What is Parkinson's?

Frankly, I wish I did not know. But after having several depressing months to wrap my mind around Husband's diagnosis I am adapting.

For those non-Googlers, Parkinson's Disease is a movement disorder when the brain no longer makes dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps with the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain. There is no known cure (but, please feel free to find one), and each person is affected in their own way. Husband's started with a left hand tremor (and only when his hand is at rest).

There are drugs, but Husband has had little success with those prescribed. And interestingly enough, PD as a movement disorder is combated by movement of the exercise kind. Husband is already a runner and a biker, so on that front he is ahead of the game.

The silver lining in all this is that Husband is doing things he never in a million years dreamed of doing. Boxing, for one. He has never once said, "Honey, I would really like to box." And two, eat avocado. I know, who doesn't love avocado? Anyway, boxing has been found to reduce the symptoms of PD so Husband now boxes twice weekly. He also eats an avocado everyday, because the trainer told him it would be good for him. I have been trying to get him to eat avocados for thirty years!