Blog
After a year of Covid-19 I finally set up my gym with my equipment mainly purchased on Market Place in Facebook. Also sold a lot of stuff to make room. Areas include 1. Boxing with heavy bag and speed bag; 2. A Sit-up abdominal cruncher; 3. A yoga and floor workout space; 4. A heavy ball for floor slams; 5. Stool for sit to stand stuff; 6. A relaxation corner with a big drum to beat on; 7. My own massage chair when I’m done!
https://youtu.be/Z5MZBQOR5KA
Hit the UTube address above and take a few minutes to a great video of our boxing class at Good Life. Copy & Paste if link doesn’t work.
When you think of “urgency” as it applies to the need for washroom facilities you may assume we are talking about little kids needing to take a pee on the side of the road. As the parent is standing behind him the 5 year old boy is encourage to let go into the tall grass as the sister may be crunch into position by another parent safely behind the open car door acting as a shield. Everybody chuckles and assumes no damage done and quickly passes by on with their day. You are supposed to outgrow the need for this type of roadside break and hold it for a while till it is convenient to find a washroom. For most of us we did just that … but it’s back!
Now suppose the circumstances are much different. You are no longer 5 but 65, your hair is longer and unkept, haven’t shaved for a day or three. You have a stumble in your walk, tilting to the left a little. You have a bit of struggle in getting out the words “Do you have a washroom for customers?” due to slurred speech and the added pressure of finding a place to go or you will have an accident where no real damage will be done but to your pride and your new pants? This is the life of someone with Parkinson’s Disease who has one on the common symptoms of bladder incontinence.
All of the other conditions listed above are caused by this disease or as side effects of the medication. It complicates our lives even in regular times when we constantly are on the look out for public facilities in case the urge hits us. Trips are planned to be in a way never be too far from a washroom. When that is not possible we are searching for other options to step into a dark alley or even a bush to get relief. Now imagine all of the regular washrooms closed due to Covid-19 and you are an errand run with 2 things left to do and the cold wind or a cool breeze from air conditioning or whatever, the urge comes on with little or no time to spare. You panic, your doing a Michael Jackson on your package and feel the need to ask for directions to a washroom in the best voice you can muster. The reacts are not pleasant and normally unfavourable even though they recognize the stress you seem to be in. The next few minutes will decide if we will finish the errands or require a trip home to change first.
So why is this happening? its called bladder incontinence of which their are three types (Urge, Stress, and Noctural). With the bladder or colon not fully draining on your last urination or bowel movement, you’re always primed for another event without a lot of notice. Sometimes within a short time period from the last.
My approach is to limit how long I plan to be out and always have a location in mind along my route. Also limit the number of tasks and look out for those dead zones where no options are available!
(Medical information taken from Every Victory Counts, Davis Phinney Foundation. p 147)
Bill Heimiller got to take the GRIT Freedom Chair for the first time last week and his reaction was amazing. Bill said “Lets take this puppy out and try her in the snow!”, so we did. It was cold but was also beautiful and sunny. Dressed for the weather, we enjoyed a 2.5 Km walk on the snowy trail, with Bill working away to be as much self propelled as possible. Although Bill has a number of health concerns, the exercising in the Freedom chair has already elevated his blood pressure and making him more steady on his feet making him less reliant on walking aids when inside. He also likes to walk behind the chair, using it as a very stable outdoor walker. To be wheel chair bond in your own house would definitely be the worst case scenario as they say “Sitting is the new smoking”. Keeping our mobility through exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Plus the fresh air, fitness and conversation with friends ads to our quality of life. If Bill at 80 years old can try something new, why not you!
To help get more people with advanced Parkinson’s into this new exercise routine contact Joe van Koeverden at 705-868-2659 or e-mail at joevank53@gmail.com or go to www.joewithpd.com for more info.
To help get more people like Bill into the New GRIT Freedom Chair
Bill and Joe are on the TransCanada Trail in Jackson Park, Peterborough, Ontario
The problem with Parkinson’s…….
As the disease progresses we will gradually lose mobility resulting in less freedom, quality of life and opportunity to stay fit.
The traditional wheelchair was designed for indoor use and not practical for outdoors and further restricted People with Parkinson’s (PWP). The loss of freedom to move about can have an impact on mental health as well physical health.
The GRIT Freedom Chair
This chair has combined the best parts of a mountain bike and a standard chair to enhance the mobility and freedom of people with challenges to be active even outdoors in all 4 seasons. It enables upper body exercising in any outdoor conditions including on trails, parks, beaches and even snow.
Goals & Fundraising Update: January 15, 2021
Project Goals
• To purchase 2 GRIT Freedom Chairs and other hiking equipment for the Chapter members and others to use. Get those stranded at home in the fresh air on a trail.
• To be accessible to more members who are mobility limited or close to that stage.
• For a companion chair to accompany the PWP on trail rides etc. and for public demos.
• Cost of Project $15,000.00. $5,000.00 raised with $10,000 remaining to raise.
The increase is due to additional required safety equipment.
• The 1st GRIT chair was purchased Dec. 15th for $5195.49.
A New Chair for Brennan
Brennan was our first choice to have the chair due to his very aggressive Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD). He had lost the ability to walk but still had strength in his arms. This chair allowed him to be self-propelled for the first time in over 6 months.
Comments made by Brennan’s PSW.
Wow! The Grit chair is amazing. We went through deep snow with little problem. It is easy to push, maneuver by the Brennan and get a good pace going with the pumping action of the handles. Good for outside in most conditions and will go through grass, trails, beach sand or snow. Roll on Summer!
Krystyna Nelson
Next Steps: Raise Additional Funds
Additional funds are needed to get a second chair to accommodate larger individuals and allow for more public demos etc. We are looking to raise $10,000.00 in the next 2 months for another chair and purchase additional equipment to allow for safe winter and summer hiking trips.
How can you donate?
Write a cheque payable to Parkinson’s Peterborough Chapter and mail to:
Joe van Koeverden
313 Blacksmith Way
Peterborough, ON, K9L 0B5
E-transfer to joevank53@gmail.com and your donation will be forwarded.
Either way you will get a tax-deductible receipt from Parkinson Canada once funds are deposited.
Brennan got into the woods on his 2nd day with his GRIT Freedom Chair. Way to go getting that exercise and fresh air!
Just after SuperWalk, I got a link from Brennan who found a very interesting website promoting a new concept of a four season all terrain wheelchair. So what was I supposed to do? Start fundraise quickly to see how long it would to raise the funds so we could have one of these in Peterborough. If you remember Brennan, a young early onset PWPs, has lost most of his mobility and was in a situation that neither of his traditional chairs could be used outdoors safely.
Well the fundraising went fast and were given a loan to close the gap by our chapter. So here we are, Brennan and I on his porch giving the new chair a quick (and short spin). Once he got to the end of the porch Brennan asked where reverse was so he could back up and do it again!
Anyone interested to give the GRIT Freedom Chair a try, contact me at joevank53@gmail.com and will try to arrange an indoor try with outdoor sessions in a week or two. Thanks to all those that help fund the first chair and those that will help us get another. (All sessions with the chair will take into account current Covid-19 requirements)
Go to this link Just click on it!
Brennan has the use of a regular chair which gets him around the house and out to the back yard using a lift. Due to the weakness of his arms, he has trouble using this wheelchair for a long distance walk. Brennan uses an electric wheelchair for outdoor walks on the sidewalk and paved trails, but has difficulty navigating due to the sensitivity of the joystick.
Here is a picture of Brennan enjoying the outdoors at his caregiver’s ranch, working with the horses. It is quite obvious that this wheelchair does not provide him with safe mobility or easy access to spending time with the therapeutic ponies.
As you can see, Brennan has limited mobility but could likely manage a chair that uses arm power in a different way and is built for the outdoors. A few days ago, Brennan found such a wheelchair on the internet, manufactured by the GRIT Freedom Chair 3.0. The Peterborough Parkinsons Chapter has agreed to fundraise $10,000 to purchase two of these chairs, one for Brennan and one as a loaner for anyone else wishing to experience a new sense of mobility, off road!
Go to this link Just click on it! https://maxsold.maxsold.com/auction/peterborough-ontario-canada-seller-managed-charityfundraising-online-auction-blacksmith-way-25595/bidgallery/
I have been walking the same trails for 5 years since we moved to our home on Blacksmith Way but have never noticed the week to week changes especially in the flora and vegetation along the trails as I do today. Part of the reason is that I have allowed myself to do the second section of my walk on the Parkway Trail on my own, meaning no dogs in tow. Or should I say no dogs towing me! I love our dogs but I need my personal space for part of the walk.
Walking mindfully has many of the advantages as mentioned in my last blog and there are more! I look and see the amazing rotation of flowers and greenery along the Parkwood Trail change seemingly on a weekly basis. Early in the summer, you see the dandelions cover the grassland with a perfect yellow screaming out to every insect to assist with pollination. As if choreographed, one day they seem to change from short stocked yellow flowers that seem to evade the mowers blades to a tall tubular stem hoisting a burst of seeds into the sky fully equipped with a white parachute to carry them away to a new fertile area.
Once the dandelions have completed this cycle, they lay back and make room for another flowering plant to strut it’s stuff and do it it’s way. We’ve gone through white daisies, little yellow flowers, Lady Anne’s lace and some that don’t have the coverage will share the field as do thistles and the blue flowers! Each flowering act essential for the summer-long feeding of insects and the collection of honey by our busy bees but also for the annual production of next year’s seeds to do it all over again.
As the drought and heat brown our lawns, better-rooted plants jump into the cue as they reach water farther down than the grassroots can. These tall woody plants seem to ignore the rules and add some much-needed variety to the dying lawn.
Funny thing this seems to get better every year as we cut less lawn and grassy areas and let mother nature direct the plant life around us.
On Saturday, August 1, 2020, I will have walked past the ¾ point of my 1,000,000 Steps in support of Parkinson’s research and programs. For the most part, the weather has been excellent and conditions sometimes a little warm. I hope that the rest of the summer will be as agreeable.
Although fundraising is the primary goal for my walk, I am experiencing some great benefits from the walk as well. Loss of a few pounds never hurts but also the great improvement in my energy level for the rest of the days seems to be a contradiction. Workout more and get more energy back?
It also seems that by walking “mindfully” I am reducing muscle and joint pain that previously was my excuse to avoid exercise.
Mindfulness has also given me an awareness of every movement that makes up my stride (or gait). With strategic placement of my urban walking poles, I can quickly correct any imbalance or produce more forward momentum as I tackle an incline on the path.
I also have to be aware of the weakness on my left side, especially my left foot. During the walk my left foot will try to turn inward when my Dyskinesia appears. With the aid of the poles, I retain my stability and mindfully focusing on my left foot. I try to send the correct messages from my brain to straighten my foot so it will land correctly on the path.
Wow, who would have thought walking could be so intense of a mental workout!
So I’ll keep walking and asking for donations to reach my goal of $10,000.00, so please help if you can or forward to others that will. To follow me go to www.joewithpd.com..
To donate go to ttps://donate.parkinson.ca/site/TR/SuperWalk2020/CNO_superwalk?px=1211857&pg=personal&fr_id=2448
joevank53@gmail.com
