We're in Colorado!

Hello, everyone.

Yes, as I've said in the title, we've successfully arrived in Colorado with our lives and stuff intact. I had one big harrowing experience in coming here, though.

We were driving down I25 toward Denver, about a little over 40 minutes from our final destination. Just north of Colorado Springs, I suddenly noticed the trailer swaying back and forth. I was controlling it, but not knowing why it was doing this, I thought maybe it would correct itself or get out of control worse. Then it dawned on me that one of the two tires on each side of the trailer must have blown. I was correct.

My wife, driving the van behind me, was in a panic as she related to me after we safely made it to the side of the road. She started smelling smoke, and started looking for where it was coming from. Then she noticed smoke coming from the trailer. She yelled for our son to call me and tell me to get off the road. About that time, however, is when she saw the tire shred apart and I started fishtailing in the heavy traffic on each side of me. She relates that she was in frantic prayer as well as telling me to get off the road.

About the time I realized what had happened, I looked over in my window to see if I had a way to pull over to the side of the road. Amazingly, I did. Most likely because the tire blew on the right side and and so people were slowing down in fear of me fishtailing into them. So I moved over with success. Upon looking at the damage, since we had one good wheel on that side it could ride on, we decided to slowly make our way down the side of the road until the next exit, about a mile away. We did and parked in front of a 7-11 under construction there. A Starbucks was there to provide a place to recoup as well. Which turned out to be a good thing as we had to wait over 2 hours before roadside assistance came and replaced the tire.

So we arrived a few hours later than expected. Better than spending the night(s) in a hospital. We were truly thankful for all the prayers for our safe travel.

So now we have been here over a week. A lot has happened this past week. I'll just relate the more important things. One, key thing is the YMCA job appears to be a lock at this point. I met with Colleen, the Health and Wellness director at the YMCA, twice last week. The last time was to get some paperwork done. She's submitted the background check to Texas, so we are just waiting for that paperwork to get back before we can proceed, which she said could take as long as six weeks or more. So I wait. Wait for Texas to respond. Once that happens, however, I'll go into HR and fill out their paperwork and then I'm officially hired. According to Colorado state law, I'll be considered a resident once I'm gainfully employed. So that will also become the moment I'll be an official Colorado resident.

Aside from that is doing all the other switch-overers of our address. As well as obtaining new stuff, like I've still got to get my driver's license, register the car, etc. I do have a new bank account, I've changed addresses with Social Security and changed my direct deposit info, since that takes 2 months to switch over.

And money is tight, more than I expected it to be. We have enough to buy some groceries and gas for the truck, but not much more. But we're budgeting closely, working to get enough money through work. Like as of today, I've had one request to get a bid on doing window cleaning. Still waiting to hear where they are located. Hopefully that pans out to be my first CO client. Lenita is still looking for kids to baby sit, and Kalee is still looking for a job so she can eventually pay for our new apartment or other location. It will all come together in God's good time, I'm sure.

At this point, I would like to thank all those who have donated money we would need to move. It was just enough to pay for our trip gas, motel in Amarillo, the trailer, and food along the way. I was hoping we'd be able to save up for our emergency fund from that money, but it was not to be. It will happen as we roll along, however. At any rate, know your money was used well and appreciated very much.

Anyway, if you want to know our new current address and phone number, send me an email at rick@copple.us, or private message me on Facebook if you know me via that route, and I'll give it to you.

As far as my PD is going, great! Still, after all this excitement, no medications are being taken. I even have some functions slowly, ever so slowly, returning. I'm hoping they mostly return back to "normal" whatever that my be. But I'm getting more surefooted and all.

In  a few days, it will have been one year since my DBS surgery. (Sept. 29th). It is like the time before DBS is fading. But that's why I started this blog, to document my disease progression, to determine what has helped and what hasn't, for me. So I can look back and see how far I've come. Hard to believe I am doing so well, even before DBS, than I was toward the end of 2014. Exercise has helped a lot to reverse a lot of symptoms. It also, I believe, prepared me for DBS as well. My balance had improved as well as other issues. Even though since DBS I'm not as sure footed as I used to be, I still have great balance. My last visit with my neurologist she asked me how my balance was doing. I told her overall good, though sometimes I more easily trip over stuff (especially when I'm tired). I then proceeded to show her by lifting one foot off the ground and holding it out in front of me. She told me not many of her clients could do that.

Yes, eventually this disease will overtake me. But at least I feel I have some time left to get things done I want to get done, and to spend some quality time with Lenita and the grandkids. I suppose if Lenita was Bilbo talking to Gandolf, she would say, "Grandkids, Gandolf, grandkids!" (That's a reference to Bilbo responding to Gandolf's query as "Mountains, Gandolf, mountains." in the Lord of the Rings Movie, for those few who didn't watch them.) I feel the same way too. We've come here for the grandchildren, though the mountains are a nice side benefit.

All in all, things are going well. I watched Lenita as she stood on the balcony with the grandchildren earlier today, thinking we've made it possible for her to do what she really wanted to do. She's happy, therefore, I'm happy. God is good.

Move and some News

Well, our move is proceeding along at a brisk pace. We've successfully got all our stuff gone through, what needs to be thrown away is thrown away, boxes in the garage waiting to go to GoodWill, the inspection report is done and our payoff balance has been solidified. We just had the appraisal done today (or yesterday by this point) so we're praying that comes out good for our buyer's bank.

So far, we are still set to close on September 7th, and we will be on our way to Denver, CO after that happens. So much needs to fall into place for that move to happen.

Well, one big piece of the puzzle fell into place today. This past morning, I had a phone interview with the program director at the YMCA in the Denver area. It went real well, and from all I can tell, I'm going to be hired to do a Zumba Gold class as well as back up for regular Zumba classes at the main Y, as well as all the other 5 Ys in the area! She assured me I would have a place in the Denver YMCAs.

That has motivated me to renew my practice. I'm excited for that opportunity! For those who have encouraged me and pushed me along this path, I am very grateful. I am now really looking forward to going to Denver, even though I regret missing my friends here. New places, new opportunities!

On my Parkinson's front, my symptoms are still being purely controlled by my DBS implants. I'm still good enough that I'm washing windows on a regular basis. Life is good.

About the only problems I have is needing to turn it down when I do Zumba (or my feet get too excited), and when I sleep (or I hit my wife in the night.) The only problems I have during the day is:

1. I get a little over excited when I bend over or get up from a squat/lunge position. I generally am able to catch myself when that happens. I've discovered you need good balance to have DBS not because that will go away some, but because you'll need it to recover from those moments when you do lose your balance. I have to think when I get up from the floor or from a chair "center of gravity!"

2. My speech can easily get too soft. I've never been a loud person to begin with, but with no extra dopamine flowing through my brain, that has become a little more of a challenge. Sometimes I can compensate by speaking louder. Other times, like right after eating or when I become dehydrated, I feel as if I'm trying to talk through a mouthful of cotton. So sometimes speaking loud enough for others to hear me is a problem.

Other than that, I feel like I'm good most of the time, 24/7! That's a definite improvement over what I had experienced before. So yeah, almost a year later, I'm glad I had DBS surgery. It has changed my life for the better.

At least for the time being. I know the disease progresses still. I'm reminded of that every time I switch from the lower to the higher setting, because there is about a 3-5 second period of time when it is off and I shake like someone attached a giant vibrator to my body. It is during those periods of time that I'm reminded of what is being controlled. Like just under the surface, there is this monster waiting for its inevitable rise to take over my body.

Someday. Just not yet.

I was sad to hear of my uncle-in-law who recently died of complications due to his Parkinson's. It reminded me that Parkinson's Disease is listed as the 14th cause of death in the USA. It puts a nail in the coffin of the saying people frequently cite: "You don't die of Parkinson's, you die with it."

I imagine people say that to make it not be so much the boogyman that other diseases like cancer or ALS are. It is a slower way to die, I'll give it that. However, that may not be such a good thing in itself. What is easier to go through? To die quickly or slowly?

At any rate, I'm still able at this point, thanks not only to the DBS, but also all the exercise I've done and my healthy diet. to live a normal life. I attribute it all to those three factors. That means for the time being, I'll continue to be a Zumba instructor and a window washer, as well as write stories in me that are wanting to come out.

So between the move and the new job, I'm ready to start on my new journey as I continue to battle my Parkinson's.

So, what have you accomplished of late?