Tuesday, March 1
I slept soundly but only for three hours, which left me groggy all morning. Around 7 pm a blank period began during which I wanted to cease all movement. That lasted until about 9 pm, but I remained tired from lack of sleep until bedtime.
Wednesday, March 2
I slept well for about 6 hours but not comfortably. Walking is in good form. My blank period was again from 7 to 9 pm. I had a very good Alexander lesson in the afternoon. Pins and needles in both hands was very strong, though mostly confined to morning.
Thursday, March 3
Slept well enough, but at least for the first half of the night the relative ease of moving, positioning, and rolling over was missing. That came back somewhat as morning approached, but never reached the comfort level to which I have lately become accustomed. In similar fashion, the first fifty meters of the sagrato were smooth and silent, then I suddenly wore out and the rest of the walk was a drag. The day’s blank spot seemed to have been from 11 to 13 today. I napped briefly, ate lunch, and napped again for ninety minutes. I woke up thinking of Roman’s countrymen huddled in subway stations not knowing if they will have a place to live next week at this time, and of the needlessness of all they are going through, and my heart broke.
The evening walk was a bit better than the morning, but same general shape. A headline in the local paper informed us that “The laughter of American students has returned to Orvieto,” which I found charming. Typing is nearly back to pre-PD levels!
Friday, March 4
As we exited for the morning walk, there was a woman of about fifty, with rainbow colored hair and a voice like a French horn, on a video call while she moved down the middle of Via Pecorelli against traffic. I was tempted to judge her, but decided not to, and she became beautiful. That beauty spread across the city and all the creatures in it.
At the other end of the morning walk, I was parked outside Farmacia del Moro waiting for Roman. A toddler of maybe two-plus came out with his mother. He stopped and we exchanged glances. His mother breeched the crowd and as they moved on the boy twisted back to me, waved, and shouted a hefty “Ciao!”. It rang out like a gong.
Movement is a bit compromised today (meaning beyond the usual). I think the sadness of Ukraine is affecting me. I also watched too much of a crime series last few nights; well-done but darker than is good for me – imagined badness can confuse a vulnerable brain.
The little boy with the sparkling eyes banished that confusion with a single word.
For the daily list; almost no pins and needles, could not identify a blank period, walking outside the apartment was exceptionally smooth, walking in the apartment exceptionally slow. Typing is almost normal.
Saturday, March 5
The early part of the night, my body was like a sock loosely filled with lead pellets. Things got better after I stretched my lower back, and I slept well, but turning and rising lacked the relative grace of a week ago. Similarly, the morning walk was okay, but was a lot more deliberate than I want it to be. Then I had an 11 to 1 blank period, and slept for most of it, plus an hour afterwards. And another hour after that.
The evening walk in the garage (there was a cold wind a-blowing) featured yours truly walking unassisted for four or five laps; okay, Natalia helped the turns, but otherwise…
Typing continues to be good, almost normal (depending on when I compare it to).
Sunday, March 6
This afternoon at four began a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine. About 250 people, mostly Ukrainian, gathered in Piazza della Repubblica displaying their colors, and singing along with traditional music and the Ukrainian national anthem (I obviously sang only with my heart) and listening to music by John Lennon, Bob Dylan and others. There were speeches in Italian and Ukrainian, including one in both by the bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church. Then singing on our own, and led by young boys in scout uniforms, we walked to the Duomo while Italians lined the streets watching and waving. Included in the crowd were dozens of little children, only one dog (but one of my favorites) and two women dressed in white lab coats wearing clown noses.
There was a lot of hugging. Roman and Natalia made sure I stayed warm. The atmosphere was a mix of disbelief, pride, and deep affection. Almost everyone attending has family in harm’s way.
Monday, March 6
Both walks today were good. Let’s call them semi-spontaneous.
Beginning Tuesday of this week, the ease of turning, rolling, and placement in bed that I’d been enjoying so much since early last month began to wane. This has been very disappointing to me. On Monday I began again taking L-Tyrosine morning and evening; it is a cofactor for dopamine and by some reports is supposed to help with symptoms of PD. I’d tried it before a couple of months ago and found it seemed to enhance rather than diminish symptoms, so I quit and asked Janice (The Parkinson’s Recovery Project – www.pdrecovery.org) what I should do. She recommended against it.
But I’d invested good money in a bottle of the stuff so I decided to try again. I quit on Thursday, and the nighttime difficulties continued until last night when things began to crawl back to what had become normal until this week. I speculate, but I’d advise my fellow travelers to be careful.