Category: meditation

Update from Chris Hageseth MD

Robert and I have recorded interviews three times in the past:

  1. September 2016: Five years no medications. Parkinson’s improving. How I had gone for 5 years without meds and was doing well using exercise and yoga
  2. January 2017: Wholistic (or holistic) how different PWPs approach their treatment.
  3. October 2018: Shifting the Parkinson’s disease mindset.
  • This is my fourth appearance on the show today, and I still hold to my beliefs.  
  1. EXERCISE. EXERCISE, EXERCISE. I cannot exercise as hard as I did before. Gradually I had to walk more and jog less. Could only 3 – 4 miles.
  2. More convinced than ever that MINDSET/ATTITUDE is the key, PARKINSON’S IS A CHALLENGE, NOT A CURSE.  When I was formally diagnosed, I was 70 years old. Life expectancy for me was 84.1. Well, now I’m 82.4. In a year and a half, I will have reached my life expectancy.
  3. YOGA remains critical.
  4. WAIT UNTIL you really must take Levodopa. Levodopa induced dyskinesia (LID) is a real deal and can be disabling. Google it on YouTube. 
  • Let’s look at my life since we last met, year by year.

2018 – I shot a video titled So High So Low for the “I HAD A DREAM PROJECT” where I hiked a three mile walk trail and climbed a thousand feet. 

Link: https://www.ihadadreamproject.com/i-had-a-dream-project-videos 

That year I also went to Uganda to demonstrate the practices I used to manage so long without meds. (Robert, this is quite a tale, plus I have pictures.)

  • 2019 – After directing the local Parkinson’s support group, I resigned so new blood could take over.

BUT: New symptoms emerged that I didn’t know about:

  1. Anomia: a language specific disturbance arising after brain damage whose main symptom is the inability of retrieving known words. But it’s not dementia!
  2. Pseudo Bulbar Affect Crying or laughing excessively upon feeling any deep feeling.
  3. Dysphagia: difficulty or discomfort in swallowing as a symptom of disease. It starts out with mucus as postnasal drip. Get to an OT!
  4. Oily, flakey skin
  5. Sleep disturbances. Fall into deep sleep in the middle of the day. And then don’t sleep well at night.
  6. Pain in bed at night. Interfered with sleep.
  • 2020 – It was a remarkable and horrific year. PANDEMIC!

No more yoga classes! No gym with weightlifting. Social interaction approached zero. 

  • 2021 – Then, a condition worse than Parkinson’s emerged: Major Depression.

March 2021 – Fell and shattered right knee – 16 days in hospital.

July 2021 – Fell and broke my right hip.

August – Severe depression, I became suicidal.

September – Chose to have a course of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)

October- It worked, and my PD improved a lot.

The falls were due to the antidepressant I was taking may increase fall for people with Parkinsons.

LESSON: Make sure you MD goes through all meds in case a med might make falling more likely

My story with Depression

Family history is strong.

Parkinson’s did not cause my suicidal depression, genetics and environment did.  Antidepressant medication failed to work and led to my falls!

2022 – I returned to my new normal. And that’s where I am today. I just have more symptoms and feel weaker.

I followed up with PWPs who I have advised in the past.

It became clear to me: I want to coach people with PD. 

I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER!

Teach PWPs how to become a “Bad Ass with PD.” 

No more withdrawal and depression.

My PD website: www.makemostofpd.com  

Robert, I want to come back with a program I have just developed to make being a person with PD and their caregiver have a better relationship. 

New website www.the-kindness-dialogue.com 

Robert Rodgers PhD

Five years. No medications. Parkinsons Improving

Dr. Christian Hageseth, a 75-year-old retired psychiatrist has had PD for 5 ½ years. He tried three medications briefly early in his illness, but stopped due to side effects and expense.

The day after his diagnosis he started studying yoga and now practices it daily. For exercise he does what he calls Mindful Power Walking and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT, also called Tabata). Finally, he has studied Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and meditates for 45 minutes each morning.

He has fewer motor symptoms that are less severe since the time of his diagnosis. Last year he hiked up a 14000-foot mountain peak in Colorado. When meeting people for the first time most cannot tell he has PD. He now feels it is his mission to train other Persons with Parkinsons (PwPs) how to reduce their medications, reduce some motor symptoms, and live a fuller life.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Interview with John Coleman, ND

This interview is with naturopath doctor John Coleman from Australia who, to my knowledge, is one of the first persons to successfully reverse his own Parkinson’s symptoms.

John offers his answers to the following eight questions which were previously submitted by members of my listening audience.

  1. My wife has been anemic just after experiencing Parkinson’s symptoms. Her iron levels are too low. What steps should she take to remedy this situation?
  2. Can I give my mother B12 vitamins for her condition?
  3. How does one deal with orthostatic hypotension (or low blood pressure)?
  4. I have tried many therapies over the past five years but the Parkinson’s symptoms continue to progress. Treatments included two stem cell treatments and other treatments out of the country. There was an initial improvement over the initial 6 months, but these benefits faded away.  What supplements have you found that help the most?
  5. Have you seen a connection for many people of Lipitor (a statin drug developed to reduce levels of the “bad” cholesterol) with Parkinson’s symptoms?
  6. How can I get the best movement possible with the least amount of medications?
  7. What will carbidopa help and what will it not help?
  8. What was most helpful to you in your own recovery process?

Information about Aquas: https://www.aquas.us

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

 

Mindfulness, Meditation and Parkinson’s Disease

My guest is Bob Stahl, Ph.D. who answers the question “What is mindfulness?” and discusses how mindfulness would help people live fulfilling lives with Parkinson’s. As explained on his website [www.mindfulnessprograms.com]:

“Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what is happening in the present moment. Whenever you bring awareness to what you are directly doing or experiencing in your body and mind, you are being mindful.”

Dr. Stahl founded 7 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs in medical centers throughout the San Francisco bay Area and currently directs programs at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View and Los Gatos. He serves as a Senior Teacher for the Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-based Professional Education and Training.

Dr. Stahl is a co-author of “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook”, “Calming the Rush of Panic” “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety”, “Living with Your Heart Wide Open” and other marvelous books.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

QiGong for Health and Happiness

In this show, we explore Qigong as a primary strategy for healing Parkinson’s. Wisdom Healing Qigong (WHQ) is a particular form of the ancient Chinese spiritual practice that focuses on personal health and well being, blending essential ancient teachings into one gentle practice of movement, visualization, chanting and meditation. Compatible with traditional Chinese and modern western medicine, it fits all abilities and is very effective for chronic and acute health conditions.

Joining me on the Parkinsons Recovery Radio show Monday is my guest Bill Bulick who uses Qigong as a primary strategy for healing Parkinson’s. Bill has been practicing Wisdom Healing Qigong daily for almost 4 years.

He was originally inspired by the story of Bianca Molle who reversed her Parkinson’s symptoms through this practice and a former guest on Parkinsons Recovery Radio. Bill has been a devoted student of Mingtong’s since 2011, has attended six 10 day retreats, has increased his practice to 2-4 hours, and is now in the WHQ Teacher Training Program.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

The Best Year of My Life: John Scappi on the benefits of 5htp

Diagnosed in September, 2009 at age 80 this is my interview with  John Schappi.

A Washington, DC resident, he pursues many interests, including gardening, bridge, travel, biking, and internet research. His blog Aging and Parkinsons and Me is designed to be a place for seniors dealing with Parkinsons and other afflictions to share their experience, strength and hope.

If you have always wanted to know more about the benefits that might accrue from taking the supplement 5htp, this show is a “must listen” for you. If you are having challenges with insomnia or constipation, John offers some amazing natural remedies that have worked beautifully for him.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

 

Darlene Cohen: Turning Suffering Inside Out

Two years ago I launched a investigation on the use of meditation as a way of reducing stress and ameliorating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. I collaborated with psychotherapist Nancy Welch who recruited national authors, medical doctors and other experts to talk about how to reduce stress and trauma.

This show airs an interview with one of the persons on the interview panel. Darlene Cohen, author of Turning Suffering Inside Out. This week’s show celebrates Darlene’s incredible life. She died in January of 2011 of cancer.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Power of the Mind

Gord Summer traced his Parkinson’s symptoms back to July of 1999. Martial artist, instructor and scuba diver, Gord is now more active than ever after retiring from the ownership and operation of hotels. He discusses in some detail the therapies and approaches that help him enormously.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery 

John Coleman, ND on his Recovery from Parkinson’s

What is the real story behind John Coleman’s recovery from Parkinson’s? John tells all during my interview with him on my radio show today. Get a true glimpse of how recovery unfolded for one man who is now helping others to recover.

Norman Fischer on Meditation

Norm Fischer is an international expert on meditation, author, poet and priest. He makes presentations worldwide, including appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show.

He is a poet and Zen Buddhist priest. For many years he has taught at the San Francisco Zen Center, the oldest and largest of the new Buddhist organizations in the West, where he served as Co-abbot from 1995-2000. He is presently a Senior Dharma Teacher there as well as the founder and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen Foundation, an organization dedicated to adapting Zen Buddhist teachings to Western culture.

A person of unusually wide-ranging interests, his Zen teaching is known for its eclecticism, openness, warmth, and common sense, and for his willingness to let go of everything, including Zen. His chief interests in addition to poetry and traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, are the adaptation of Zen meditation and understanding to the worlds of business, law, conflict resolution, inter religious dialog (he works especially with Jewish meditation and Catholic inter monastic dialog), care of the dying (he has for many years been a teacher with and is emeritus chair of the board of the Zen Hospice Project), the world of technology, and anything else he can think of.

Every Day Zen Foundation

Sailing Home

Taking Our Places. The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up

Norman Fischer, acclaimed author, writer and Monk, talks about how meditation can be a powerful approach for getting relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.