Be RESTORED & EMPOWERED This Season Through Caregiving: By Dr. De Leon

In keeping with the spirit of Thanksgiving season and Care GIVER month;

I want to personally say thank you to all the unsung heroes who give of themselves daily to make someone else's life better especially to my husband who is my rock and without whose loving support I would not be able to survive a single day and be able to be a caregiver to everyone else in my family!

Since, none of us are islands to ourselves and are in need of one another for support and encouragement to carry on, there are a few words I would like to say to everyone this week : 

 be a giver, a hugger, a listener, a greeter, a smile maker, not withholding words of praise, encouragement, thanksgiving and kindness.

Sharing blessings with others is a choice- so choose to make a difference TODAY and experience the power of giving and in turn BE INSPIRED, EMPOWERED, RESTORED, and CURED!

Although we are all waiting anxiously for a cure to PD, is what we do with our time while we wait that counts. We must count our blessings and learn to not only  lean on one another for moral support but also lift one another up when the load gets heavy. For those of us who are the care partners, and Parkinson patient Advocates let us continue to be the voice in the desert of the less able (the ones devoid of support whether it be moral, spiritual, or financial) and champion the PD cause so all patients and caregivers alike can obtain support, be lifted, and find fulfillment in their journey.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

6 Survival Strategies to Help Ease the Holiday Stress: By Dr. De Leon

               When I was young the Holidays were something to be cherished. I looked forward to helping pick out a Christmas tree ( the biggest one on the lot of course!) to decorate it with my family as we listened to Christmas music. We frequently burst out in a familiar chorus making it so much more fun. But, the biggest joy was to sit in the dark just staring at all the twinkling lights and fall in to a daze. Life was simple then. I am not really sure when life started getting more complicated and started losing some of its magic. Especially as I began my practice, I started to notice an increase in strokes during the Holiday seasons particularly Christmas. Strokes were usually caused by an increased blood pressure caused by stress, sadness, and  loneliness.

Over the last few years I have lost 3 of the most important people in my life and I, too, for a while began to feel extremely sad and detached which only contributed to a 'sense of futility' in the whole festivities especially compounded by Parkinson's disease making every ordinary activity like decorating or traveling that much more challenging. Then I remember, what Holidays are truly about FAMILY! Even though, I could not go back in time, I could certainly make new memories for my daughter and let her enjoy the wonders of a boisterous family laughing by the fire place telling stories and eating great food; while all the kids stay up late enjoying their own games and staying up late.

However, once again I find myself with guarded expectations for the upcoming Holidays thinking about the fact that my dad may not be around any longer.

 I thought there must be a better way to survive the Holidays then worrying about what might happen. Will my Parkinson's cooperate so I can continue decorating home for my family and cooking their favorite meals? Should my dad pass before then will we be to devastated to celebrate?

So instead of Panicking or living in pain due to a loss of a loved one, or feeling numb because of the new Parkinson's diagnosis or some other chronic illness, here are a few tips which might help you survive:

• Prepare- don't let the roller coaster of emotions take over- prepare before hand by talking to your doctor about getting counseling or adding a temporary antidepressant or anxiety or increasing your PD meds.  If you think your loved one may not be around ( like my dad so we are planning an earlier thanksgiving to enjoy him while he is still able to eat and talk) or you might not be up for the challenge so plan an earlier festivity where you can have control.

• Accept- the difficulties of this time of year- family drama and all- tell your self this too SHALL PASS so go ahead and pass the plate around -dessert first- life is too short after all.

• Socialize- it is not good to retrieve into your shell during this time will only make you more sad, upset and could land you in the hospital. Force yourself to go out, mingle talk to people. Laughter is a great medicine for the soul and body.

• Lower your expectations- this way you wont be disappointed and you might even be pleasantly surprised.

• Coping Strategy- Take care of yourself first, have phone numbers readily available to people that can support you and get you out of a crisis should you have one (close friends, counselor, pastor, doctor etc.)

• Set boundaries- explain to others like family and friends that you may not be capable of keeping all commitments, that you need breaks, rest frequent meds, tell them what you can or cant do in regards to party planning or hosting. DONT ever let others guilt you over doing more than you can physically or emotionally handle. Also shop on line - this will eliminate a lot of stress of driving and fighting crowds, gift wrapping, shipping. you can do all this in one sitting. this is why the last few years on line shopping for the holidays has become my go to mode. 

references :
Petherbridge, Laura. Survival Tips for Handling the Holidays.