Ten years ago I discovered I had prostate cancer. It was aggressive & because of my young age I had the prostate removed. I am now cancer free. The problem I initially saw my GP for was actually an extreme form of dairy intolerance. I did some research on Prostate cancer & read an article that linked a high dairy diet to that form of cancer. So although the horse had bolted I cut out dairy & the symptoms
I had seen my GP for totally disappeared 3-7 days later. I had two things wrong with me. Not one. Also it was me that discovered I was dairy intolerant not the host of medical people I had paid to see. The lesson is that our own health is our responsibility.
I am also fortunate that I had a DATscan 3 months ago, others I read have not had one yet. Maybe less fortunate that it showed that I do have some form of Parkinson’s. With my past experience I do wonder if I have Parkinson’s & something else that is causing the main issues that trouble me. Which are walking [my whole left leg feels numb as does my right foot] & body fatigue.
My social life since I retired has been golf & in 10 years I have gone from walking the course & playing 5 days a week. Then I found I hit the physical brick wall after
14 of 18 holes. So I started riding a golf buggy & playing 5 times a week, then it was 3 times a week, then once a week & now I have had to stop completely. I do wonder if what I have is temporary & will get better or whether I am on a slippery slope leading to a wheelchair.
I can’t move my legs & have no upper body strength to swing a golf club. It is extremely depressing & I can do nothing about it.
My plan B once I could no longer play golf [in my late 80’s] was that I would enjoy nice long walks but that is clearly impossible unless my health improves.
I am seeing my GP face to face tomorrow to chat about my health concerns & whether my walking problems & fatigue is Parkinson’s related or something else.
Also whether taking Ropinirole would do me any good. Especially as some of the common side effects are … swelling of the legs & unusual tiredness or weakness.
So how is that going to help my walking & fatigue?
Apart from walking & this fatigue when I try to do anything active, I feel incredibly well. None of my other symptoms bother me in the slightest.
Anyone have any views on my ramblings? Any similar experiences? Any opinions?
Hello Steve2
I most certainly do have a view on your ramblings. First though I am a little confused. You say you have walking problems and then say yoj can’t move your legs so I’m not sure what your mobility is. That aside my first thought was maybe you need an exercise routine that strengthens your core, upper body strength and balance.
I am not a golfer but even quite a cursory internet search told me that golf is an excellent sport for someone with Parkinson’s this being just one of several articles
I also found these which is just a selection of various articles of many
In a nutshell you may not have to give up on your golf just approach it in a different way The England Golf link given above refers to Parkinson’s friendly golf may be a good place to start.
You may think I am talking nonsense, that it is impossible for you to continue to play and that I clearly don’t have any understanding of golf and your symptoms, the only thing I know nothing about is golf. About two years ago I started working with a personal trainer with a fairly simple aim of strengthening my core and balance to maintain my mobility and a reasonable posture to just keep me going for as long as possible. I started with 2 x 30 minute sessions per week and 1 kg weights, progressed to 2 x 45 minutes and for some time I have been doing 2 x 1 hour sessions and 4 or 5 kg weights. In October I will be doing 3 x 1 hour per week. My core is stong, my ability to do more than one thing at a time (eg balance and twist as you may need to do in golf) is better, my overall strength, stamina and flexibility have all improved. My routine now includes nordic walking and I have recently started doing a bit of running. I am way beyond any expectations I originally had and am probably fitter than I have been in years. Why not try it you have nothing to lose and it could give you your golf back even if you need to do things a little differently
Tot
Good afternoon Tot … Thank you so much for taking all this trouble on my behalf. It is most kind of you. There is a man called David at my golf club who has Parkinson’s. Anyone meeting him would know that he has Parkinson’s. He takes medication & is reacting well to it. He plays golf at least 3 times a week off a 30 handicap [before his illness he was off 11]. David always walks the course when he plays & while having Parkinson’s had affected his ability he still enjoys playing.
If you met me you would not know that I have any health issues at all. My hands & body never shake unless I am carrying something. As I have mentioned I have been diagnosed with Atypical Parkinson’s [Parkinson’s Plus] by a Neurologist after a DATscan showing I had Parkinson’s.
The best way I can describe my condition is to imagine you are standing balancing on a tightrope & then try & swing a golf club. I cannot get my legs to move & balance is an issue. On top of that my upper body strength is a lot less than it was. My arms seem fine. The number of times I can physically play a week has gone from 5 to 3 to 1 & that one is now a big struggle. My feet are both swollen & my left leg & right foot is numb. After any activity any walking is extremely difficult & I lurch from chair to chair.
Hello Steve2
Thank you for giving me some detail about your situation and you gave a graphic account of how walking/playing golf affects you but I just don’t want you to give up on something which has given you so much pleasure over the years without exploring every possible avenue. There are quite a lot of articles etc on adaptive golf and I still think you have nothing to lose by contacting the Disabled Golf Asscn and England Golf to see if they can help.
I accept you may no longer be able to manage a traditional round of golf and I suspect too (although please do tell me if I am reading this wrong) that any form of adaptive golf does not appeal in the way that playing a traditional round of golf does. That kind of response is not uncommon and does need a mindset change. Too many people when it is suggested a piece of equipment might help see it as confirmation of their deterioration which it probably is in many cases and just refuse to consider it. If however they are able to see it as enabling them to remain independent or in your case, able to be able to enjoy a round of golf, is that not worth it?
I do not take this line to be critical of you or how you view your own situation but if you do think it is time to give up the golf you love I think it is important you do so having considered all options and your reasons as objectively as you can which is not easy when it is tied up with a lot of emotion; that way you will be as sure as you can be that you have made the right decision and have no regrets. Too many drift towards a some kind of decision without giving it any real thought and spend a lot of time wondering and thinking what if and that’s difficult to move on from.
I’ll say no more. I hope you make the decision that is right for you whatever it be.
Tot
Good evening Tot … Once again thank you for your thoughtful reply. A big problem some of us may struggle [like me] is to properly explain what our problems are.
When I told you that I had cut the number of times I play golf from five times a week to three times a week, to twice a week & then to once a week. It is because playing golf takes so much out of my body that I cannot walk [only slight exaggeration]. Even after not playing for a week I am still not fit enough to play.
I think your “message” is that if we value doing something then we should not give up but keep trying.
When playing I am finding that I am in so much “discomfort” that I derive no pleasure from it & having played I suffer for at least a week, maybe longer.
I am hoping that by not playing golf my walking gets better & the swelling in my feet goes down & the numbness in my legs disappears.
Yes I will miss playing golf but I have decided to try playing indoor bowls.
And that’s fair enough it’s obviously a considered decision which was really my point. You just seemed to get so much from golf I didn’t want you to give it up if there was something out there that could make a difference and I hope you didn’t feel got at, what I wrote was out of genuine concern. As it is I hope the bowls goes well and maybe you could stop by some time and let us know how you’re getting on
Tot
