1st Meeting and Discussion
Introducing the Parkinsonz Book Club
Younger Next Year
I have chosen Younger Next Year as our first book. I have found this book has helped me stay motivated and put a lot into perspective. It is not specific to Parkinson’s disease but it ALL applies us and is even more important to us.
It is humorous, but appropriately serious and you will learn more about the science of how our brains and bodies age.
There is also a women’s version if you are interested. I’m guessing same message, but addressing women’s health issues and ways that women’s attitudes toward aging, exercise and life in many ways differ from mens.
Discussion – from my attempt to do this on Facebook.
Younger Next Year: Overall Comments
First edition was written about 20 years ago, so heart rate monitor info and some other health monitoring techniques are a little dated, but still relevant.
Eileen: Overall thoughts and comments…. I am really enjoying the book and getting so much out of it including being motivated to do more than I am doing.
A few things that stood out to me were “We need to make a serious commitment to the future.” I appreciated the visual that I had when he talked about our bodies receiving “decay signals” when we are not doing what we need to do.
He qualified that our bodies will appear to age as we age but he said we can “age but not rot.” I am listening to the women’s version on Audible and the older narrator (not Harry) makes me laugh out loud especially when he talks about not waiting for your spouse to get on board. Thanks for suggesting this book.
General Comments
Chapter 1:
- Coming to terms with getting older and in our case PD. How to people see us in social situations, at the gym and at work.
- How do you feel about that?
- How can we improve both how people look at us and how we feel about ourselves?
- We have several years ahead of us, we have the power to change how we live those years, deteriorate to being frail and sedentary “tied to a chair in a nursing home” or live those years being more vital and doing the things you love. We have a great amount of control, but have to work at it everyday. How is this different for people with PD?
Steph- Discusses differences in the Women’s version
This book suggests that whilst many men start to feel unsure as they age many women are actually coming into their power ‘Many women are feeling more independent, more optimistic, more powerful.’
I was feeling like that but PD diagnosis has shaken my confidence and I have to work hard to motivate and believe in myself now.
Steph, so true. I should read the women’s one! I like being more optimistic, independent and powerful! The confidence is hard, but we need to do our best to keep believing in ourselves….
Steph
Aging is inevitable but decay/rot isn’t. 70% of aging is avoidable. Have we got the same control with PD? I know how important exercise is but I have to manage my energy to be able to also work, take care of my family and walk dog.
Steph
I often feel responsible for making people feel comfortable with my symptoms which is ridiculous! I hate to see people pity me. I tend to deal with it by being as relaxed and accepting as I can be and being proactive at managing symptoms one by one.
I go to CrossFit and have been completely accepted by other members who help and support me without bring patronizing. Other friends haven’t done as well and can baby me taking over and helping me with stuff when I haven’t asked for help. This really pisses me off!
With or without PD we have far more control over our health outcomes than we are led to believe. We need more doctors like Harry who are interested in ‘not just curing disease but promoting health‘ It is harder with PD obviously but still possible which keeps me sane.
Steph:, absolutely agree. It is frustrating that our health care system does not financially incentivize “health care” but instead spends a fortune to fix problems once they are expensive.
Preventative medicine does not reimburse well and there is not very much money to be made. I am grateful that with both PD and aging there are steps we can take to take control if only partially…
John
The notion of a long plateau of good health and quality of life for many years followed by a later (and perhaps precipitous) decline is intriguing, and I would take it any day over the alternatives. Can we as PD patients achieve that, or perhaps the better question given the unpredictability and individual nature of our progression is, what can we do to increase the likelihood of achieving that?
Exercise, nutrition, and commitment are a starting point, but what mix of exercises and what diet give us the best odds? We have some ideas, and the research continues to grow, but in many ways our generation of PD patients will provide the evidence of what is possible here.
Chapter 1 Comments
Chapter 2 – How’s Your Wife?
- How does having PD affect your relationship with your significant other?
- How has your diagnosis affected your significant other, how do they feel about your diagnosis?
- What can we do to improve that bond and support each other through the huge changes of PD diagnosis/aging?
- I like the idea of finding as many ways to stay active together. Any other thoughts?
Chapter 2 Comments
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Chapter 3: Getting Older
- Medical care vs. Health care: We have PD. This doesn’t change our risk for other medical problems as we age (heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes). What can we do to decrease our risks of these?
- You will likely get old and live…. In PD case, we are unlikely to die from PD, but will likely die WITH PD and of another cause. What can we do to improve the quality of our lives during those years when our PD is more advanced?
Those of you reading the Women’s Version…please comment any interesting thoughts that apply to women and especially women with PD?
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