She slept very late this morning. I awakened her at 10am and did not leave her. This seems to be, more and more, a common occurrence.

There are many symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and not all “parkies” get them. The disease and treatment is largely anecdotal. “Whatever works” is a good description.

Imagine a wide range of symptoms that mimic other maladies. The tightness in the chest of a heart attack or simply a gas bubble. The dizziness of a stroke or low blood pressure or low blood sugar or simply exhaustion. The stiffness or inability to move one’s limbs like paralysis or arthritis or simply old age. Sensory hallucinations, peripheral neuropathy, loss of sense of smell and orthostatic hypotension are other symptoms. And Parkies experience some or one or all of these.

Interrupted sleep patterns are common. Vivid dreams are common. Hallucinatory dreams that merge with reality upon awakening are common. Delusional thoughts intrude upon normal cognition. It is quite a ride mentally. Often the changes are so subtle the parkie does not notice and any caregiver, if not alert to the subtlety, will mistake the behavior change for a mistaken memory or ignorance or a misunderstanding or even hatred and anger.

So, after two, three or four days of sleeping poorly, she will sleep late. Its good for her. She is exhausted.

Today she hit me. In her dream… I wish I could see into her head to see what she was chasing. Sometimes she can remember. Most times not.

Whatever works.