Mar 21

9-Months Later…

A YOGI’S JOURNEY WITH PARKINSON’S – Volume 14

In an earlier post (Volume 8), I suggested that telling the world I had Parkinson’s shared similarities with announcing a pregnancy. Now, nine-months have come and passed, but there is no new life, no bundle of joy. The only thing that has finally been “birthed” is this long overdue post.

In the corporate world of my earlier life, I thrived on projects where I could improve the process while completing the task. After a cycle or two of testing and tweaking, I was free to move on to the next project or adventure. There is no moving on from Parkinson’s. The novelty has worn off and I am left with “what is”.

“What is”, is a journey down an un-chosen path. Paraphrasing Sir James Jeans, “A really happy person can enjoy the scenery on a detour.” I’m not fully there yet, but thanks largely to the amazing support of friends and loved ones, I at least recognize there is scenery and enjoy it more frequently than you might expect.

Much of my life has remained unchanged. Anna and I still live in our charming (i.e. space-challenged) apartment in downtown Palo Alto. Our relationship has gotten even closer with the shared intention of creating a healthy life for both of us. I continue to teach an arguably excessive 15-20 yoga classes each week. I still do Sudoku to keep my mind fresh and still watch sports to counter-balance that effect.

What’s changed the most is how I have re-allocated my non-working hours that used to go by the name of “free time”. One of the tedious and time-consuming challenges is the repetition necessary to stay “on protocol”. When I first discussed my chosen treatment with my doctor, he suggested that the success rate was less than 50% (which is still better than other alternatives). It wasn’t so much that the program “failed”, but more frequently, the patient “gave up” (either for financial hardship or tiring of the exhausting diligence necessary). While neither uplifting nor compelling this required diligence has to be included in any conversation of “what is”.

“I never will get over this English refugee…
…he was eating pills like candy and chasing them with tea”

…Tom Petty

What is so difficult about taking some pills?

My treatment protocol STARTS with a festival of all natural supplements. I consume 70+ pills EVERY DAY, about the same number of drops and five different powders.  Organizing my supplements each day is a chore. Preparing for an overnight excursion becomes daunting. A trip abroad requires hours just to prep my supplement while seriously wondering if I am going to find myself in a locked room justifying my pills and powders to a less than sympathetic customs agent.

The supplements are only one aspect of my treatment protocol. They are what everyone focuses on because we have been programmed to worship (without question) the almighty pills. Less than half of the pills are directly related to Parkinson’s and only some of those addressing the symptoms. Most of my supplements are focused on maximizing brain and body health in an admittedly shotgun-like approach at attempting to address the cause(s).

No one is suggesting that any amount of pills can cure Parkinson’s. So, my options are “giving up” and patiently waiting for my life to get worse or looking for alternative approaches. Thankfully there are “alternative” doctors to suggest different approaches. However, they don’t have all the answers nor do their opinions necessarily converge. So, I have become my own advocate / guinea pig and look outside the box (the pill-box in this case).

My radically strict Ketogenic Diet is as far outside the box as I have gotten (so far). It features healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, avocados), green veggies and fatty protein (like salmon and grass fed beef). That doesn’t seem so bad until we get to the excluded foods: No sugar, no dairy, no wheat, no starch, no fruit, no nuts. Beer is out of the question. Red wine is a rare treat. In simple terms, I am starving my body of sugar and feeding it healthy fats (medium-chain triglycerides) resulting in the generation of ketone bodies which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and fuel the mitochondria of my brain cells. In simpler terms, I am attempting to feed my brain. If you are really curious, follow the link to an 18-minute Ted Talk

Perhaps the most helpful aspects of my treatment protocol (so far) have come from meditation and breathing practices. (30+ minutes EACH of Vipasana and Pranayama daily). I gave up all my 7:00 AM yoga classes to free time for these practices. It is a very pleasant, grounding and energizing way to start each day. That alone is a solid validation. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, comes a breakthrough. Something well short of a miracle but we will take any positive change.

In a calm meditative state, I have become able to mentally stop my hand from shaking. Not just distract it with another task or movement, but stop it and keep it still. One of the doctors I consulted with early in the process mentioned a Parkinson’s patient that was able to eliminate all PD symptoms by meditating 6 hours a day. The power of meditation does not surprise me. The fact that more people don’t meditate has me scratching my head.

If I told you what it takes to reach the highest high,
You’d laugh and say ‘nothing’s that simple’
But you’ve been told many times before
Messiahs pointed to the door
And no one had the guts to leave the temple!

…The Who

Rounding out my treatment protocol are (1) Strenuous exercise at least 6 days a week (mainly yoga with a recent incorporation of Core-Align/pilates work); (2) Holistic health maximization by limiting toxins and addressing issues such as Adrenal Fatigue and H-Pylori; and (3) as close to eight-hours of sleep each night as manageable.

So I have a protocol in place. What might the scenery be FURTHER outside the box? Following is a partial list of suggestions that have been given to me: Ayurveda, Chi Gong, Intermittent Fasting, Acupuncture, Stem Cell Treatment, Tapping, Ayahuasca, visiting “John of God”, Chinese Medicine, Tai Chi, Deep Brain Stimulation, Sensory Deprivation tank, Goji Berries, Telemere Therapy,  Body Talk, Molecular Medical Food and Hypno Therapy. I have not ruled out any of the above (but some are more likely to be considered than others).

People kindly, caringly and frequently ask me how I am doing. I usually keep my responses positive, but the truth is, I just don’t know. Most days I can’t even tell if my efforts are making a difference. My hand shakes more than it use to. But the “brain fog” (that worried me far more than I let on) cleared months ago. The scenery got better.

Thankfully, there is more to my life than Parkinson’s. Just because I have not been blogging doesn’t mean I have not been busy living. Forgive me if this comes across like a group letter included with a holiday card, but if it does fill that need, so be it.

What else have I been up to?

Led a yoga retreat in Sedona (lots of pictures)

Attended a yoga retreat in Australia (fewer pictures)

Shared beach time with Anna after Oz yoga retreat (pictures)

Planned for a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, but sadly had to postpone it until the mosquito problems (Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya) improve

Was the subject of a feature article in The Almanac (a local Menlo Park paper)

Officiated my third wedding (as a “Minister”)

And when I wasn’t avoiding the computer…

Added a “Share” button to the blog page (a relatively obvious oversight)

Provided a “Subscribe” option so you can receive new blogs hot off the press (another “no-brainer” that was missing)

Resurrected the Keith Chronicles website from my life-changing travel days. These fond memories went missing thanks to whomever was accepting my payments while letting my site disappear into a blur of web-host mergers and account transfers. As part of the resurrection process, I re-read all the Chronicles and can confidently say they rank highly among the things in life I am most proud of creating.

Began rebuilding “Keith’s Yoga (AND MORE) Store” (Special thanks to Amazon for changing systems and forcing me to redo everything I was already satisfied with)

Consider yourself up-dated. More & more current coming soon!

Be Well!

…Keith

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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are my opinions. My words should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. This blog is designed to chronicle my journey, share what I learn in the process, and connect with others on a similar path.