I see it's been a long time since I shared any thoughts. There is bad news and good news. I learned that the reason I had such a difficult time returning home after our first longer cycle ride is that I have a frozen shoulder. I've had four cortisone shots into the shoulder with no positive results. Then a friend of mine who is a physical therapist asked if she could try to help. After four sessions with her, my shoulder is close to normal. There is still work to do but I've gone from a pain level of nine to generally 1 or 2. While I was working on the shoulder by husband and I went on our tandem training ride. All went well until he and I were coming back to the cycle shop and we messed up on the start and over we went, my feet still clipped into the pedals, my hip bone going directly into the pavement. I am fortunate that nothing is broken, but even a week and a half later I still have a lot of pain in the hip and I'm unable to lift anything. I am allowed to ride on my trainer bike for 15 minutes a day after I've done all the exercises for both the shoulder and hip. Boo. But at least it's getting better and I'm eager to get back on the tandem to train for the STP.

Now the bad news is finished, time for the good news. I had a call from a YMCA in upstate New York asking if they could start a PFP program in all 15 branches of their YMCA Association! There have been other calls as well. I am more than a little excited at how many people will have the opportunity to cycle away many of their symptoms. More good news.... the Glenn Erickson Pedaling for Parkinson's Ride is coming together nicely. It's wonderful to see all these people who don't have Parkinson's working together to create a major fund-raising event to help those of us with the disease. People can donate to that by going to the pedalingforparkinsons.org website and looking for the ride on the donors list.

Tomorrow we head to New York for the PDF PPAC meeting followed by the opportunity to participate in the Parkinson's unity walk in Central Park. I will continue on to Washington DC where I will start participating in the NIH Parkinson's research group, yet another study that will hopefully bring real answers to questions about Parkinson's.

Be well.