When I saw the news on the CNN “crawler” this morning saying that Anne Rice was “quitting Christianity,” my original thought was, “‘Kay then.  Bye!”

Then I saw the story on CNN’s “Entertainment Blog”, in which she says her faith in Christ is still central to her life.  She just doesn’t care for the behavior of people who call themselves “Christian.”

She has a point.

As I’ve said in the past… anyone who tells you that he or she has all the answers and knows what the Almighty God wants YOU to do, he or she is talking out of his or her ass.

The very nature of eternity is something that is beyond our limited ability to understand.  And when someone tells you “this is what God wants,” and “this is what Jesus wants” and they quote passages written by Moses or Saul of Tarses — neither of which ever MET God in person… they’re trying to get YOU to adhere to THEIR standards… never mind what YOU believe.

You only need to look at some of the comments left by “Christians” in the CNN blog.

Big Surprise

Shocker- Hold the press this just in- another Godless learned liberal comes out against Christianity. This is just another excuse for a selfish unrepentant life. She never was Christian and in if she was she never understood what it meant.

See?  This person knows Anne Rice personally, knows what’s in her heart and is more than ready to judge.

Joe

No matter what you believe, it is always wrong to kill unborn babies. No God or prophet would ever approve of such attrocities……

Because Joe KNOWS the MIND of God, and KNOWS that God prefers the “life” of a 5-celled blastocyst to that of a person suffering from Parkinson’s disease who could be helped by the stem cells that blastocyst yields.

THernandez

God loves the sinner but hates the sins…
Just because things feel good and right, doesn’t mean they are good for you…example: Drinking; it makes you feel good but in the long run it isn’t right for your body, your everyday life…etc…
The Bible is the truth- even though we might not like to follow what it says in there or don’t agree with it- it doesn’t mean it’s not the truth!!

Even the parts where it contradicts itself?  And all the hating on gays because it’s IN THE BIBLE… a few paragraphs away from the part that says NO PORK EATING, NO MIXING OF FABRICS, and WOMEN ON THE RAG MUST DWELL OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE.

kapechi

So she has an epiphany, declares to the world her “new” feelings/beliefs and God is supposed to thank her? What is she selling? Or is it just to get her picture in the world press?

You mean, like Saul of Tarses had an “epiphany” and declares to the world HIS new feelings, changes his name to Paul, and God is supposed to thank HIM?

Bishop Mike Martin

Anne Rice is only trying to stay mainstream and make a living, too bad Jesus is once agian finding his Judas. Hope that her 30 pieces of silver suffice her in hell.

Because the “Bishop” knows the mind of God, knows that Rice is going to hell, but has no idea how to run a spell check.

jmz
Yeah ann you tell em. No more anti gay, anti femminist. Etc groups. You should join islam. Where as christians only disagree with gays etc islam kills them outright.. oh llove that you are against anyone who’s disagrees with dems . Got forbid the the dems who are racist power hungry facist wannabe dictators have any detractors. No your racsist facism is ok cuase you are doing it for “the good of people” course what do you expect. From communist…oops I mean democrats..wink wink…yep cngrats rice you jus prooved how dumbocrps libs are exactly what we say…stupid selfish and me

Why is it that the more far right wing you are, the more “Christian” you claim to be, the more you hate Democrats and everyone who takes a different path?  And why are you all such horrible spellers?

Marge

I am proud to be a Christian. Jesus Christ is my Savior. Nothing can ever separate me from the love of my Lord. Laugh at me, sneer at me….do as you please. But the day will come. As it was in Noah‘s time, there was sneering and laughing and boasting and the only place that it got them was into the Great Flood. Some one recently asked why I believed in an outdated Book. It isn’t outdated. There are no new sins. Only the sins we have in the world today are found in the Ten Commandments. Yes. There are new mechanics to those sins, new ways of committing them, but no one has ever been able to create or invent a different sin than those. Ancient? Yes. The world will always be around us – We as christians, are not of this world but simply in it. I love my life as a christian. Thank God that all the other junk cannot attach to a true believer. But we still have to have it around us for a while yet.

Hang in there Marge.  Maybe there WILL be a great disaster and self-righteous idiots like you will be able to chuckle about it.  It always amazes me the way “Christians” like you talk about Hell like you can HARDLY WAIT to see all the suffering that OTHERS will do because they didn’t believe what you believe.

But this one REALLY sums it up…

Far Cry

Rain falls and the tremble of the saints are being felt like bones from the dig they will be shook. These are the days of trying times for our souls are weak to the constant bombardment of the hollows of death it is time to cast a time or for God is ready to reap his harvest we are afraid indeed but we as followers of Christ will see a new leaf, for the fig is drying rapidly…

And nobody hates a dry fig more than Jesus!

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Thank God It’s Friday!

Woke up this morning with a low-grade headache, feeling foggy and disconnected.  I still have the headache, but I managed to produce and upload two podcasts for work after doing the early morning Spam Slog (sorting through the patient recruitment e-mails, getting rid of the spam and doling out the actual info requests).

It’s been about 3 days since I’ve done any of my PT exercises.  Can’t do them now, cuz Gail’s down at the trailer park manager’s re-doing our lease.  She doesn’t like me doing them when she’s not here cuz I could fall and bust open my skull and by the time she gets back the whole RUG could be ruined!

So I’ll wait until she gets back.  Then I’ll see if I can sneak in a little nap.  I’ve been futzing with my hosting service all morning.  Seems I’ve done irreparable damage to one of the servers I use for this site.  So now, http://parkybill.com will redirect to http://parkinsondiary.com instead of the other way around.

Either or.  As long as someone is actually reading.

Speaking of reading, or listening, Episode #14 of “No Doorway Wide Enough” is on the Podiobooks server.  I’m guessing another 3 or 4 episodes and I’m done.  I’ve already done the voice work for Episode #2 of Undercover Trucker — still need to do the post-production.  Gotta wait until I have five complete episode before Podiobooks will begin to distribute it.  Should be soon.

Two more people subscribed to my free Podiobook.  That makes 27.  No idea if anyone has made any contributions.  You don’t get that info until you have a complete book.

Ah.  Gail’s back.  Time to do my PT stuff.

As I slide into my second decade with Parkinson’s disease, the list of things I can no longer do is much longer than the list of things I am still able to accomplish.

But I can still make a DAMN fine cup of coffee!

Thanks to my Cuisinart espresso maker, I make a “wake you up with a kiss and a slap” cup of DELICIOUS coffee. I don’t futz with the milk steamer. (Here’s a shortcut for you — thank me later.) I fill a shot glass with flavored creamer, nuke it for 45 seconds, and there yuh go, pardner!

I am generally up before Gail in the morning, so I try to have all the fixings in place so I can poot out that first cuppa coffee for her within minutes of her arising. I fear what would happen otherwise.

I have these visions of her eyes starting to glow, her skin turning green, her nightshirt ripping at the shoulders and back as she doubles in size and bulk. She picks up a border collie in one hand, a German shepherd in the other and smashes them together over and over as she approaches me with MAYHEM in her eyes.

“WHERE GAIL COFFEE? GAIL MAD! GAIL SMASH! GAIL COFFEE NOW!!!”

We’ve avoided that so far.

So, I can’t mow the lawn, I can’t do the laundry, I can do a perfunctory job of straightening out the beds…

And I CAN make ONE DAMN FINE cup of coffee!

Sad, sad, sadness.  Very sad.

Gail and I are sitting there watching the last bit of the Colbert Report repeat from the night before. We hear someone rattling the doggie food bowl. Gail walks over to the bowls, and this is what she sees.

She was on her last legs… very weak, not having eaten in — what? Hours?

She was so… SO… sad. And so very, very weak!

Someone, quick! Call the ASPCA!

Was chatting with my sister earlier today.  She was concerned that my older sister’s Facebook page might be removed because of lack of activity.  I suggested creating an official Schmalfeldt Memorial page on the Internet for those of us who spring from the gene pool that is John and Genevieve Schmalfeldt.

Check it out when you get a chance.  And share your comments.  If you have pictures, send ‘em to me and I’ll add them to the profiles.

Just a few minor thoughts, observations and comments today.

1.  There’s something in the RSS Feed about Parkinson’s disease in the middle column of my home page, about halfway down, about “MCI” or “minor cognitive impairment” — which seems to be a precursor to Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.  Earlier today, leaving the bedroom and heading for the shower, I saw a big, black bug for a fleeting second on the door jamb in the bedroom.  It quickly vanished as I looked at it directly.  Yesterday, something furry poked out between the couch and chair… both dogs were asleep at Gail’s feet, so it weren’t them.  Today, I gets an e-mail from a colleague asking me to call an 800-number to record something on a draft she sent, but she asked me to review the draft first.  I did and made comments and responded to her e-mail.  She wrote back that she hadn’t received the file yet.  I thought she was talking about the file I would create by calling the 800 number.  I FORGOT ABOUT THE DOCUMENT I HAD EDITED.  I apologized and sent it to her just now.

2.  My Mom went for about five days thinking I was mad at her.  She sent a card with a very nice note telling me not to give up and to hang in there and not be like my brother Bob who just gave up and let his condition take him over.  I took the note for what it was… but the more Muz thought about it (she thinks about stuff a lot), the more she thought I was mad at her.  So she called me yesterday and asked if I was done being mad at her yet.  I assured her the last time I was mad at her was when I was 12 and she wouldn’t let me buy a Suzy-Q at the store.  Mommies can be silly!

3.  As disappointed as I am that only 25 people have bothered to subscribe to my Podiobooks version of “No Doorway Wide Enough,” I’m getting close to being finished with it.  And I’m having fun recording my Podiobooks version of “Undercover Trucker” which I’ll submit as soon as I’m done with “Doorway.”  If you’re haven’t read “Doorway” or are scared to because you think it’s all gross and icky and sad, then you have no idea what you’re missing.  It’s a fun book, and who knows…. ya might learn sumthin’.

4.  Gotta stop drinking.  Altogether.  Immediately.  Didn’t realize I was rolling the dice.  But I have been.  I don’t drink a lot.  Two glasses of wine a night.  On a weekend, perhaps 3.  After “seeing” the bug this morning, I did a search about Klonopin and Alcohol.  Here’s what I found about my nightly 2mg of clonazepam.

Drinking alcohol while on Klonopin can increase the risk of some side effects caused by Klonopin. These side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, unusual behavior, memory problems, and co-ordination problems. The heart rate and breathing rate can slow down due to the combination of Klonopin and alcohol. This situation can cause you to pass out and have difficulty breathing. It may even lead to death. Your body and mind can be more sensitive to alcoholic effects when you take it along with Klonopin. When you take Klonopin with alcohol, you may not be able to drink your usual amounts of alcohol, as it is not safe for you. Therefore, if your temptation to drink more overcomes your fear of danger, it can lead you to a disastrous situation.

Uh huh.  And what about my nightly 5mg of Ambien?

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medication. It can increase some of the side effects of Ambien, including drowsiness.

Oh kaaaayyyyyyy… about about my Zoloft and alcohol?

As per Pfizer, Zoloft did not increase cognitive or psychomotor effects with alcohol. However, it is strongly advised that alcohol is not recommended with the use of Zoloft.

Mmmm hmm.  Any problems with my Metoprolol (blood pressure)?

Metoprolol may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of metoprolol.

I see.  How about my Lisinopril (also for blood pressure)?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can further lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of lisinopril.

All righty.  Any worries about my Stalevo and booze?

Do not drink alcohol or use medicines that may cause drowsiness (eg, sleep aids, muscle relaxers) while you are using Stalevo; it may add to their effects.

Well, that just about covers it.  All my meds advise laying off the “big boy juice.”  Most say it could make side effects worse.  One says it could kill me. And since I don’t want to surprise my wife by waking up dead one of these mornings, I see what my choice has to be.

One glass of V-8 Fusion, please!  And put it in a dirty glass!

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I guess I’m a BIG Boy now! 

Gail and I just got back from our midday runabout.  It’s been so freakin’ hot lately that neither one of us really wanted to go out or do anything, but it’s only 86 now, so what the hell.  Went to the mailbox first.  Then, I wanted a bottle of brandy.  (On the Simpsons last night, Mr. Burns was clutching a glass of brandy.  It made me want a glass of brandy.  I am an easily-influenced person.)

Then we went to the grocery store.  I got some chicken, Gail got some healthy stuff.

And as we were walking out to the car, Gail noticed I was taking little teeny steps.

“Are you taking BIG BOY steps?” she asked.

Right there, I froze.  Thinking about what’s involved in “Big Boy steps” totally confused my midbrain and we ground to a halt.  Gail took my right arm, and I started extending my stride.

Then she noticed I was looking at my feet when I was walking.

“Nuh-uh!  No looking at your feet.  Look up!” she demanded.

“So much to think about,” I whined.

See, the things you HUMANS do without even thinking about it, WE of the PARKINSONIAN race have to actually consider each action involved in a movement.

We got back into the car, and Gail said, “If you wanna have Big Boy Juice (meaning the brandy), ya gotta take Big Boy Steps!”

And she’s right.  Hopefully the day may come when I can start wearing Big Boy underpants again, too!

I’ve had about a week of great sleep at night.  And it’s messing with my blogging.

I take 5mg of Ambien and 20 mg of Klonopin before bedtime.  It helps me get to and stay asleep.  It does nothing for the vivid dreaming, which has led to some of of my more interesting blog entries.

Night before last, I recall dreaming.  And I recall THINKING in my dream, “Wow!  This is gonna make a GREAT blog entry!”  Then when I woke up… I FORGOT WHAT THE DREAM WAS!!!

Last night, I did SOMETHING that caused me to snap myself awake at about 3:05 am.  I know this, cuz I sat up and looked at my alarm clock.  At the TIME I knew what it was that caused me to wake up.  But now?  Damned if I know!

I do have vague recollections of a later dream this morning.  Another Navy dream where I and a group of others were supposed to report to our base, but I kept leaving my ID card at home, so I’d go home to get it, get distracted by something, drive back out to the base and realize I still did not have my ID card.  Hardly the most entertaining.

Don’t get me wrong.  I wouldn’t trade a good night’s sleep for a dream directed by Stephen Spielberg!  The Ambien and Klonopin are doing their job, and I’m no longer yelling, slapping myself, kicking, punching and rearranging my blankets at night.  I sleep like a baby.

And it’s making for some BORING blogging!

We’re about 2/3 of the way through my rendition of “No Doorway Wide Enough” for Podiobooks.  But I’m already hard at work on my next audiobook presentation.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the first episode of “Undercover Trucker: How I Saved America by Truckin’ Towels for the Taliban.”

From the dustcover…

Billy Big Rig has lived his life on The Killer Road. His many adventures (and marriages) have left him bruised, scarred, but unbroken. In 2000 as a disgraced alcoholic 18-wheel driver, Billy redeemed himself by saving America. He did this by infiltrating an Al Qaeda cell in prison and traveling with them to Afghanistan in the days leading up to 9/11. Then, if he is to be believed, he nearly single-handedly won the war, killed Saddam Hussein, took care of Osama bin Laden and had a fist fight with Bill Clinton. For obvious reasons his real identity can never be revealed. His life remains in constant danger. But he tells his story for the first time in this hilarious first-hand account. Along the way, you’ll learn about his unique upbringing, his politically-incorrect philosophy, and how to survive when EVERYONE wants to kill you!

Now that you’ve gotten a free taste, you’ll wanna know where to get YOUR copy.

(ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS!)

AVAILABLE AT:

Lulu.com paperback — $25

Amazon paperback — $25

Amazon KINDLE — $5

Lulu PDF Download — $5

Smashwords eBook Downloads — $5

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Is CoQ10 a Parkinson’s Panacea?

I remember around 2002-2003, when I was weaning myself off of levodopa (I figured and my neurologist at the time agreed that my symptoms weren’t all that bad unmedicated, so we felt we could put off the side effects of L-Dopa therapy by putting it off for a few years). All the talk in Parky Land was about the nutritional supplement CoQ10.  All sorts of anecdotal stories on the Parky chat boards about how someone knew someone who took CoQ10 for a month and was all better now… that sort of thing.

I asked my neurologist at the time what he thought of all this.  He said there was no credible scientific evidence to support any of the claims.  However…

“It’s like my mama used to say about eating chicken soup when you have a cold.  It couldn’t hurt!”

Well, CoQ10 is expensive.  I had been taking it for a little while and hadn’t seen any noticeable benefit, so after talking to the neurologist I just stopped taking it.

Now, it turns out my neurologist was right.  It’s not a bad thing for you.  It just doesn’t do much for Parkinson’s disease.

The mitochondria is the part of the cells that produces energy. The first step in producing energy in the mitochondria is Complex I (NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase). In people with Parkinson’s Disease, Complex I is reduced in activity in the substantia nigra, which is the part of the brain primarily affected in Parkinson’s Disease. Complex I needs Coenzyme Q10 in order to function properly. However, energy production has no direct effect on increasing dopamine formation  It has been claimed that Coenzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant that can partially recover the function of dopaminergic neurons (the cells involved in Parkinson’s Disease).

Coenzyme Q10 was found to be completely ineffective in Parkinson’s Disease in daily doses of 200mg, 300mg, 400mg, 600mg, and 800mg. Only one Coenzyme Q10 study has ever shown any improvement in Parkinson’s Disease, using 360mg, but the effects were mild and were only assessed for four weeks. Daily doses of 300mg, 600mg and 1200 mg of Coenzyme Q10 failed to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, but reduced the rate of deterioration. Coenzyme Q10 was safe to use in doses of 1200mg, 1800mg, 2400, and 3000. Plasma levels of Coenzyme Q10 did not increase in doses above 2400mg.

So, keep shelling out big bux for the CoQ10… or get a can of chicken noodle soup.  You’ll get the same result.

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