Blog Archives
Does Masking Have A New Meaning?
There is a common, unfunny, and overused joke about not playing poker with people who have Parkinson’s disease because many of us have reduced facial movement and it can be hard to read our expressions. This is masking, as I understand it. Sometimes the muscles for smiling just do not work well. Speech clarity and projection are vital to being understood. Being heard under a cloth mask when one has voice issues makes life frustrating for both the speaker and the listener.
Now, to make matters more of a challenge, add practicing social distancing, having a problem with your speech, having a softer voice, and placing a mask over that soft voice. For someone with Parkinson’s disease, the combination of muffling the mouth, relying on just the eyes can be deceptive, and poor vocal projection, all add up to not being easily understood and worsens communications.
For some of us with Parkinson’s disease, our eyes are not as expressive or fluid as we would like, added to the tightening of facial, neck, and jaw muscles. Dry mouth, too much saliva, swallowing issues, and dental problems can all contribute to someone with Parkinson’s speech challenges.
Sight and Sound are Covered
Communication in a marriage is crucial and in this new COVID-19 pandemic of being home sequestered, the sharing of information is close and continuous. To maintain human interaction with family and friends by phone or new social technologies, takes a little practice.
Be sure that while under the fabric facial mask, (if your jaw is ok), to move your mouth, lips, and jaw. Exercising the facial muscles can add to your expressions. Do not just hide your face under the mask. Remember that you are going to have to speak louder, slower, and clearer, especially, with a mask covering your mouth. One more challenge to tackle. We can do it!
Book Review: Parkinson Voice Project
Dealing and Healing with Parkinson’s Disease and Other Health Conditions: A Workbook for Body, Mind, and Spirit
My many thanks to my friends at the Parkinson Voice Project in Richardson, Texas for this generous review of our second book!
Book Review by LOUD Crowd® Member Carol Brandle
TITLE: Dealing and Healing with Parkinson’s Disease and Other Health Conditions: A Workbook
for Body, Mind, and Spirit
BY: Angela and Karl Robb
Having a workbook to accompany the best-selling Parkinson’s book, A Soft Voice in a Noisy
World, provides an excellent wellness tool for individuals or group discussion. Questions in the
workbook are closely paired with chapters in the book. Additionally, some questions shine light
on new ideas, such as complementary therapies like Reiki, massage, acupuncture, and
reflexology.
Karl Robb brings the same positive attitude, hope, and strength to this workbook as to his
book, A Soft a Voice in a Noisy World. Exercises which reduce stress and reaffirm strength can be
done as individuals or in communication groups, such as The LOUD Crowd® groups at Parkinson
Voice Project. A caregiver or partner might use the questions to strike up meaningful
conversation with the affected person, whether Parkinson’s is the health concern, or some other
health conditions. Either format will help you balance the connection between mind, body, and
spirit.
It’s apparent that Angela and Robb write from a wealth of experience as they direct
questions to sensitive issues, such as “What are you willing to do to help yourself?” and creating
a timeline to improve communication with a health care provider. Angela was honored in 2015
as a White House Champion of Change in Parkinson’s Disease. She and Karl also author an award winning
blog, http://www.asoftvoice.com
Angela and I have been fans, friends, and Board members of the Parkinson Voice Project for several years. We encourage anyone unfamiliar with this organization to learn about the wonderful work that they do.
Summer Reprise – “Trying to Understand Stress as It Relates to Parkinson’s Disease”
I will be re-releasing this and a few other posts from my archives that I think are worth revisiting:
If you are a frequent reader of this blog or have read my books, you know that I talk a great deal about the impact that I believe stress plays on Parkinson’s disease and the related symptoms of the illness. Make note, I am neither a doctor nor am I a clinical researcher. I have recently found this fascinating research showing signs of scientific evidence to validate more of what I have experienced and believed to be true – stress may have a significant role in Parkinson’s.
I have seen benefit and strongly believe that if you are able to lower your stress level, you can improve your symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. There has to be a logical reason why when many of us go on vacation or get deeply involved in a project that engrosses us, we sometimes see improvement in our condition.
How often do you find that when your stress is lower you have unused medication at the end of the day because you found that you didn’t need it?
Does this happen to you when you go away to a place less full of stress, like the beach or the mountains?
If stress does play an important factor in neurological disorders, and it looks very possible, then the science of stress needs deep exploration—quickly.
I encourage you to read this paper online and judge for yourself. I think that you will find some observations that need further investigation.
To read the paper for yourself, go to http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/85/8/878.long
I’m Back and Ready To Work–Lots of News to Come In the Near Future!
Well, I am back from a brief hiatus! I am excited to say that I have loads to blog about and share–as well as a few surprises, coming soon!
If you are in the Northern Virginia area, we would love for you to join Angela and me for our book signing at the Fair Oaks Barnes and Noble bookstore in Fairfax, Virginia on March 30, 2017 at 4:00 PM EDT! We would love to show you our latest book, Dealing and Healing with Parkinson’s Disease and Other Health Conditions: A Workbook for Body, Mind, and Spirit! Hope that you can join us!
Thank you for reading my blog and your continued readership.There is much more in store–just you wait!
Thanks, Karl
