Over the last year, I have mentioned my Vyalev pump many times. Overall, my experience with it has been very positive. Ultimately, the Vyalev pump only provides a continuous liquid supply of carbidopa / levodopa (Levo). I.e., it just replaces the Levo pills I had … Continue reading Medication Changes?
Y’ever think back to your childhood and realize your understanding of some things was completely wrong? Me, too. Here are a few of the things I believed when I was a little ‘dric.
Hecklers
Thanks to The Muppet Show, I thought that a heckler was an old man who had a permanent balcony seat at a theater. More specifically, I thought hecklers were employees of the theater, and it was their job to make fun of the performers.
Electricity
I once believed that electricity had ingredients. I remember playing around my neighborhood, pretending to operate a power plant. I would scrounge around for whatever I could gather (usually just gravel and sticks) and throw it all into an imaginary machine. This machine would then grind up everything I had gathered, and I would stir it all together. Somehow, electricity was born out of this.
Mugging
Growing up in a small Nebraska city, I remember always hearing about people getting mugged in the big cities, especially New York. To me, this seemed like an oddly specific crime. Why? Because for some reason, I thought mugging someone meant that you physically pick someone up and throw them over your head. I wanna say Hong Kong Phooey had something to do with this misconception.
I am often asked how I choose which state to visit next. Until recently, there has been no simple answer to this question.
But now, I can say, “I don’t! I let a spreadsheet tell me where to go!”
Y’see, I have built a spreadsheet that pulls (not literally) from other spreadsheets I had previously built, developing a point-based system to determine which states to prioritize. Geeky, no?
The initial output from this new spreadsheet gives the highest ranking to Kentucky, New Jersey, and West Virginia. I can’t say I anticipated any of those! But the spreadsheet has spoken! Here, then, is my highly tentative list of trips for 2026:
April: Kentucky
June: West Virginia
August: Annual Colorado Trip (hoping to reach ghost town of Alta this time)
October: New Jersey
I may combine Kentucky and West Virginia into a single road trip, since they’re right next to each other, and not terribly far from home. Also, I have very ambitious ideas for this year’s Colorado trip. I may and/or may not be able to make those happen.
At the end of my previous post, I mentioned that I was experiencing issues with the Vyalev pump. Now is the time for me to bitch about explain those issues. Part One: I need to be fatter! Vyalev advises rotating the ‘insertion site’ once every … Continue reading Pump Trouble
The number of exercise programs / options targeting Parkinson’s continues to grow. Recently, “Up ENDing Parkinsons” made its Charlotte debut. This is rock climbing for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). You read that right! Well, I assume you read it right. I really have no way of actually knowing what you thought you read.
But, yes! Rock climbing for Parkies! This seemed like the perfect fit for me. I spent a lot of time during my twenties and very late teen years wandering northern Colorado, looking for rock formations to scale. So, about three months ago, I decided to try Up ENDing Parkinson’s.
Charlotte is not exactly known for cliffs, so this is actually an indoor, human-made climbing wall. Several such walls, even. And this is REAL climbing. With ropes and harnesses. I never bothered with such equipment when scrambling up remote rock formations in my foolhardy days of yore. On some of the climbing ‘routes’ they connect your rope to a machine that prevents you from plummeting if/when you lose your grip. On the rest, they connect your rope to a human “belayer” who stays on the ground while you climb. I imagine that if you fall, the belayer would be catapulted into the ceiling, though I haven’t seen that happen (yet).
I was amazed at my lack of energy and my overall weakness. However, I was assured by several people that it’s normal for folks to feel that way in the first session, and that most folks get past that quite quickly. I went back a week later, but actually felt weaker during that second session. I had planned to go again the following week, but decided I needed to use that time to finish plotting my Maryland trip. Then I was in Maryland for about two weeks ago. Then I started having, ummm, issues with the Vyalev pump. I’ll address that in my next post. For now, I continue to believe in Up ENDing Parkinsons, and intend to go back soon.
I am my own worst enemy. I may even be the anti-Cedric. I just keep coming up with more and more ways to waste my time on worthless crap, while falling further behind on the things I want to be (and should be) doing. Like … Continue reading My Own Worst Enemy
Gaze deeply into my shiny bald head. You will see into tomorrow. Or you can simply read my predictions below.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will formally rename the Book of Mormon to “The Newer Testament.”
The United States government will finally admit that North Dakota doesn’t actually exist.
Sheep will continue going to Heaven; goats will still be condemned to Hell.
Gravity will stop working. President Trump will claim responsibility, calling gravity “the worst idea anyone ever had.” Descendants of Sir Isaac Newton will vehemently disagree.
About 2.5 years ago, I was considering undergoing stem cell therapy to try to treat my Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Ultimately, I concluded that I would only resort to this treatment if I can find a safer place to get it (the company that was offering … Continue reading New Stem Cell Development?
The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. That is, *if* there have been any rumors of my death. Yes, I got back from Maryland safely, and no, I have not completely clawed my keyboard apart.
None of my future travels are even in the planning stages yet. But, for several reasons, I’m thinking my next few trips will be to states that are within easy driving distance of Charlotte. That would mean road trips to Tennessee, West Virginia, and Regular Virginia. Maybe even Georgia and Kentucky.
After that, I may focus on states that are small enough to use a single hotel as a field HQ. I do get tired of having to tear down and build up my travelling pharmacy. This would prioritize Connecticut, New Hampshire (maybe), Rhode Island, Delaware, New Joisey, and New York City. I plan on doing NYC as its own trip, separate from upstate New York.
In the meantime, I’m dealing with a significant issue in regard to the Parkinson’s pump therapy. I also recently started another (very) physical therapy activity. I will write about both of these in the coming weeks.
Day 7: Question: Did you know that the railroads in the game of Monopoly were actual railroads? Answer (circle one): Yes No I ask because my destination on Day 7 of this here Maryland trip was the B & O Railroad Museum. And, folks, this … Continue reading Maryland 2025 Trip Report (The Last Several Days)
Voyages with Parkinson's 