Updates, Vexations and Aspirations

I have a couple brief items that I want to discuss today. First, I’d like to let you all know where I’m at in the surgery process. It seems like getting approval through insurance has taken an eternity, but hopefully, this chaotic chapter is coming to an end soon. My dad jumped the shark a bit by applying for double coverage which has made the process more stressful than it otherwise would have been, but our new insurance carrier has received the claim from OHSU and should have an answer for me within the next week. As I’ve said in past posts, stress can make a huge difference in my symptoms and as the process has dragged on I’ve felt more and more tension taking hold. I hope that upon approval I have some relief from the unpredictable nature of my medication to help me get to surgery with the least amount of pain.

Next, I’d like to discuss perhaps the most frustrating facet of my experience with PD: the scourge of uncomfortable furniture. While the average person may experience an uncomfortable chair as something of a minor inconvenience I have an experience more akin to being subjected to a variety of torture devices most medival. A particularly insidious irony is the terrible chairs at my local support group. At the meeting on Monday I began to feel my body tightening not long after I sat down, and the telltale twitch of my left pinky began to take hold. I took my meds significantly earlier than normal in an effort to avoid the pain and embarassment of being visibly symptomatic in a public place, but the chair was sufficiently uncomfortable to make symtoms unavoidable. I had to lay down for sometime so the shakes and stiffness would subside before I could drive home, and I never did get the full benefits of that dose.

Finally, I want to discuss a goal that I have for after surgery. I’ve been wanting to learn how to cook for sometime, and after watching Forks Over Knives the other day I’ve decided that I’m going to work towards a predominantly vegan diet. I’m hoping to take their online cooking course once I’m up and running with my programming so that I actually feel comfortable in a kitchen. But this isn’t something I aspire towards purely for my health. I’ve long been drawn to idea of living in an Earthship where I’m able to sustain myself primarily on-site, but after watching several episodes of Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” my desire to grow and prepare my own food has strengthened considerably. Perhaps my childhood in the Willamette River Valley has awakened after a decade away from what is beginning to feel like my spiritual home.

My journey with PD has revealed that I may share more than a disease with Michael J. Fox as each day sees me becoming more attuned to my own incurable optimism.