I have been blessed with the greatest wife in the world and the greatest in-laws. I don’t even think of them as in-laws. I consider them parents and I always look forward to seeing them. The tourney was a nice distraction over the weekend because my doctor’s appointment was the following Tuesday. In my mind until someone in a lab coat and plaque on the wall tells you something is wrong, I could have one last weekend without the letters PD official.
A quick word about the golf tournament, I thought it would be fun if we had matching shorts, shirts and hats. We looked good and golfed bad, but had a great time.
The drive home from Nags Head to
I’m not sure what it feels like for someone getting ready to walk into the courtroom to find out the outcome of their trial, but this must be close. I sat with the nice young man who was taking my blood pressure in the doctor’s office. “How are you today?” he asked in a very pleasant tone. “Not great,” I replied, “after all I’m in here.” He chuckled, “I guess that’s true. Your blood pressure is high! Why is that?” “Because I’m about to get some bad news!” I wanted to yell. “I’m forty-seven years old and the doctor is going to tell me I probably have Parkinson's and I need to see the neurologist which is just one more frigging doctor appointment I don’t want to go to. That’s why my blood pressure is up.” But I didn’t. He had a great personality; the kind you would want anybody in the health care industry to have. The bailiff said, "All rise for the verdict." Actually the nurse said, “The doctor will see you in a moment.” It just felt like the bailiff. The doc walked in and promptly said, “How are you today?” Here we go again. I give what is now becoming my standard reply. I will be changing that reply to “shaky” from here on out.
I knew the doctor because five years ago he casted up my son’s wrist so he could play the last few games of the football season. My son was the starting center, made all the offense line calls, and the team had a chance to win their first district championship. Even though his office didn't accept our health insurance, the doc casted him up and made it possible for him to play. We won the district, our first playoff game and were one bad holding call away from the regional championships. He never charged us for the visits. He’s, not your every day kind of doctor. I knew I was in good hands!
“What’s seems to be the problem?” the doctor asked. I showed him my shaking hands. He gave me the once over and told me that within thirty seconds of a neurologist exam I would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He was very encouraging, told me I was young and there were great advancements in the treatment of PD, but I still needed to see a neurologist for the official diagnosis. Doc got me an appointment for the next day.
“After my appointment I went up to the window to get my referral from the nice lady and to pay my co-pay. With a big smile on her face she asked me, “How are you today?”
The next day found my wife and me at the neurologist’s office. We sat and waited for a short time. The nurse asked us to come back to the room to take my blood pressure. She was an instantly likeable person who set you at ease. I thought my blood pressure would be back to normal…and then those words were uttered, “How are you today?” Damn, I was so close.
A moment later I was meeting a person who only a day ago was a total stranger and would be one of the most significant people in my life, my neurologist. She is an attractive young woman with a very calming demeanor who made me feel comfortable and at ease right away. She asked a couple of questions about what my symptoms were and I gave her a detailed response of what was wrong with me right down to the last detail. “You’re pretty smart. What do you do for a living?” “I’m a personal trainer.” “That explains it. So, what do you think you have?” “I know what I have, it’s Parkinson’s.” “Yes, you have Parkinson‘s,” she replied.
As odd as it may sound, a great burden of not knowing was gone and a great sense of relief came over me. I did not think why me or feel one bit sorry for myself. The only person in the room I felt bad for was my wife. Every day for the last twenty-nine years when I wake up with her, it has been like winning the lottery. She deserves better than having a sick husband, but there could be no better wingman (woman) to have with me in this fight! I’m also blessed to have two great kids who I’m very proud of. They have been a joy for me and my wife, never giving us any problems and always making us proud. For me to come home and tell them that I have a problem was not easy! One hour after everyone knew I said, “Okay, no more sad or feeling bad for me. It is what it is and time to move on.” After a few more phone calls to my brothers and in-laws, I would start a new chapter in my life.
I have been in the business of helping people through personal training. My clients have been with me for a long time, many for over ten years. To call them clients does not come close to how I feel about them. They are my second family. I always joke that I haven’t worked in years because it has never felt that way. I told each of them that I had P.D. You never know how someone will react. After all I am the guy who is supposed to help them stay in shape and be healthy and here I was the guy with the problem. Their support was overwhelming. They are all still with me. I wish I could say more about how great they are, but I just don’t have the words.
So I have Parkinson’s, what to do? I have two choices: wait for a cure or get off my ass and do something to help me and everyone else that is affected by this disease. I have always been a proactive kind of guy and the decision to do this blog was easy. To tell you the truth, I have always hoped to have a cause, something I could do that would make a great difference in many people’s lives and while I was looking, my cause found me.
This blog will be devoted to picking up our collective spirits and attacking this disease head on. We will fight this disease as well as M.S., Alzheimer’s, and other neurological disorders with all the weapons in our arsenal: nutrition, exercise, meditation, positive attitude, and a good sense of humor. We will actively raise awareness and funds to battle PD. I have chosen not to exist with P.D., but to fight it and if you want to do the same, join me in this battle!
I’m Pat Younts and I "Move to Live".
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