How positive! Well done. Maybe we are just being careful, but nothing wrong with that.
Maybe the true answer to everyone’s genuine concerns and confusion over the level of risk, what constitutes risks, where is the evidence etc etc is simply that all the experts of whatever discipline simply do not have all the answers. This virus has not been seen before. Personally I am in awe of the the amount of information we do have about it in such a short space of time. Everyone involved in trying to stop this terrible infectious virus must have been and continue to be on the steepest of steep learning curves. We with or involved with Parkinson’s directly, are well used to ‘…it depends…’ clear as mud answers to all sorts of issues that come with it. Years after it was first recognised there are still a lot of unknowns, still only symptom control, no cure, perhaps we are impatient for answers that at moment are simply not known. I stress this is not to suggest we shouldn’t ask the questions and challenge for clarity only that we need to be realistic about the answers. Just as a by the by and the specialist nurse suggesting perhaps PD offered some protection, I asked years ago if it offered protection from the common cold. Prior to my diagnosis I was a typical winter red nose, since my diagnosis not so much as a sniffles I am pleased to say. I was told there is no evidence but anecdotally others had said the same. Seems to me research into anecdotal evidence should perhaps be considered as a genuine and useful tool in furthering medical science in many areas if only to try and identify the most significant questions in the first place. Statistical significance is important of course but there is a lot that is questionable depending on the view held. Maybe it’s time qualitative research was given the same weight as quantitative research. Just a thought. In the meantime and back to the original dilemma we face, whatever conclusions we individually reach and what we decide to do, I hope we all come through safe, well and without lasting damage to your own PD symptoms. I wish everyone well.
Hi @OjalaHey,
I just thought I’d chime in again. To answer your question around “increased risk”, there is a general caution for anyone with a long term condition such as Parkinson’s but Parkinson’s affects different people dramatically.
The government is not able to go through each condition separately to say at what stage or what symptoms of a condition would make people at more risk of Cornoavirus. As we have heard in the news this virus is affecting different age groups and people with no underlying conditions so the most important thing is that we all keep ourselves as safe as possible by following the Department of health’s guidelines.
We are finding that GP’s are looking through their patients and are able to add people to the highest clinical risk list (therefore need shieding).
I hope this answers your question.
Best wishes,
Reah
I totally take your point, the government cannot possibly define cut-off points for any number of conditions with both variable and degenerative symptoms and decide at which point people are/are not likely to be susceptible in terms of potential complications as a consequence of contracting covid-19, but they could easily revise their headline statement pertaining to the somewhat mysterious ‘vulnerable’ category to say that ‘some’ people with the following conditions may be more susceptible to complications and some may experience serious complications. It would be easy enough to do and would bring the government advice in line with medical advice and evidence.
At the moment there is a mismatch and it doesn’t make sense to me. If I’m going to be in a ‘category’, I want to make sure that the category is accurately described and I want to understand the purpose of the category. I like things to be logical and factual. I do know, however, that I have a hideous tendency to get hooked on details which is not helped by Parkinson’s or stress but I’ll keep working on being a little more stoic about the whole situation (ok, a lot more stoic) Jx :-S
Valid points as ever Jackson on the back of Reah’s comments. I am getting a little concerned however that you will make yourself with ill with information overload that seems just to tie you in yet more knots raising evermore questions that, just now at any rate, don’t have answers. A couple of posts back you seem to have made some decisions about how to manage during the current lockdown, Maybe it’s time to take a break from your search for answers, go with what you have decided and use the time instead to try a few new recipes and perhaps ones you haven’t thought about. Hand sanitiser seems to be in short supply and there are lots of DIY solutions on the internet as indeed there are for wipes, you don’t have to just think food - there are some interesting kids science stuff too, I saw a rainbow in a jar for instance. Do a bit of fun searching then maybe you will come back to your coronavirus questions with fresh eyes. You have brought a lot of interesting info to my attention which I probably wouldn’t have otherwise known and I applaud and thank you for your hard work. Now take a few days out and investigate some fun stuff!!!
You are absolutely right. I have way too much time on my own with my own thoughts and seem be spending too much time letting them spiral out of control and engaging in some of my less helpful behaviors. I will go back to my own advice and try a little bit harder to follow it before I really do drive myself dotty. I also need to work a little bit harder on the sleep :-S
With genuine thanks. Jx
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I look forward to hearing how you are getting on should you care to post. And if you really can’t resist the pull of investigation, may I suggest you take a look at laughter therapy and gratitude journals, Both have research which indicates they are beneficial and both but particularly laughter therapy will probably strike you as odd. Don’t be fooled both can be powerful. I hope you don’t mind my making suggestions but they are so far removed from the all consuming virus, that they or whatever wild card you fancy, may help set you on a new path.
I’ll look up both thank you; laughter therapy sounds so far removed from my normal demeanor that it may be something that I should try 
. I’m off to finish some rather strange jumpers that I’ve started knitting and I’ve just taken up listening to random audiobooks - I was initially drawn to some rather dire titles but I’m deliberately choosing ones with light and fluffy content.
How are you getting on? Are you finding things to fill the time?
Hoping that things are as ok as they can be at the present time.
Thanks again for the recommendations.
Jx
Just to start you off try putting laughter therapy (or laughter yoga as it is also known) and Parkinson’s into a search I think you will be surprised at what comes up. There are lots of videos on YouTube
You can do the same with Gratitude journals and Parkinson’s again more comes up than you would probably expect this link is just one but if you are looking for an 'academic ’ explanation it is a good start point
I am doing ok thanks given that I am not in my own flat just now and so there are a few challenges shall we say. A few years ago and too long winded a story to go into here I was introduced into a completely new world - papercraft, which has evolved into all sorts of things and I am always happy to spend time on that as it is so diverse, also write verse and have posted a few in the creative corner. Life on the whole is pretty good all things considered. Good luck in your quest for a lighter path!!
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