Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
COMMUNICATION AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE
October, 2008
As I watched my father dying in his hospital bed of pneumonia complications, he tried to tell me something that I will ever wonder what it was. We were not ready to find alternates, we couldn’t communicate with each other.
This is why I found the need to express my feelings and let others know how important it is to communicate. I remember on how my children and I found a way to communicate with each other, through sign language.
My children or anyone else could not help me to speak; it was an impediment that I confronted on a daily basis. Parkinson’s disease had robbed my voice, as I will ever remember even my speech had a trembling sound, slurred. In my mind I would line up the words in order but once I executed communicating, it was impossible to control my spoken words. I would see their questioning face trying to guess what I intended to say.
Every time the phone rang, it was like hearing a fire alarm, I would panic. I just stared at the phone with my feet glued to the floor because one symptom led to another, I would freeze. It was too exhausting as well a challenge to answer the phone and try to put a sentence together, sadness, anger usually took over me on not able to say a few words so I decided not to talk anymore.
One day I saw my children playing with their hands without saying any words, I learned then it was sign language. So, every time I was “on” (feeling a bit relieved from PD symptoms) I would ask them if I can play with them so they thought me basic sign language. And this is how I learned to communicate with my children, I learned “call my mother, doctor”, “bring me water”, “read a book”, “stop, no more” plus many other commands and of course , the most important, “thank you” and “I love you”.
I had visited my neurologist and besides my aquatic physical therapy, she added speech therapy. It was hard enough to go from one therapy to another so, I decided to learn by myself and made a research in the internet about “How to Improve your Speech “. This is when I started singing out loud, practicing words while looking at a mirror, and to chewed sugarless gum to keep me from drooling.
It is very imperative to communicate with each other. Learn from the PD patient their needs and try to find ways to repeat the action without stressing them. When you have PD, not only your body has a mind of its own, there are other factors that we have to deal with such as eating, dressing, sleeping, walking and to communicate with your caregiver is very crucial.
Find ways that is easier to communicate with your love one, I chose sign language when I was “off” and when I was a “on” I sang. It is very important to keep the channels open so, you don’t have to regret not doing so like I did with my father.
October, 2008
As I watched my father dying in his hospital bed of pneumonia complications, he tried to tell me something that I will ever wonder what it was. We were not ready to find alternates, we couldn’t communicate with each other.
This is why I found the need to express my feelings and let others know how important it is to communicate. I remember on how my children and I found a way to communicate with each other, through sign language.
My children or anyone else could not help me to speak; it was an impediment that I confronted on a daily basis. Parkinson’s disease had robbed my voice, as I will ever remember even my speech had a trembling sound, slurred. In my mind I would line up the words in order but once I executed communicating, it was impossible to control my spoken words. I would see their questioning face trying to guess what I intended to say.
Every time the phone rang, it was like hearing a fire alarm, I would panic. I just stared at the phone with my feet glued to the floor because one symptom led to another, I would freeze. It was too exhausting as well a challenge to answer the phone and try to put a sentence together, sadness, anger usually took over me on not able to say a few words so I decided not to talk anymore.
One day I saw my children playing with their hands without saying any words, I learned then it was sign language. So, every time I was “on” (feeling a bit relieved from PD symptoms) I would ask them if I can play with them so they thought me basic sign language. And this is how I learned to communicate with my children, I learned “call my mother, doctor”, “bring me water”, “read a book”, “stop, no more” plus many other commands and of course , the most important, “thank you” and “I love you”.
I had visited my neurologist and besides my aquatic physical therapy, she added speech therapy. It was hard enough to go from one therapy to another so, I decided to learn by myself and made a research in the internet about “How to Improve your Speech “. This is when I started singing out loud, practicing words while looking at a mirror, and to chewed sugarless gum to keep me from drooling.
It is very imperative to communicate with each other. Learn from the PD patient their needs and try to find ways to repeat the action without stressing them. When you have PD, not only your body has a mind of its own, there are other factors that we have to deal with such as eating, dressing, sleeping, walking and to communicate with your caregiver is very crucial.
Find ways that is easier to communicate with your love one, I chose sign language when I was “off” and when I was a “on” I sang. It is very important to keep the channels open so, you don’t have to regret not doing so like I did with my father.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Arte por una causa
Elena Tuero tenía apenas alrededor de 25 años cuando comenzó aexperimentar síntomas inquietantes, como pérdida del equilibrio
y temblores. A los 27, se le diagnosticó Parkinson precoz.
Durante los siguientes 17 años, Tuero luchó una batalla contra la
enfermedad que estaba destinada a perder, a medida que esta la privaba de sus capacidades más básicas, como caminar, vestirse y alimentarse por sí misma.
enfermedad que estaba destinada a perder, a medida que esta la privaba de sus capacidades más básicas, como caminar, vestirse y alimentarse por sí misma.
Después, en 2003, Tuero se sometió a una cirugía exitosa y, con una
combinación de medicamentos para la EP, ahora es más capaz de
controlar sus síntomas.
combinación de medicamentos para la EP, ahora es más capaz de
controlar sus síntomas.
Como forma de expresar sus emociones en ese momento, Tuero tomó un pincel y las reflejó sobre un lienzo. Desde entonces no ha dejado de pintar.
“Cuando tienes Parkinson, la idea de tomar un pincel es tan remota
como la de participar en una competencia de patinaje artístico”, explicó Tuero. “No sé por cuánto tiempo durará esto ni lo que me depara el futuro, pero estoy decidida a valorar cada segundo de mi vida”.
como la de participar en una competencia de patinaje artístico”, explicó Tuero. “No sé por cuánto tiempo durará esto ni lo que me depara el futuro, pero estoy decidida a valorar cada segundo de mi vida”.
Hoy, Tuero ha terminado más de 100 pinturas, que dona con el fin de ayudar a recaudar dinero para curar el Parkinson. Además, creó un sitio web con información en español acerca de la enfermedad de Parkinson para las personas que la padecen (www.maldeparkinson.org).
El sitio incluye el inspirador relato de cómo Tuero ha ganado sus batallas contra la EP para así vivir una vida plena y activa, así como también pueden encontrarse enlaces a otros sitios, publicaciones e información de interés relacionados con el Parkinson.
Sitio en idioma español creado por Elena Tuero
— www.maldeparkinson.org
-As published by Teva/Azilect
Sitio en idioma español creado por Elena Tuero
— www.maldeparkinson.org
-As published by Teva/Azilect
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)