August 20, 2024 • 32 mins
Learn how Botox isn't just for wrinkles but can be a game-changer for Parkinson's symptoms like dystonia, toe curling, and drooling. Discover Sandy's transformative experience with Botox for long-term relief and hear the inspiring story of Mike Wyman, who used Botox to regain his speech and reduce drooling after a stroke. Mike's proactive approach, combining speech pathology and boxing, offers a hopeful blueprint for anyone navigating the complexities of living with Parkinson's.
Falls are no joke, especially when dealing with Parkinson's. We'll walk you through practical steps for fall prevention and injury management. From leveraging modern technology like the Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch for fall detection to real-life experiences involving slips and trips, we emphasize the importance of safety measures. Listen as we share anecdotes and essential tips, particularly about the hazards of bathrooms, and hear about the importance of using good judgment to ensure your well-being. Plus, we invite you to share your own stories and stay engaged with your health journey.
- Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinson
- Editor & Audio Engineer: (EP1-100) Spencer Yaras
- Audio Engineering Intern: Ana MacAller
- Social Media Intern: Ana MacAller
www.INDYpodcast.net
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to I'm Not Dead Yet with Judy and Travis, a
podcast about living anextraordinary life with
extraordinary circumstances.
Welcome to the I'm Not Dead Yetpodcast.
(00:21):
I'm your co-host, TravisRobinson.
I was diagnosed withParkinson's disease at age 35 In
(00:44):
2014.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And I'm your other co-host, Judy Yarris.
My husband, Sandy, hadParkinson's disease for 18 years
.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I was his care partner.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Today's episode will be talking about Botox
injections and gravity oh, twoof my favorite topics.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yes, whereas Botox is touted by so many Southern
California Housewives as theanti-gravity agent.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yes, well, I really don't want to talk about it as
an item that you use forwrinkles, although I do know a
lot of people that have usedBotox over the years for
wrinkles.
Yes, we both do.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And you can walk around in LA in certain parts of
LA and see lots of Botox andeven on celebrities.
You know I have some theorieson this, but I think you know it
can be useful for people withPD and I think this is something
a lot of people withParkinson's may not know.
(02:09):
The Botox is used frequentlyfor a symptom of Parkinson's
which is called dystonia and itcan be very painful.
It's a tightening of themuscles.
It's an involuntary tightening.
It can be really excruciatinglypainful and there's not a lot
(02:30):
that can right.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I know you've had this it can be a real
motherfucker, to put it mildly.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yes, yes, it is really debilitating, and so I
know Sandy had it in his arm.
It was hard to diagnose.
He spent three days in ahospital and no one could figure
out what it was.
His movement disorderspecialist had been out of town
and none of the docs seemed tofigure it out, figure it out.
(03:07):
And when he got back about aweek and a half later we were
discussing it and he was prettysure that it was dystonia that
had occurred and recommendeddoing Botox shots in his arm.
And he did them and for Sandy itwas uber successful because it
lasted for over a year, probablythree years, I don't know.
It was the craziest thing.
They really were surprised thatit would last that long, but it
(03:34):
just went away.
But most of the people that Iknow that have been doing Botox
have done it for like once everythree or four months and they
usually do it in there aroundthe neck and shoulder area.
That gets extremely tight and alot of spasming in that area.
The other people that I knowthat have done it have used it
in their foot with the toescurling, and that's been a
(03:56):
really effective tool for manypeople.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yes, and you can hear the sighs of sympathy in a
support group when you tell themthat your toes are curling, and
not in the ecstasy kind of way.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yes, that's right, it is painful, it can blow you out
of your bed very quickly,screaming, and it just it
affects your balance.
Yes, 100%, and you know it canjust be an awful, awful
experience for people.
(04:45):
And the reason that I want tobring it up is because I had a
great conversation with a goodfriend of mine, mike Wyman, and
he's a friend of the show he wason here, I think, in the early
days we interviewed Mike.
Mike is a YOPD, a young onsetParkinson's disease person who
was diagnosed at age 36 with PDnot dissimilar from you, travis,
(05:09):
and he has had it for 24 yearsand he is doing amazingly well.
And I'm going to just share acouple things because for a
while he's had DBS and he's gonethrough periods of having some
pretty gnarly things happen overthe years, not from the DBS,
but just from incidents with hisParkinson's and falls, all
(05:35):
kinds of things.
A lot of things we might even betalking about shortly with you
about some of the incidentsyou've had, but the most recent
was that as a young man of 60,mike developed.
He ended up having a strokesome months ago and it was
(05:56):
really impacting his Parkinson'sand how his ability to
communicate.
It was really awful, not from acognitive standpoint, but
really from a physiologicalstandpoint the mechanics of
being able to speak, and he washaving a lot of drooling, and so
they finally decided to do someBotox for his drooling.
(06:17):
And I want to preface it bysaying I've known Mike for
probably a good 20 years I thinkI would bet it's been that long
.
I met him shortly after he wasdiagnosed and his wife, nessa,
is a good friend of mine and myinspiration for my care,
(06:38):
partnering for all the yearsthat I was there for Sandy.
And this is really incrediblethat not only is he had this
amazing stroke recovery, but now, after having Botox I think
it's been three times he's hadit for the drooling.
Tonight we had a conversationand it was like no slurs, no
(07:03):
drooling, his voice soundedclear.
He's working with a speechpathologist for his voice.
I know he's doing theParkinson's voice project, so
it's a lot of speaking withintention and I mean it's
amazing.
I was so excited.
It made me just want to cryafter talking with him because
(07:26):
to see the transformation and tosee him be able to do this.
And what I want to tell youabout Mike Wyman is that he
works really hard, just as youdo, travis.
You guys put the time in tohelp yourselves and I think for
me, that's the mostinspirational thing that you
(07:48):
both do is you don't just sitback and wait for something to
happen or wait for something toget better.
You are out there, you go to anOT, you go to a speech
pathologist, you work out.
He does boxing.
I mean, I think there's so manyelements to this of living a
(08:08):
great life with Parkinson's, andno matter what takes him down,
he always comes back up.
It may take him a little longersometimes from different things
, but his attitude is so amazingand he just doesn't let it take
him down.
(08:29):
He picks himself up and he goesokay, what do I have to do?
And I'm going to do it, and soI'm sharing this with our
listeners today because I feellike it's a great point.
It's not just you, travis, thatdoes this.
There are other people that makethemselves get through the
(08:50):
apathy, that make themselves getout of bed, get off the chair,
turn off the TV and do somethingproactive that is going to make
your life better, and itdoesn't mean that it's going to
last forever.
It doesn't mean that it's goingto be all day or for three weeks
(09:12):
or a month.
It just means that for rightnow, you're willing to give it
your all so that you can havethese moments that are really
positive, and I think that'swhere Mike is today.
He has so much gratitude forhis life and for being able to
be with his family and to beable to push through this, and
(09:35):
it was so enlightening for meand exciting for me to be able
to talk with him tonight.
So I just wanted to share thatand do a shout out to him and
for those of you that are reallystruggling and you just can't
imagine how you can take thatnext step.
All it takes is one moment, onelittle step to try to get you
(10:00):
to that next space of feelingbetter.
And he does what his doctorsays.
He takes his meds.
He just does it, you know, andit's the same thing that you do
Travis.
You do it because you know it'sgoing to help certain
(10:58):
camaraderie with Mike as a YOPNperson is.
We don't have the luxury ofsitting on our laurels.
We have to get up and makesomething of our lives if we
want it to happen.
I think that's true.
I mean, I think maybe whenyou're older and you get PD,
it's easier to say well, youknow, I had my time, I did this,
I was really productive, thisis what I did.
It was great, you know, and nowI can just sort of sit back and
(11:18):
see what happens.
But for Mike and for you,there's no sitting back.
It's like let's get out thereand do it.
I'm going to go play pickleball, I'm going to go box, I'm going
to take a trip, I'm going to bethe best that I can be while I
can be.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yes, because the thing is Judy.
The thing is Judy, we don'tknow what the next hour will
bring.
That's right.
And so we've got to make themost of our lives while we're
(12:24):
here, to live them Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
This is it.
You don't get a free pass.
What do they call it a hallpass.
It's been a long time sinceI've been in high school, so
that's probably what it was.
It was a hall pass.
No one gets that anymore.
I think we just have to pushthrough it, but it's really
inspiring, and so I know youwanted to talk a little bit
(12:54):
about gravity.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And my relationship therewith.
Yes, let's hear a little bitabout it therewith yes, let's of
(13:35):
a shelf with my forehead, whichprovided a dramatic-looking
injury, although I was not veryhurt by it.
(13:56):
But when Sarah came home, itwas one of the first things that
(14:16):
she asked about what happenedto your face, and I just told
her I fell and she laughed atthat.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So let's talk about that her leaving it at that.
For you, travis, was that agood thing?
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Was it a bad thing?
It was a very good thingbecause for me it represented a
level of acceptance.
I'm going to fall.
That is something that comesalong with PD, and the only
(15:20):
thing I need to watch out for ismaking sure I don't get too
hurt when it happens.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
So was there blood involved?
Yes, no, bruise.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
There was a bit of blood because head injuries
bleed a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Right, there's not a lot of other material there to
protect you.
So if Sarah had said to you shedidn't ask any questions, she
didn't say did you go to thedoctor, Did you get it checked
out, or did she just that was it.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
That was it.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Kudos to Sarah for being able to do that.
I think it's hard as a carepartner to be able to do that,
to be able to let go enough, tohave enough trust in the person
(16:42):
that has PD to, and I mean trustin the sense of knowing that if
they felt they were hurt, theywould go to a doctor and have it
checked out, which you know,travis, I feel the same way.
I think that I trust you enoughbecause I know that you're.
I think that I trust you enoughbecause I know that you're as
(17:03):
dangerous as a life that youlive, which you do, you know,
kind of on the edge doing things.
I also know that you respectyour life and you respect your
body right, this is true, okay,so with that in mind, I know
that if you felt that it was aproblem for you, that you would
(17:28):
want someone to check it out.
The one thing I do want to sayhere, folks, is, sometimes a
person can have a fall and theirjudgment may not be the best
judgment to not go to the doctor, and I think that's something
for some people.
(17:48):
You have to look at that andsome people wait several days
and then they finally end upseeing a doctor because it just
gets worse and worse and worse.
So we're not saying if you fall, don't have it checked out.
I'm especially strong in the ifyou hit your head, you go get
(18:09):
that checked out.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Make sure there isn't a brain bleed, because a lot of
your body and how it's supposedto work can exercise a little
(18:43):
more judgment in that arena, butwhen in doubt, check it out.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yes, yes, I think that's always the best way to go
.
At least let your doctor knowthat you had the fall.
I think that's an important one.
Even if you're not going to goin, let the PA know.
Let you know.
If they have a PA, let themknow.
Let someone in the office knowthat you've had this fall, and
(19:21):
then it can be up to them to asksome questions to assess is
this something that you need tohave checked out?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
And so I think that people have to use good judgment
with it.
A lot of times people don'twant to go to the doctor because
it's scary to them to thinkwhat could happen if they go to
the doctor.
But to me it's much scarier tothink what could happen if you
don't get it checked out, if youdon't go to the doctor, if you
don't get an x-ray or a CAT scanif you need be.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Certainly, if you feel dizzy, if you feel nauseous
, any of the signs of concussion, if you're getting double
vision, any of those things,clearly you need to go to the
hospital.
That's a 911 call Right, right,absolutely, and to let people
(20:19):
know.
I don't think we've everdiscussed this before, at least
here in the States.
I know we have someinternational listeners, so I
don't know how it works there,but at least in Los Angeles.
Let's put it this way at leastin Los Angeles, if you have a
fall and you cannot get up, andmaybe there's someone at your
(20:41):
home but they cannot lift you up, you can make a non-emergent
call to 911 and say that youneed assistance with a fall and
they will come without thesirens.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
It may take a little time, but they will get you off
the floor and help you, which isvery good news for folks who
live in fear of that, yes, thatthey or their I'll take a tumble
(21:19):
and they will be just stuckthere Right and unable, as a
care partner, to pick the personup.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
It's very, very difficult.
One thing that can help you tooif you work with an OT a lot of
times they can show you ways ofgetting yourself up.
If you've had a fall that isn'ta major fall where you are able
to pick yourself up, they canalmost teach you how to fall.
I think our friend, heatherKennedy, actually showed some
(21:54):
did a demo once for a supportgroup for us how to fall, how to
roll when you have a fall.
So I think it's really it'simportant to know that there's
things you can do If your bodyis stronger, if you practice,
sit to stands every day so thatyou can get yourself up and out
(22:16):
of a chair without holding onthat, you have the muscle in
your legs, you can use your body, you'll get yourself off the
floor.
You can do it and that's animportant thing if you have a
fall.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
And it may take you a while, but that's okay, just
take your time, move slowly andmove, surely, and then you can
(22:53):
write yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, and for those of you I know I'm a big Apple
Watch proponent.
Some people don't like to usethe iWatch, but they do have a
great feature on their watchthat allows you.
If you fall, they'll send you amessage and say, judy, did you
fall?
And you have the option to say.
(23:18):
And you have the option to sayyes, I did, I need help, or no,
I'm okay.
I mean, I slipped.
I walked out my back door andthere was a little pool of water
that I didn't realize was leftfrom the night before.
So it was a little bit slipperyand I was wearing sort of like
a rubbery shoe and slid on itand it was not a big thing, it
(23:39):
was just like a little whoop,you know.
And landed on on it and it wasnot a big thing, it was just
like a little you know.
And landed on my rear and mywatch immediately notified me
Judy, it looks like you fell.
And I was able to say yes, butI'm totally fine, it's not a big
deal.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right the Google Pixel watch.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
That's what I was wondering.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Google Pixel Watch.
That's what I was wondering whodoes that.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Yeah, I was thinking that Google has to have a watch
that does the same thing, I'msure.
So if you don't use an iWatch,you can use the Google Watch,
but I recommend that for lots ofpeople to use a watch that
gives you that option.
In the old days, there wasalways a commercial I've fallen
(24:26):
and I can't get up and it was acommercial for something you
would wear around your neck andyou'd push the button, life
alert, life alert and Sandy hadthose in the early days.
He had them, he had them andthere were different kinds, some
of them.
You rely on an operatoranswering and then if you don't
(24:49):
respond, then they immediatelycall 911.
There's a lot of differentservices like this, but I think,
depending on who you are andyour abilities, I think it's
very helpful to have deviceslike this.
We're in a great technology ageand it's the perfect time.
I mean, let's take advantage ofthe fact that we have these
(25:09):
things available to us.
It's really good.
So can.
I ask Travis, am I allowed toask?
Since Sarah did not ask, I'mgoing to ask how did you fall?
Since Sarah did not ask, I'mgoing to ask how did you fall?
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
what happened?
Yes, okay, I was reaching for acarton of laundry soap to add
to the wash and to the wash andI slipped forward.
Okay, not very far, but enoughthat I tagged my forehead on the
(25:58):
corner of that soap shelf Right, which had to hurt yes, right,
that had to be so uncomfortableand it did.
After I got done swearing, Iadded the soap to my laundry and
(26:24):
proceeded to continue with whatI was doing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Did you put some ice on it afterwards?
I always ice when I've done anykind of fall.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
If I had realized the extent of the damage I might
have, but as it was, I did notrealize I was leaking until I
(27:05):
was reading something and tippedmy head down, oh, and then Drip
, drip, drip.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Okay, yeah, on your book.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah.
Okay sometimes that happens.
More swearing in suit and I gota paper towel.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Okay, so then you took action at that point.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
It's funny that when we have a fall or we have an
accident like that, sometimesyou go into sort of a shock mode
.
I remember the very first bigcycling accident I had, where I
went over handlebars and slid onmy face and then I was riding
(28:06):
with a group of people and theylooked at me and said, did you
always have a chipped tooth infront?
And I said maybe.
And I said, but, I'm fine, Ifeel okay.
And they said, well, I thinkyou really need to ride back
home.
And I said, really, I'm feelingokay.
No, we really think you need toride home.
(28:28):
And in fact one of the men thatI was riding with said I'll
ride back with you.
And I said, great, I said I'llride with you.
And I remember at everystoplight when I was on my bike
and people were like on thestanding on the corner looking
(28:49):
at me kind of horrified, and Ithought, oh, it's because my
shorts are torn.
You know, like when you seesomeone that has a bike accident
, your shorts are torn and myskin is hanging out.
I really didn't realize how badit was until I stopped at the
farmer's market where I wasgoing to meet Sandy who was
(29:11):
dropping off one of the kidsfrom work and people were just
staring at me so badly and hetook one look at me and went.
What happened?
And said you're going straightto the ER?
And it turns out I had thispocket of yellowy.
I don't want to get gross here,but anyway, I had really had a
(29:34):
lot of gross flesh off my skin,like the skin was off of my face
, and, needless to say, when Isaw myself in a mirror at the ER
it was really frightening andscary and I couldn't believe
that I actually rode my bikeback after having that accident.
So the moral of the story isI'm much more ahead of myself
(29:58):
now and I know that when youhave accidents you really have
to pay attention.
Don't just write it off folks.
I'm much more careful as I'veaged and become more
wisdom-based.
So that's all I have to say.
I don't want to gross anyoneout here.
It was pretty awful Right.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And if you see a zombie riding her bike down the
street, you might want to askher if she's seen a doctor.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yes, yeah, I'm sure it just grossed people out.
It kind of grossed me out whenI saw it, you know, so I can
imagine what other people werethinking at the time.
So it's just something that Ithink you know.
We look at falls and we knowit's part of PD and we talk
about it and we sort ofsometimes we laugh about it a
(30:58):
little bit and say, oh, this isjust part of having PD, but
people have cracked their headsopen.
You know my theory that yourbathroom is not your friend.
I love the concept of havingpadded bathrooms, because
there's no part of a bathroomthat isn't sharp and hard and
has edges that you can killyourself on and is slippery and
(31:22):
is slippery on top of it.
Yes, so you know, just payattention, folks, and know that
they do happen.
It doesn't mean we can laughabout it, but it is really
serious and you do need to getmedical attention when you have
a problem with something.
So don't think we're blowingthat off, you know.
(31:45):
I just want to be clear aboutthat.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yes, want to be clear about that.
Yes, and if you've had anaccident and want to write into
the show and tell us about it,we'd love to hear it.
(32:09):
Send us your war stories RightAt IndiePodcastShow at Gmail.
That's I-N-D-Y Podcast Show atGmail d y podcast show at gmail
(32:34):
and we'd love to hear from youabsolutely great idea, travis
okay, that's a wrap bing.
Welcome to I'm Not Dead Yet with Judy and Travis, a
podcast about living anextraordinary life with
extraordinary circumstances.
Welcome to the I'm Not Dead Yetpodcast.
(00:21):
I'm your co-host, TravisRobinson.
I was diagnosed withParkinson's disease at age 35 In
(00:44):
2014.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And I'm your other co-host, Judy Yarris.
My husband, Sandy, hadParkinson's disease for 18 years
.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I was his care partner.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Today's episode will be talking about Botox
injections and gravity oh, twoof my favorite topics.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yes, whereas Botox is touted by so many Southern
California Housewives as theanti-gravity agent.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yes, well, I really don't want to talk about it as
an item that you use forwrinkles, although I do know a
lot of people that have usedBotox over the years for
wrinkles.
Yes, we both do.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And you can walk around in LA in certain parts of
LA and see lots of Botox andeven on celebrities.
You know I have some theorieson this, but I think you know it
can be useful for people withPD and I think this is something
a lot of people withParkinson's may not know.
(02:09):
The Botox is used frequentlyfor a symptom of Parkinson's
which is called dystonia and itcan be very painful.
It's a tightening of themuscles.
It's an involuntary tightening.
It can be really excruciatinglypainful and there's not a lot
(02:30):
that can right.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I know you've had this it can be a real
motherfucker, to put it mildly.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yes, yes, it is really debilitating, and so I
know Sandy had it in his arm.
It was hard to diagnose.
He spent three days in ahospital and no one could figure
out what it was.
His movement disorderspecialist had been out of town
and none of the docs seemed tofigure it out, figure it out.
(03:07):
And when he got back about aweek and a half later we were
discussing it and he was prettysure that it was dystonia that
had occurred and recommendeddoing Botox shots in his arm.
And he did them and for Sandy itwas uber successful because it
lasted for over a year, probablythree years, I don't know.
It was the craziest thing.
They really were surprised thatit would last that long, but it
(03:34):
just went away.
But most of the people that Iknow that have been doing Botox
have done it for like once everythree or four months and they
usually do it in there aroundthe neck and shoulder area.
That gets extremely tight and alot of spasming in that area.
The other people that I knowthat have done it have used it
in their foot with the toescurling, and that's been a
(03:56):
really effective tool for manypeople.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Yes, and you can hear the sighs of sympathy in a
support group when you tell themthat your toes are curling, and
not in the ecstasy kind of way.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yes, that's right, it is painful, it can blow you out
of your bed very quickly,screaming, and it just it
affects your balance.
Yes, 100%, and you know it canjust be an awful, awful
experience for people.
(04:45):
And the reason that I want tobring it up is because I had a
great conversation with a goodfriend of mine, mike Wyman, and
he's a friend of the show he wason here, I think, in the early
days we interviewed Mike.
Mike is a YOPD, a young onsetParkinson's disease person who
was diagnosed at age 36 with PDnot dissimilar from you, travis,
(05:09):
and he has had it for 24 yearsand he is doing amazingly well.
And I'm going to just share acouple things because for a
while he's had DBS and he's gonethrough periods of having some
pretty gnarly things happen overthe years, not from the DBS,
but just from incidents with hisParkinson's and falls, all
(05:35):
kinds of things.
A lot of things we might even betalking about shortly with you
about some of the incidentsyou've had, but the most recent
was that as a young man of 60,mike developed.
He ended up having a strokesome months ago and it was
(05:56):
really impacting his Parkinson'sand how his ability to
communicate.
It was really awful, not from acognitive standpoint, but
really from a physiologicalstandpoint the mechanics of
being able to speak, and he washaving a lot of drooling, and so
they finally decided to do someBotox for his drooling.
(06:17):
And I want to preface it bysaying I've known Mike for
probably a good 20 years I thinkI would bet it's been that long
.
I met him shortly after he wasdiagnosed and his wife, nessa,
is a good friend of mine and myinspiration for my care,
(06:38):
partnering for all the yearsthat I was there for Sandy.
And this is really incrediblethat not only is he had this
amazing stroke recovery, but now, after having Botox I think
it's been three times he's hadit for the drooling.
Tonight we had a conversationand it was like no slurs, no
(07:03):
drooling, his voice soundedclear.
He's working with a speechpathologist for his voice.
I know he's doing theParkinson's voice project, so
it's a lot of speaking withintention and I mean it's
amazing.
I was so excited.
It made me just want to cryafter talking with him because
(07:26):
to see the transformation and tosee him be able to do this.
And what I want to tell youabout Mike Wyman is that he
works really hard, just as youdo, travis.
You guys put the time in tohelp yourselves and I think for
me, that's the mostinspirational thing that you
(07:48):
both do is you don't just sitback and wait for something to
happen or wait for something toget better.
You are out there, you go to anOT, you go to a speech
pathologist, you work out.
He does boxing.
I mean, I think there's so manyelements to this of living a
(08:08):
great life with Parkinson's, andno matter what takes him down,
he always comes back up.
It may take him a little longersometimes from different things
, but his attitude is so amazingand he just doesn't let it take
him down.
(08:29):
He picks himself up and he goesokay, what do I have to do?
And I'm going to do it, and soI'm sharing this with our
listeners today because I feellike it's a great point.
It's not just you, travis, thatdoes this.
There are other people that makethemselves get through the
(08:50):
apathy, that make themselves getout of bed, get off the chair,
turn off the TV and do somethingproactive that is going to make
your life better, and itdoesn't mean that it's going to
last forever.
It doesn't mean that it's goingto be all day or for three weeks
(09:12):
or a month.
It just means that for rightnow, you're willing to give it
your all so that you can havethese moments that are really
positive, and I think that'swhere Mike is today.
He has so much gratitude forhis life and for being able to
be with his family and to beable to push through this, and
(09:35):
it was so enlightening for meand exciting for me to be able
to talk with him tonight.
So I just wanted to share thatand do a shout out to him and
for those of you that are reallystruggling and you just can't
imagine how you can take thatnext step.
All it takes is one moment, onelittle step to try to get you
(10:00):
to that next space of feelingbetter.
And he does what his doctorsays.
He takes his meds.
He just does it, you know, andit's the same thing that you do
Travis.
You do it because you know it'sgoing to help certain
(10:58):
camaraderie with Mike as a YOPNperson is.
We don't have the luxury ofsitting on our laurels.
We have to get up and makesomething of our lives if we
want it to happen.
I think that's true.
I mean, I think maybe whenyou're older and you get PD,
it's easier to say well, youknow, I had my time, I did this,
I was really productive, thisis what I did.
It was great, you know, and nowI can just sort of sit back and
(11:18):
see what happens.
But for Mike and for you,there's no sitting back.
It's like let's get out thereand do it.
I'm going to go play pickleball, I'm going to go box, I'm going
to take a trip, I'm going to bethe best that I can be while I
can be.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yes, because the thing is Judy.
The thing is Judy, we don'tknow what the next hour will
bring.
That's right.
And so we've got to make themost of our lives while we're
(12:24):
here, to live them Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
This is it.
You don't get a free pass.
What do they call it a hallpass.
It's been a long time sinceI've been in high school, so
that's probably what it was.
It was a hall pass.
No one gets that anymore.
I think we just have to pushthrough it, but it's really
inspiring, and so I know youwanted to talk a little bit
(12:54):
about gravity.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And my relationship therewith.
Yes, let's hear a little bitabout it therewith yes, let's of
(13:35):
a shelf with my forehead, whichprovided a dramatic-looking
injury, although I was not veryhurt by it.
(13:56):
But when Sarah came home, itwas one of the first things that
(14:16):
she asked about what happenedto your face, and I just told
her I fell and she laughed atthat.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So let's talk about that her leaving it at that.
For you, travis, was that agood thing?
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Was it a bad thing?
It was a very good thingbecause for me it represented a
level of acceptance.
I'm going to fall.
That is something that comesalong with PD, and the only
(15:20):
thing I need to watch out for ismaking sure I don't get too
hurt when it happens.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
So was there blood involved?
Yes, no, bruise.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
There was a bit of blood because head injuries
bleed a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Right, there's not a lot of other material there to
protect you.
So if Sarah had said to you shedidn't ask any questions, she
didn't say did you go to thedoctor, Did you get it checked
out, or did she just that was it.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
That was it.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Kudos to Sarah for being able to do that.
I think it's hard as a carepartner to be able to do that,
to be able to let go enough, tohave enough trust in the person
(16:42):
that has PD to, and I mean trustin the sense of knowing that if
they felt they were hurt, theywould go to a doctor and have it
checked out, which you know,travis, I feel the same way.
I think that I trust you enoughbecause I know that you're.
I think that I trust you enoughbecause I know that you're as
(17:03):
dangerous as a life that youlive, which you do, you know,
kind of on the edge doing things.
I also know that you respectyour life and you respect your
body right, this is true, okay,so with that in mind, I know
that if you felt that it was aproblem for you, that you would
(17:28):
want someone to check it out.
The one thing I do want to sayhere, folks, is, sometimes a
person can have a fall and theirjudgment may not be the best
judgment to not go to the doctor, and I think that's something
for some people.
(17:48):
You have to look at that andsome people wait several days
and then they finally end upseeing a doctor because it just
gets worse and worse and worse.
So we're not saying if you fall, don't have it checked out.
I'm especially strong in the ifyou hit your head, you go get
(18:09):
that checked out.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Make sure there isn't a brain bleed, because a lot of
your body and how it's supposedto work can exercise a little
(18:43):
more judgment in that arena, butwhen in doubt, check it out.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yes, yes, I think that's always the best way to go
.
At least let your doctor knowthat you had the fall.
I think that's an important one.
Even if you're not going to goin, let the PA know.
Let you know.
If they have a PA, let themknow.
Let someone in the office knowthat you've had this fall, and
(19:21):
then it can be up to them to asksome questions to assess is
this something that you need tohave checked out?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
And so I think that people have to use good judgment
with it.
A lot of times people don'twant to go to the doctor because
it's scary to them to thinkwhat could happen if they go to
the doctor.
But to me it's much scarier tothink what could happen if you
don't get it checked out, if youdon't go to the doctor, if you
don't get an x-ray or a CAT scanif you need be.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Certainly, if you feel dizzy, if you feel nauseous
, any of the signs of concussion, if you're getting double
vision, any of those things,clearly you need to go to the
hospital.
That's a 911 call Right, right,absolutely, and to let people
(20:19):
know.
I don't think we've everdiscussed this before, at least
here in the States.
I know we have someinternational listeners, so I
don't know how it works there,but at least in Los Angeles.
Let's put it this way at leastin Los Angeles, if you have a
fall and you cannot get up, andmaybe there's someone at your
(20:41):
home but they cannot lift you up, you can make a non-emergent
call to 911 and say that youneed assistance with a fall and
they will come without thesirens.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
It may take a little time, but they will get you off
the floor and help you, which isvery good news for folks who
live in fear of that, yes, thatthey or their I'll take a tumble
(21:19):
and they will be just stuckthere Right and unable, as a
care partner, to pick the personup.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
It's very, very difficult.
One thing that can help you tooif you work with an OT a lot of
times they can show you ways ofgetting yourself up.
If you've had a fall that isn'ta major fall where you are able
to pick yourself up, they canalmost teach you how to fall.
I think our friend, heatherKennedy, actually showed some
(21:54):
did a demo once for a supportgroup for us how to fall, how to
roll when you have a fall.
So I think it's really it'simportant to know that there's
things you can do If your bodyis stronger, if you practice,
sit to stands every day so thatyou can get yourself up and out
(22:16):
of a chair without holding onthat, you have the muscle in
your legs, you can use your body, you'll get yourself off the
floor.
You can do it and that's animportant thing if you have a
fall.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
And it may take you a while, but that's okay, just
take your time, move slowly andmove, surely, and then you can
(22:53):
write yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, and for those of you I know I'm a big Apple
Watch proponent.
Some people don't like to usethe iWatch, but they do have a
great feature on their watchthat allows you.
If you fall, they'll send you amessage and say, judy, did you
fall?
And you have the option to say.
(23:18):
And you have the option to sayyes, I did, I need help, or no,
I'm okay.
I mean, I slipped.
I walked out my back door andthere was a little pool of water
that I didn't realize was leftfrom the night before.
So it was a little bit slipperyand I was wearing sort of like
a rubbery shoe and slid on itand it was not a big thing, it
(23:39):
was just like a little whoop,you know.
And landed on on it and it wasnot a big thing, it was just
like a little you know.
And landed on my rear and mywatch immediately notified me
Judy, it looks like you fell.
And I was able to say yes, butI'm totally fine, it's not a big
deal.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right the Google Pixel watch.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
That's what I was wondering.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Google Pixel Watch.
That's what I was wondering whodoes that.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Yeah, I was thinking that Google has to have a watch
that does the same thing, I'msure.
So if you don't use an iWatch,you can use the Google Watch,
but I recommend that for lots ofpeople to use a watch that
gives you that option.
In the old days, there wasalways a commercial I've fallen
(24:26):
and I can't get up and it was acommercial for something you
would wear around your neck andyou'd push the button, life
alert, life alert and Sandy hadthose in the early days.
He had them, he had them andthere were different kinds, some
of them.
You rely on an operatoranswering and then if you don't
(24:49):
respond, then they immediatelycall 911.
There's a lot of differentservices like this, but I think,
depending on who you are andyour abilities, I think it's
very helpful to have deviceslike this.
We're in a great technology ageand it's the perfect time.
I mean, let's take advantage ofthe fact that we have these
(25:09):
things available to us.
It's really good.
So can.
I ask Travis, am I allowed toask?
Since Sarah did not ask, I'mgoing to ask how did you fall?
Since Sarah did not ask, I'mgoing to ask how did you fall?
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (25:25):
what happened?
Yes, okay, I was reaching for acarton of laundry soap to add
to the wash and to the wash andI slipped forward.
Okay, not very far, but enoughthat I tagged my forehead on the
(25:58):
corner of that soap shelf Right, which had to hurt yes, right,
that had to be so uncomfortableand it did.
After I got done swearing, Iadded the soap to my laundry and
(26:24):
proceeded to continue with whatI was doing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Did you put some ice on it afterwards?
I always ice when I've done anykind of fall.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
If I had realized the extent of the damage I might
have, but as it was, I did notrealize I was leaking until I
(27:05):
was reading something and tippedmy head down, oh, and then Drip
, drip, drip.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Okay, yeah, on your book.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah.
Okay sometimes that happens.
More swearing in suit and I gota paper towel.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Okay, so then you took action at that point.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
It's funny that when we have a fall or we have an
accident like that, sometimesyou go into sort of a shock mode
.
I remember the very first bigcycling accident I had, where I
went over handlebars and slid onmy face and then I was riding
(28:06):
with a group of people and theylooked at me and said, did you
always have a chipped tooth infront?
And I said maybe.
And I said, but, I'm fine, Ifeel okay.
And they said, well, I thinkyou really need to ride back
home.
And I said, really, I'm feelingokay.
No, we really think you need toride home.
(28:28):
And in fact one of the men thatI was riding with said I'll
ride back with you.
And I said, great, I said I'llride with you.
And I remember at everystoplight when I was on my bike
and people were like on thestanding on the corner looking
(28:49):
at me kind of horrified, and Ithought, oh, it's because my
shorts are torn.
You know, like when you seesomeone that has a bike accident
, your shorts are torn and myskin is hanging out.
I really didn't realize how badit was until I stopped at the
farmer's market where I wasgoing to meet Sandy who was
(29:11):
dropping off one of the kidsfrom work and people were just
staring at me so badly and hetook one look at me and went.
What happened?
And said you're going straightto the ER?
And it turns out I had thispocket of yellowy.
I don't want to get gross here,but anyway, I had really had a
(29:34):
lot of gross flesh off my skin,like the skin was off of my face
, and, needless to say, when Isaw myself in a mirror at the ER
it was really frightening andscary and I couldn't believe
that I actually rode my bikeback after having that accident.
So the moral of the story isI'm much more ahead of myself
(29:58):
now and I know that when youhave accidents you really have
to pay attention.
Don't just write it off folks.
I'm much more careful as I'veaged and become more
wisdom-based.
So that's all I have to say.
I don't want to gross anyoneout here.
It was pretty awful Right.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And if you see a zombie riding her bike down the
street, you might want to askher if she's seen a doctor.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yes, yeah, I'm sure it just grossed people out.
It kind of grossed me out whenI saw it, you know, so I can
imagine what other people werethinking at the time.
So it's just something that Ithink you know.
We look at falls and we knowit's part of PD and we talk
about it and we sort ofsometimes we laugh about it a
(30:58):
little bit and say, oh, this isjust part of having PD, but
people have cracked their headsopen.
You know my theory that yourbathroom is not your friend.
I love the concept of havingpadded bathrooms, because
there's no part of a bathroomthat isn't sharp and hard and
has edges that you can killyourself on and is slippery and
(31:22):
is slippery on top of it.
Yes, so you know, just payattention, folks, and know that
they do happen.
It doesn't mean we can laughabout it, but it is really
serious and you do need to getmedical attention when you have
a problem with something.
So don't think we're blowingthat off, you know.
(31:45):
I just want to be clear aboutthat.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yes, want to be clear about that.
Yes, and if you've had anaccident and want to write into
the show and tell us about it,we'd love to hear it.
(32:09):
Send us your war stories RightAt IndiePodcastShow at Gmail.
That's I-N-D-Y Podcast Show atGmail d y podcast show at gmail
(32:34):
and we'd love to hear from youabsolutely great idea, travis
okay, that's a wrap bing.
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