Parkinson’s: Feeling Good

“If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you do good.” Georges St-Pierre

“Create a vision that makes you wanna jump out of bed in the morning.” Ella Henderson

Introduction: My mentor at UNC-CH, the sage physician, Dr. H.R. Roberts, used to tell us that to succeed in hematological research would take a colossal effort (physical, mental, and emotional), a lot of reading, preparation, and writing, and it would require spending evenings at the laboratory bench and in the office “burning the midnight oil.”

And that was how I had felt the past few blog posts, just too many sleepless nights reading, thinking and organizing, and writing. By contrast, this blog post is easy, not overly long, and focused on feeling good. This blog post is presented in three parts.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” J. K. Rowling

Part One- Feeling Good About My Current Treatment Strategy for Parkinson’s: Recently, I have been feeling excellent, healthy, and vital. It is partly reduced stress after retiring last year from my university-based teaching/research job. Stress is a tremendous ally to Parkinson’s, and having less stress has somewhat loosened the stranglehold of this disorder.

Furthermore, feeling better gives me more time to exercise, relax, sleep, plan for the future, and, yes, more time to write.

Another part of this better health feeling is partly due to the strategy I am using to treat Parkinson’s. Yes, I realize I am constantly changing substances A, B, C, and so forth, adding/subtracting, and searching for new reagents to add to or remove from this treatment scheme.

There is no secret to the strategy to treat one’s Parkinson’s. Part of it is what you believe you can do to support the battle against this evilness named Parkinson’s. Part of it is striving to reach an equilibrium regarding slowing the rate of disease progression. And part of it is simply believing in hope and staying convinced we have a chance against this formidable challenger trying to take hold of our brain and body.

Listed below is my daily strategy for treating Parkinson’s. For amounts and sources of these substances, please see past blog posts.

“Feeling good is the primary intention” Danielle LaPorte

Part Two- Feeling Good About My Current Golf Game: One of my favorite quotes is from the renowned golfer Bobby Jones, who said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.” And that tells me that life will give you good and bad breaks. Regardless, we must go live life as it is presented.

During the past year, I have had some lower back injuries (awakening an old injured L5-S1 spine region along with injuries to the quadratus lumborum and piriformis muscles), a 3-month playing break due to golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), and some hip issues (which has turned out to be osteoarthritis). Saying that, the past few months have been the best golf I have played, ever.

My plan for golf and Parkinson’s is to hit ~100 golf balls per day at a driving range or play a round of golf. I play golf on Monday and Wednesday in two men’s leagues and hit golf balls at one of our driving ranges ~3-4 days per week [please see the following article for more details about golf, Bliss, R.R. and F.C. Church. Golf as a Physical Activity to Potentially Reduce the Risk of Falls in Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease. Sports (2021): 9, 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9060072]. Depending on whether we go to one of the beaches on Hilton Head Island (during the week) does affect this practice time.

Many people are better golfers than me. But one of my hallmark goals for many years (probably 30 or more years) was to score less than 80 on a round of golf (18 holes). I have scored less than 80 strokes thrice in the past month. And last Wednesday, I shot an 81. I was upset at myself for losing concentration on two holes, which increased my score by four strokes. In previous months, I would have been ecstatic to score an 81.

How I feel physically relates to how my golf game is going. As I said above, I am feeling great. Likewise, I am on a roll regarding my golf game. Everything is working well, from driving to chipping to approach shots from the fairways to putting (still working on those bunker/sand trap shots). Considering that I have Parkinson’s, I am pleased with playing golf this spring season.

Above is an electronic scorecard from one of these sub-80 rounds (these golf leagues do not have mulligans and there are no gimme putts).

“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” Walter Hagen

Part Three- “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone: I have been presenting songs for the past year with themes supportive of someone with Parkinson’s. The song “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone should bolster your spirit. There have been many different artists that have recorded this song. Still, in my opinion, the essence of this song was extracted by Ms. Simone with the big-band sound and her incredible voice.

My favorite part of the song is in the beginning: “It’s a new dawn / It’s a new day / It’s a new life for me, yeah / It’s a new dawn / It’s a new day / It’s a new life for me, ooh / And I’m feeling good”

The song was composed by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1964 musical “The Roar Of The Greasepaint—The Smell Of The Crowd.” “Feeling Good was written to express a particular kind of euphoria: that which comes with liberation from oppression.” (see attached article for further information)

Nina Simone’s version first appeared on her 1965 album “I Put A Spell On You.” She had a huge impact on most blues and jazz musicians of her time. She passed away from cancer in 2003. Nina Simone’s Biography described her this way, “She was the consummate musical storyteller, a griot as she would come to learn, who used her remarkable talent to create a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion, and love through a magnificent body of works. She earned the moniker ‘High Priestess of Soul’ for she could weave a spell so seductive and hypnotic that the listener lost track of time and space as they became absorbed in the moment.” ( Click here to read further about Nina Simone)

I enjoy listening to her music and expressive style. Her intensity and voice just stand out. Below are the lyrics to “Feeling Good.” Also included is a video of pictures with the 1965 version of Feeling Good by Nina Simone.

“You are a physical extension of pure positive energy. Therefore, there is nothing more important than that you feel good.” Esther Hicks

Feeling Good, Nina Simone
[Intro]
Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by, you know how I feel[Refrain]
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me, yeah
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me, ooh
And I’m feeling good

[Verse 1]
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
River running free, you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel

[Refrain]
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me
And I’m feeling good

[Verse 2]
Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don’t you know?
Butterflies all havin’ fun, you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done, that’s what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world, for me

[Bridge]
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh, freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

[Refrain]
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life for me

[Outro]
I’m feeling good!

Feeling Good by Nina Simone (1965):

“Fish in the sea, you know how I feel / River running free, you know how I feel / Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel” Nina Simone “Feeling Good”

Cover Photo Image of “Bermuda Sunset” by Frank C. Church