Not all bad news

In my last post I had a little moan about feeling just a tiny bit useless. But it now seems that I am not such a waste of space after all.
(1) I got an invitation to give a lecture in the UK
(2) I got a phone call from a multi-national company asking for my advice on a technical issue

Yes, it is nice to feel wanted. I was happy to deal with (2) and am still considering (1). Perhaps a lecture is a bit much to ask of myself – the last one I gave, about a year ago, was quite stressful and not as polished as I would have liked – but I am considering asking if the idea of a lecture could be changed to more of a discussion session which I think would suit me better. But the point isn’t really whether it happens or not, it is the ego-boosting knowledge that They want it to happen.

I’ve also got a few things to look forward to, first a visit with my grand children next month, second a trip to France in the autumn, and as a matter of literary style I should have a third item which I don’t, but I’m confident that one will turn up. (Me, confident? It must be the drugs!)

Not only that, but also many and varied health professionals have been calling up to make appointments to see me at home, as a follow-up to my three-day evaluation at the Parkinson Centre last month. ‘At home’ has a nice Victorian-afternoon-tea ring to it, does it not? However, letting hoardes of white-coated men and women know where I live sounds rather less fun. But useful, I’m sure.

So, now all I have to do is determine the optimal dosage regime for my pills, attend an average of two therapeutic appointments a week for the next several months, and work out the Byzantine regulations governing disability pensions in the UK, Netherlands and Denmark. Plus write a food science text-book, vacuum the floor, tidy my room, etc., etc.

To be honest, I think the main reason I’m feeling more upbeat is that I’m taking a higher dose of L-dopa. As a result, I have more energy, less muscle pain, less stiffness, better focus, etc. Maybe there is a downside to taking a high dose, but just for now I think any price is a price worth paying, I’ll discuss mood issues with my shrink, though, as I am rather handily seeing him (her?) for the first time this afternoon.