#243 Parkinson;s Speech, 9/11 Stories, and Photos

 #243 Parkinson’s Speech, 9/11 Stories, and Photos

I found this rare nose mushroom in the Scottish Highlands.

This issues photos. While a few of the photos relate to the text material, the rest are of fungi--trying to give voice to the fungi--and some of sky phenomena which are interesting to me anytime. I hope you find the material enlightening and entertaining.

About Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) causes the loss of dopamine and the loss of dopamine means that commands for body movements never reach the brain cells necessary to make those movements. This is a very simplified description of a very complex condition, but it will serve to explain why more than 90% of PD patients have difficulty with speaking and swallowing—both of which are complex movements that most people do automatically. 

Dysphasia (swallowing difficulty) affects more than 80% of people with PD. The loss of dopamine disrupts the automatic coordination of muscles and nerves involved in the moving of food and liquid safely. This creates distinct risks. First is Aspiration Pneumonia, inhaled food. Food, liquids (even saliva) can introduce bacteria into the lungs. It’s the number one cause of death in Parkinson’s Disease. The second risk is malnutrition and dehydration. Difficulty eating or drinking can cause unintentional weight loss and poor nutrition.

Voice problems, a speech disorder called Hypokinetic Dyarthria, affects more than 90% of those of us with Parkinson’s Disease. What does PD Voice sound like? Reduced volume is one of many communication problems associated with PD. Speaking too quietly without being aware of it (Hypophonia) is one of the most common problems. People with PD also tend to be monotone or lack pitch or tone variation. Breathy or hoarse voice is caused by the complete closure of vocal folds. Slurry or imprecise articulation characterizes the speaking of many with PD. So too does abnormal speech rates—too quick, trailing off, getting stuck with stammer or stutter. Cognatve factors—attention, working memory, and auditory feedback processing challenges—also play a part to disrupt communication flow.

Voice problems have been one of the hardest parts of Parkinson’s Disease for me to accept. As a speech competitor, teacher, and coach for most of my life (speech and debate competitor for 7 years in high school and college, speech teacher and coach for 25 years, and Toastmaster member for 35 years)—it’s frightening to be loosing my ability to communicate effectively. I find myself hating to be in groups where I should be eagerly participating. Instead I flounder and have difficulty keeping track of the pertinent discussion, or I’m too slow in my thinking to be able to add my thoughts or opinions. When I try to participate I am held back by speaking too softly, having difficulty thinking of the right word, stumble over words, or (most embarrassingly) spit excess saliva (drooling dog syndrome) all over myself and those too close.  

I don't know where we were going, but we got a good view of the moon and Venus off our plane's wing.

What to do about a big problem? A great suggestion was an appointment with a Speech-Language Therapist (a professional speech counselor). Intervention by a trained therapist can protect and improve communication and aide swallowing. Through my doctor I got hooked up with Karrin, a trained Speech Therapist.    Using SPEAK OUT! which was developed by Parkinson’s Voice Project (www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org) I entered a program of eight to ten sessions with a therapist plus daily practices (homework) to continue beyond the training sessions. After my training sessions, spread over four weeks, I have continued my daily practice and am pleased with the results. I also can see that I will need to continue my practice and occasional professional help for as long as I can. [I’m sorry, but PD is a life-long commitment.] The SPEAK OUT! exercises with material from PVP helps to regain and retain speaking and swallowing muscles and can improve volume, articulation, breath support for speech, vocal quality, intonation, and facial expression. Training also improves muscle control needed for swallowing. What I learned in SPEAK OUT! to help me battle PD would have been great knowledge for me in my speech teaching and coaching—a major weakness in  my speech major at Linfield College and my Masters program at Western Oregon University. But I’m learning now.

Balnakeil beach in the far northwest corner of Scotland.

Two 9/11 Stories Related to My Last Post

Story One: Killin and the Jets

NATO jets flying out of Lossiemouth AF Base in Scotland.

A few days after the attack on America on 9/11/2001 Anne and I were in Killin, Scotland, a highland village famous for its Falls of Dochart. 

Falls of Dochart.

The world was still fairly shattered by the attack, but  people were beginning to come to grips with their lives after 9/11. I had taken pictures at the falls and we were in a local gift shop located in an old flour mill when the sound of jets blasted overhead caused people, locals and tourists. to scream and hit the deck in panic. 

While NATO jets flying low through glens in training flights were a fairly common occurance, these jets were flying faster than normal and lower than normal and they certainly spooked an already nervous population. People who had run outside took a minute or two to start filtering back into the shop. That was okay because several who had stayed inside took their time getting up off the floor. We used the time to catch our collective breath. It certainly wasn’t tourist shopping as usual.

Total eclipse of the sun, 2017, from Salem, OR.

Partial lunar eclipse and Jupiter.

Story Two: Iona in a Year’s Time

It’s 9/11/2002 and we were in Iona. Scotland, a small sacred island off the Ross of Mull on the west coast of Scotland. Iona is known as the “Cradle of Christianity” because of the Irish monk, St Columba, who established the first Celtic monastery in Scotland in 563 AD on Iona. It was at Iona that the Book of Kells, a famous illuminated manuscript was begun around 800 AD. The Book was moved to Ireland to protect it from plundering Vikings and was completed in the Kell Abbey. Pages of the Book can be seen now at Trinity College in Dublin. Today, the Iona Abbey and Nunnery (13th century) are active religious centers and are, along with the Kings’ Cemetery, interesting tourist attractions. 

The thinnest crescent moon I've ever shot.

Double rainbow on Isle of Skye, Scotland. The second bow is above the primary bow and is always quite dim. The secondary bow also has the colors reversed.

We were in the Abbey Chapel at 1:46 pm, when the whole country held a Moment of Silence in honor of the time American flight 11 hit the North Tower. Very powerful! It was also powerful when at 2:03 pm. another Moment of Silence was held in remembrance of United flight 175 hitting the South Tower. If only we would all remember and honor all those touched by the 9/11 tragedy. Although I must admit that by the time the Second Moment was called I was in the Abbey Gift Shop, but it is next to the Chapel.  

Amanita, Death Cap, deadly mushroom.

Sunset on WA coast.

Next: Give me any suggestions you have for content or photos for future blogs.

On a Personal Note:   We are sad to say good-bye to Linda Abbie Allen, a teacher, counselor, Toastmaster, and friend who passed suddenly about a month ago. Abbie was one of the most positive people in the world and was almost always the first person to send me her comments on the Blog. She will be missed by all who knew her.

 

#242 Parkinson's Disease and 9/11 in Scotland

 Photo Notes: Besides a few photos relating to the story the rest of the photos are from two of my older files of Birds and Bridges.

Anne at the River Tay bridge in Dunblane, 
Scotland.

Wood Duck Take-off

“Fun” Facts about Parkinson’s  Disease

Okay, maybe they are not “fun,” but at least they are not all bad news. Here are several positive, encouraging, or interesting notes about PD:

Bridge in the Birks of Aberfeldy Park, Scotland.

The Churchill Barriers were built to block German U-boats and create a safe bridge between several of the Orkney Islands.

A different than normal view shows the old packhorse bridge and the new car bridge at Carrbridge, Scotland.

One of the unusual conditions or symptoms of PD is that sufferers will often have significantly more bouts with hiccups than non-suffers. I notice that I have seven or eight hiccups in a session and have sessions more frequently than before. It’s not causing any problems, but it’s just rather strange. I couldn’t find any reasons for it, but one source did say as many as 40% of PDers will notice the increase.

I believe salmon is on the menu tonight.

Red Grouse, Scottish Highlands

The research into Parkinson’s causes and treatments is increasing rapidly through major contributors such as the National Institute for Health ($259 million lsat year, an increase of more than $50 million), The Michael J. Fox Foundation ($101 million), the Parkinson’s Foundation ($40 million), and the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (more than $4 million). The spending is making a difference with new discoveries and developments in areas such as brain stem cell research, DBS (Deep Brain Surgery), medications and other treatments, and links to causes of PD. 

Crooked River High Bridge, Central Oregon

Nuthatch, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

On a more personal level I am learning to how my main medication (Carbidopa/Levodopa) works to control my symptoms.  Levodopa works to replace levels of dopamine, thereby alleviating symptoms. The problem is that it takes a period of time, usually 20-45 minutes, for the effect to kick in, which is called “On.” The time it takes effects to wear off and the time it takes to build up is called “Off.” I find that I stay On with my dosage for about three hours, therefore my life becomes an hour Off, three hours On, an hour Off, three hours On, etc. For instance, if I want to drive someplace or do some activity, I really want to do it during an On period. I know some of you are thinking, “Why doesn’t he just take more meds during his Off period and stay covered?” Ah, if only Levodopa worked that way. You see, Levodopa has some limits—take too much and nasty side -effects can happen. It’s easier to live on a schedule than to fight more symptoms. So, if I seemed overly agitated or shaky or moody, it may only be an Off time on what is otherwise a good day. [Or it could be an Off time on a bad day, duh.]

Tidal Path to St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England

Gen. Wade's Bridge (1733) over the Tay River, Aberfeldy, Scotland.

Before PD I had been a voracious reader, but Parkinson’s has changed that. I’ve gone through a period of almost being a non-reader because of problems such as difficulties focusing and double vision. One writer described it this way: “Low dopamine levels affect eye muscle coordination, processing in the brain, and blinking rates.” These are really just a few of the common eye problems brought on by or made worse by Parkinson’s. 

PD sufferers face the possibilities of dry eyes caused by reduced blinking which is normally an autonomic function. Not with Parkinson’s. A person can also have watery eyes caused by reduced blinking rates and those watery eyes aren’t getting properly lubricated, just irritated. Lack of muscle control makes it difficult to focus on close objects which results in double vision. I may read a good book a second time, but I don’t enjoy doing it as I read it the first time. Slowed eye movement makes tracking of lines of text difficult. I can read a couple of paragraphs in a book before the lines start to wiggle or blend together.  

My eye doctor has now got me into a new pair of glasses called prism glasses which are supposed to help with eye alignment issues. It’s too soon to tell how effective these will be for me, but I’m hopeful.

"Who you lookin' at?" says Mr Osprey.

Wild turkeys in our Canby front yard.

    

On the first Monday of the month I join with other Parkinson’s patients and care givers as we share stories and information about our symptoms and treatments. This sharing has very positive effects as we see that we aren’t alone in our battle with PD. For me, the group support is the best way to boost spirits and help others. I sincerely suggest that anyone facing serious health challenges seek the support of fellow sufferers and offer support to all who seek it.

Trail to Upper Butte Creek falls, Oregon.

A slab bridge in Dartmoor Nat'l Park, England.

25 Years Ago — A 9/11 STORY

In 2001 we arrived in Glasgow on September 4th to begin our second Scotland trip. We started out by visiting Ayrshire, poet Robert Burns country, and proceeded to spend our first five days playing golf, visiting castles, and touring the Isle of Arran on the west coast of Scotland. It was glorious vacationing with good weather on fine golf courses like the unique Shiskine Golf Club on Arran. We discovered great accommodations like Doonbrae B&B in Alloway and Kilmichael Guest House, the oldest house on Arran. On the 8th we moved from Oban in the west to Crieff between Stirling and Perth in central Scotland at the foot of the highlands. In Crieff we stayed  at Merlindale B&B, an excellent accommodation we found on our first trip in September 2000. 

Merlindale B&B

In our first couple of days at Crieff we played the Ferntower Course in town and a course , Crail Golfing Society, in St Andrews. We also visited two abbeys and a castle in our non-golfing time.

This brings me to September 11, 2001. Breakfast was the normal Full Scottish with porridge, fried eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, toast, fruit, and coffee—we hardly ever needed to eat lunch, though we did. While eating we had a pleasant visit with Nick from South Africa, and Sandy from Zimbabwe, who were only staying the one night while we were just starting a 20 day stay at Merlindale B&B. Today was a touring day in the Perth area with our first stop at a Foulis Wester kirk to see a Pictish cross (probably from the 13th century). On our way into Perth we visited Huntingtower Castle (1500s). Then in Perth we toured Balhousie Castle which houses the Blackwatch regimental museum. It was interesting to view all the history and regalia of this famous fighting unit. The third castle of the day was Elcho Castle which overlooks the Tay River. We were intrigued by all the mason marks carved into the castles stones by the builders.  Mason marks are like brands etched into the stone bricks used by the mason who cut the stones. On the way back to Crieff we also toured Caithness Glassworks and viewed an interesting demonstration of glass blowing.

The Cliffords - John, Jacky, Jonathan, and Ailsa

It was a little after two in the afternoon when we arrived back at our B&B in Crieff. We went to the front door and we opened it to find Angeles, the family’s helper from Spain, breathlessly saying, “America has been attacked!” We quickly joined John and Jacky Clifford and Angeles in the TV lounge in time to see the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. With all kinds of wild emotions—shock, fear, anger, worry—we were glued to the TV the rest of the afternoon. My notes in my daily journal read, “It’s hard to recount the fun we had, the wonderful things we saw, when in the background are the reports of tragedy. Life goes on, but there will be a pall over the rest of our trip.” We joined the Merlindale family for a traditional Scottish dinner of neeps and tatties—minced meat, potatoes, and turnips. After a late dinner Anne and I took some time to process what it all meant for the rest of our trip and the future. The best way to show the effect the terrorist attack had on us is to share my actual journal entry for September 12, 2001:

“9-12-2001. It was hard to get started today. We took an early walk downtown, then had breakfast, and figured out what we wanted to do. Thoughts of New York, DC, and Pennsylvania kept us from being too excited about anything. We finally decided that we didn’t want to mess with any cities, so we chose to go the small towns of Dunblane and Callander.

On the way to Dunblane  we first stopped at Tullibardine Chapel. 

It was a lovely old church ruin set amongst trees and farms. The setting was particularly somber with rain and mists swirling around the chapel. Very fitting for the day’s mood. We next drove by Gleneagles Resort with three golf courses. We drove by because it was raining so hard we didn’t get out. We did watch golfers looking miserable and hitting awfully in the driving rain and forty mile per hour winds. Almost all who find we are from the States express their sorrow for us and we are beginning to see American flags in many windows—the Scottish newspapers printed a big one in the morning edition.

The third stop of the day was the Dunblane Cathedral—what a find! A marvelous old church belonging to the Church of Scotland—beautiful inside and out. A local church member directed us to a stone monument dedicated to the kindergarten teacher and her 16 students who were gunned down in the school gym by a crazy—what a waste. The experience added to the depressed feelings caused by the New York tragedy. A former teacher who worked in the church told us the story of the shooting and also gave us directions to our next spot.

Tourists and Reindeer use a bridge across the marshy areas in Cairngorm National Park, Scotland.

Gannet

Next was the castle at Doune—a fantastic old castle with full courtyard. Many rooms were still in excellent shape. We’ve started watching for freemason marks since we learned about them at a little abbey on Fife. We saw several here. We stopped for lunch at the Myrtle Inn, a small hotel on the outskirts of Callander. Lunch was a very nice Autumn Veg soup (carrot, leek, celery, turnip) and toastie (toasted sandwich). There was an older lady (obviously special needs) also eating lunch. After a while she asked if we were American and then expressed her sorrow. It was a touching gesture—an effort on her part. She later let me take her picture. Callander is a resort town so we walked around a little and bought a few things.

On our way home we ventured a few miles off the main route to find the grave of Rob Roy McGregor in a small churchyard at Balquitter. Back at home, Merlindale, we went with John, Jacky, and Jonathan (10 years old) to play the nine-hole Dornock course at Crieff. It’s the original James Braid course.  A wonderful course. John and Jacky get all their golf (both courses) for $300 a year with no monthly dues. It’s unbelievable—less than we pay for a month at our club. Dinner was a family affair—Jacky and Anne picked up take-out—pizza and fish and chips. It was fun and comforting to be sitting around the table with friends who are now family.”

Bridgehouse, Ambleside, England

Beep. Beep!

After 9-11 we were truly adopted by Scotland and made 33 more trips to our second home until stopped by Covid and Parkinson's in 2019.

NEXT:  Two more 9/11 related notes and I’ll also see if I can find something unique.