Nan,

Re shoulder problem when cycling uphill.

This, it seems to me, should be fixable. The fact that you don't get the problem on a fixed bike suggests that it is a set-up problem: the frame is probably slightly too large.

Try:
- lower gear;
- bringing the saddle forward;
- narrower head stem (the component that connects the handlebars to the bicycle).

If all else fails, walk the steep hills.

Thanks for your reports from Montreal.

John

John, Thanks for your thoughtful analysis of my shoulder problem. This is the same bike I have used riding across Iowa and for at least 1,000 miles and it was fitted for me, so I have to agree with my doc that it's PD rigidity. I start new PT next week and am reluctantly taking a temporary pain medication.

Although I'm still not cycling outside, I have been having quite an experience on the stationary bike. I've been pushing my cadence to 90 for about 30 minutes of the one hour workout with some strange results, which frankly I cannot claim are in fact related to the higher cadence. Oddly enough, I am able to use my right hand again for many tasks. Writing is still small, but it's somewhat legible. I'm able to wash my hair and I'm actually typing this rather than dictating it. The dystonia in my hands has stopped. This has been going on for the last couple of weeks while I've been in Idaho, cycling on the deck of the Nature Conservancy Silver Creek Preserve and spending my afternoons fly fishing. Maybe it's the cycling at a higher cadence than usual or perhaps it's the hours of casting, but something is clearly different. I'm keeping track and continuing the power workouts nearly every day, or at least 5/week.

We have been on 11 trips this year, most related to PD in one way or another. A friend recently posed the question of what she would do if she were cured. So much of her life is filled with PD related activities and study. I expect all of us would come up with satisfactory resolutions to that "dilemma".

I think you will enjoy this video that was prepared about the Albany New York YMCA Pedaling for Parkinson's program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXC4y...ature=youtu.be

A few things to share.

Sadly, the improvement in my hand operation did not last. I'm back to using voice dictation, suffering with tiny hand writing, and washing my hair with mostly one hand.

I'm excited that this Thursday, November 21, will be the first training in the Seattle YMCA to train staff people from other YMCAs how to run PFP. There will be staff present from four counties attending the training and it will last for at least five hours. So I think that people will be adequately trained to present the PFP program. I'm working on a half hour presentation on the history of PfP and the history of Glenn Erickson's involvement in the fund raising for PFP at the YMCA. I have a full day ahead of me! I am also giving each of the attendees a copy of The Peripatetic Pursuit of Parkinson Disease. I'm eager to have them all have this resource. If you have any thoughts about what I should certainly add to my part of the training module, please let me know. Thanks!

I have an excellent report on two fronts. The training at the YMCA was fabulous. They really do know how to do it. Now they are ready to have Pedaling for Parkinson's programs open at several more YMCAs here in the Seattle area and as far north as Bellingham. I was able to give out 19 copies of the peripatetic pursuit of Parkinson disease. I know they are in good hands and will be well used.

I have also been working as an advisor with a new company, Beneufit, which has designed a device, an app, to help people with Parkinson's maintain a steady cadence at the right heart rate. They just put out their opportunities for funding on Indiegogo at this address:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/be...nson-s-disease

I'm posting this as information, not investment advice.

hi nan,
can't thank you enough for your efforts, the benefit from these programs is much more than just the exercise.
do you know if the newcastle ymca will be starting a program?

The Newcastle Y was not at the training. I'll pass along your interest.

This has been a strange time and I do not know how all the pieces of information fit together.

Christmas was particularly stressful as all of us got the flu and lost a tremendous amount of body fluids. But we got through it. Although I drank a lot of liquids, perhaps I was not rehydrated enough. On the 27th I felt fine so I decided to do my regular bicycling workout wearing my heart rate monitor. About halfway into it my heart rate spiked to over 205. It did this four times. I got off the bike and went up two flights of stairs to get to pulse ox monitor. By the time I got there my heart rate was down to 175. It continued to go down and returned to normal. The following Monday I went to see my doctor and had an EKG which was normal, was fitted with the ZIO patch, which is monitoring my heart beats for the next two weeks, and gave the obligatory vial of blood for testing. The doctor called late in the evening of the 30th, never good sign when the doctor calls at night, to tell me that I have hypothyroidism, low thyroid and I need to start on medicine immediately. So now I'm taking levothyroxine to try to get my thyroid back in shape. I'm sure it will take my body a couple of weeks at least to adjust to the new medicine and within a couple of weeks I should have results from the heart rate monitor. How these all fit together, I don't have a clue. But if it had not been for the rapid heart rate that was recorded on the heart rate monitor, I would not have known I have hypothyroidism and that would not have been a good thing. The beat goes on.

Every cloud has a silver lining ...

A number of symptoms are shared by PD and hypothyroidism. There must be a good chance that some of your "PD" symptoms will disappear with the treatment you receive for hypothyroidism.

For instance, in post #250, back in October, you mention shoulder pain when cycling up hill.

Of course, if we'd been switched on we would have suggested hypothyroidism as a possible cause at the time.

Your case shows the benefits of high frequency testing.

John

i agree it will be interesting to see if there are any pd benefits.
were'e all either ticking time bombs and/or someone's science project. staying healthy is a full time job?

thanks for sharing and all your efforts.