#240 Parkinson's, My Greatest Golf Shot, and Photos

 #240 Parkinson’s, My Greatest Golf Shot, and Photos

Dramatic skies on our way to the coast.

The bridge at Florence, OR.

A latte and some work time at one of our favorite stops.

One of our favorite stops.

Photos in this post all come from an iPhoto album called Covid Year, May to December 2021, one of the files to which I’ve recently regained access. Any semblance of organization is purely coincidental.

Young Crow

Parkinson’s Information 

The Wearing of Masks

We agree with this sign at a Manzanita coffee shop.

Now that I am up from my latest fall I can continue my discussion by attempting to explain the complex progression of Parkinson’s Disease. Please note that the exact progression or rate of progression varies drastically from patient to patient. Sources for this information include The Parkinson’s Foundation and The Michael J Fox Foundation.

The broom has almost swallowed the asphalt path at South Beach in Florence.

We bought a new Subaru Forester.

 

Parkinson's disease progression is typically measured using the Hoehn and Yahr scale which categorize the disease into five stages based on motor symptoms and functional disability. 

• Stage 1 (Early-Stage): Symptoms (such as tremors or stiffness) are mild and only affect one side of the body. They do not typically interfere with daily activities. 
• Stage 2 (Mild): Symptoms start to affect both sides of the body. Posture and walking may change, but balance remains intact, and the individual remains independent. 
• Stage 3 (Mid-Stage): Balance and movement become noticeably impaired, leading to a higher risk of falls. Daily tasks are slower and take more effort, but individuals can still function relatively independently. 
• Stage 4 (Advanced): Severe symptoms require the use of assistive devices like a walker. Independent living becomes unsafe, as individuals need help with daily tasks. 
• Stage 5 (End-Stage): The individual is confined to a bed or wheelchair and requires 24/7 care. Non-motor symptoms such as confusion or hallucinations may also be present. 

Painted Hills

For more information or to donate to help find a cure for Parkinson’s, check out these sources:

The Davis Phinney Foundation, www.davisphinneyfoundation.org

Michael J Fox Foundation, www.michaeljfox.org

Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org

Parkinson’s Voice Project (SPEAK OUT), www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org 

Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, www.parkinsonsresources.org 

Near Sisters, OR

Mitchell, OR

YOUTUBE podcasts I’ve found useful:

Doing Life Today [Brian Perry]

The Secret Life of Parkinson’s

Dr. Luis E Zayas, MD PT

        Parkinson's Disease Education 

My Greatest Golf Shot

Winter Golf

I’ve been playing golf since I was ten years old. I’ve played hundreds of courses in the US, more than 250 in Scotland, more than a hundred in Ireland, about 30 in Wales, and even a few in England and Canada. I’ve played enough golf to have written books about it that still sell on Amazon. I started out playing bad golf and I got better. I’ve scored three holes-in-one (witnessed) in my golfing career. My handicap got as low as 10 (official USGA) and I maintained a handicap below 15 for several years before Parkinson’s disease took away my balance and my golf game went with it. Why with all this history with golf would I call the recent drive I made on the ninth hole at Arrowhead GC (our club in Molalla) the greatest shot I’ve ever made?

Deer at Smith Rocks State Park

It was a couple of Sundays ago that I was playing in my usual Sunday foursome—Anne, Kris, Jackie, and I. I was recovering from my latest fall so I only chipped and putted on most of the first eight holes. But on the ninth I decided to try hitting a full shot. I didn’t have any of my clubs, except a nine=iron and putter, with me so I borrowed Anne’s driver for the shot. I teed the ball up and took one practice swing. When I stepped up to the ball I had to wait a few seconds for my tremors to calm. With my tremors silent I took a full backswing and with a smooth downswing sent the ball straight down the fairway about 180 yards—a distance I hadn’t seen in two years! I remember thinking I had taken a full slow swing, that I’d watched the clubhead strike the ball, that I’d kept my head down though the swing, and that I still had my balance after the swing—none of my usual extra steps to catch my balance and keep from falling. This was my greatest shot because it gave me hope that even with Parkinson’s I may still have some good shots left in me. My 375-yard drive over the eleventh green at the Struie Course at Royal Dornoch was longer and straighter and my swing when I was a 10 handicap was more consistent. But this shot gives me hope.

That's All, Folks!

NEXT: It depends upon what I find.

#239 Parkinson's, Falls, and Flowers

 #239 PD, Falls, and Flowers

Upper Butte Creek Falls, OR

The photos in today’s post fall into two categories. First is a set of old photos finally accessible on my hook up of external hard drives and my main computer. The subject of the photo set will in a very twisted way fit this post’s Parkinson’s disease information. The second set are all new photos taken in the past couple off weeks. Now on with the show ( thanks, Ed S).

Glen Etive Falls, near Glencoe, Scotland 

PD and Falls

Glencoe, Scotland

Many of the main motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease are balance issues—tremors, dizziness upon standing, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), freezing of gait, rigidity or stiffness, and others. All these conditions increase the likeliness of falling so much so that 60% of those diagnosed with PD will experience one or more falls a year. And any kind of fall is usually not good.

Horsetail Falls, Columbia River Gorge,OR

Latourelle Falls, Columbia River Gorge, OR

My own recent history with falls might serve as an example. Shorty before I was diagnosed with PD (March, 2023) I had two falls that certainly would indicate balance problems. While on a photo tour of the Rio Grande valley near Taos, NM, I misjudged the height of a rock I was on and jumped down a slope higher than I had anticipated and strained a thigh muscle. Before that incident I had a fall in Death Valley when I stepped off a sidewalk onto what I thought was dirt (turned out to be slick mud). I slid and couldn’t catch my balance and fell into the road. Two locals helped get to my feet. Lots of bruises from that one and one lost camera lens.

Linn of Braan River, Highlands, Scotland

Glen Lyon Roman Bridge, c 1600s

Sma'glen Burn, central Scotland

Since my diagnosis of PD I have journaled about thirteen different falls—simple things like sliding off the bed onto the floor and stumbling into a sand trap on the golf course from a sloped edge. Most of these have had only mild consequences—a bruised hand or arm, or mild embarrassment. Some though have been more serious. At the Canby Senior Center in December I stumbled over a slight roughness in the parking lot and hit my face on the pavement. The Canby Fire Department had to send the rescue truck to help me get up and check me out. No permanent damage. Luck me. A month ago I stumbled over my shuffling feet in the bathroom and hit the floor hard. Lots of sore spots that still hurt, but no big damage. My last fall was while getting into bed I missed the bed and crumpled to the floor hitting my head a glancing blow on the wall and straining a thigh muscle. I am now using a walker while giving my leg a chance to heal.

Small burn in the Birks of Aberfeldy Park, central Scotland

Burn O'Vat, Cairngorm National Park, Scotland (Anne's picture)

So far I’ve been lucky and not done major damage to any thing important, but the falls are dangerous. Broken bones are always bothersome, but some, like broken hip, can be debilitating. Concussions and head trauma are a major danger and along with hospital stays for surgeries can increase the risks of Parkinson’s Dementia. Like with my last fall, injuries from falling can increase the risk of decreased mobility. One of the dangers of falling that absolutely makes good sense is a lessening of self-confidence, which both protects us and restricts us. I’m finding the loss of confidence harder to deal with than much of the physical pain.

Rumbling Bridge Falls (one of many), Scotland, taken by Anne

Anne at Multnomah Falls in Winter, OR

To end this look at Parkinson’s and falls I quote a statement I heard on Bryce Perry’s Parkinson’s podcast: “Those with Parkinson’s Disease are one good fall away from a very bad day.”

Daylily

Very Local Flowers

Canby is located in a very flowerful area. Within our grasp are The Oregon Gardens in Silveerton, forty-five minutes away. Parks such as Molalla River Park and Champoeg State Park are even closer than the big gardens. There are plenty of flowers to browse at shops like Bauman’s Farm and Al’s if you’re looking to plant your own garden. 

Dahlia Fantasy

So why did I limit myself to the very local flowers in our home garden? Two falls, doctor visits, appointments to radiological labs to see that no structural damage was done by the falls, and several planned visits to Speech Therapy and specialized Movement Therapist is why. I was just too tied up to go far afield. Besides, Anne does a nice job of caring for her small garden and it deserves to be shown. The one flower not in our garden is the lovely daylily of our next door neighbor Stan—anyway, the flower is next to our shared driveway, so it’s practically in our yard.

There you have it, Parkinson’s, Falls, and Flowers. Next will be a surprise….for me as well.