First, thanks to all who downloaded and listened to my podcast, Parky Conversations.

“Fascinating” is how listeners describe the first two eye-opening episodes that discuss the very weirdness of the disease. And the podcast isn’t just for people with a connection to Parkinson’s; just about anyone will find it entertaining.

So after you’ve listened, don’t forget to leave a review, and please forward the link to your friends and family. They’ll thank you! And I thank you too!

Next week’s podcast, airing Tuesday, September 25, Dr. Daniel Corcos of Northwestern University talks about the importance of exercise in slowing disease progression and…..I climb a wall!

ICYMI – here’s this week’s blog post on how my podcast became my job.

The first recommendation – nay PRESCRIPTION – from my neurologist upon diagnosis is to get lots of exercise; it’s really the best thing you can do to slow disease progression. But, but i sputtered, I already exercise a ton, thinking of a lifetime habit of at least one hour daily walks. But I got sick anyway. Clearly, I’d need to “step” it up.

I chose boxing which I now love and sometimes also hate or more accurately dread. It’s really really hard. Just yesterday my boss-body reminded me that it needed some care, when I woke feeling crappy, with an all-over malaise similar to that of a cold but the Parky version

So I took a nap from which I woke and – you guessed it – I still felt unwell. Nevertheless I summoned my limited internal resources and showed up for class where I informed Todd (my boxing instructor who you’ll meet in a future podcast) that I probably wouldn’t last very long.

Guess again! After about five minutes of hard aerobic work, I felt fine. PD symptoms and fatigue – gone!

The lesson here is obvious and in case I forget, it’s written down RIGHT HERE, as a reminder every time I’m ready to cave in to the commands (Stay home! You need the rest!) of my Parkinson’s master.

Possibly the most powerful boss though is the one who commands “you are getting sleepy, so sleepy.” She’s the one I can’t always ignore, as she possesses several lethal weapons known as pills with a sedating effect. Sometimes it’s okay to give in and have a good snooze.

The other activities recommended for me are wall climbing, singing, dancing,and yoga, plus I was hoping to box twice a week. Alas, insurance does not cover these MEDICALLY prescribed activities. In Yiddish we call it a shonda – something shameful. And while you’re at it, Medicare and Big Insurance, how’s about funding the occasional massage to alleviate the lower back pain many of us Parkies suffer. (I guess this one might be subject to abuse).

I didn’t expect one of my most time-consuming and demanding retirement activities would involve putting my body through all kinds of physical challenges. I suppose if I were in better health, there’d be some other pursuit taking up my time. And of course, I am grateful that I’m as healthy and able-bodied as I am. I’m still a fast enough walker that I often end up some distance ahead of my walking companions who keep asking me to slow down. To be clear, I am no marathoner and there are plenty of people I struggle to keep up with. Still, I’m reasonably active, and I aim to stay that way for a good long while.

Now out of my way, while I wallop the hell out of that punching bag.

And just a teeny reminder: Please download and listen to one or both episodes of my podcast, Parky Conversations. Come on, you know you want to learn more about a surge in creativity in some who have Parkinson’s, and meet a woman who can smell the disease.