10 of My Favorite Apps For The IPAD

Here are some more of my favorite Apps:

Tweet

This App changes the interface of your Twitter account and transforms it into a friendlier and streamlined look. Your tweets are color coded for a clean and manageable configuration. If you use Twitter, then consider Tweet!

Zillow and Truilia

For real estate and house hunting these sites are superb. Both provide an easy search for finding  homes and then plots homes for the designated location and quickly maps it out. Both have been around awhile and both look great on IPAD.

Pano Camera 360

This Panorama camera App creates some stunning photos with a simple to use interface that takes a little adjustment—once you get used to the prompts, you’ll appreciate the results.

Pages

I use Pages as my mobile writing program and I love it! The templates are few but very useful. It has proven to be reliable and everything I could ever want in a word processing program.

Art Studio

I have yet to even scratch the surface of the capabilities of this art design tool, but as I uncover more and more of what it can do, it amazes me. In the hands of someone more skilled than I, this is a powerhouse of art tools.

Scrolln Roll and IBanner HD

These are 2 very easy and entertaining scrolling text Apps that you can use anywhere and anytime.  Communicate from across the room with your message scrolling across your screen.  Use it at a trade show with your sales specials or just to get your name seen. Use your imagination and get noticed with these fun tools.

Animation HD

For anyone wanting to try their hand at animation and looking to get creative, this is a terrific App to build your own cartoon. It’s a blast!

HBO GO

HBO’s video player on the IPAD has been fluid and crystal on the Apple screen.  Now you can enjoy the quality of HBO series, documentaries, and sports wherever you go.

I hope that my list of Apps is helpful. If you have an App that you find helpful, please pass along.

Thank You.

Twitter:asoftvoicepd

What Does A “Cure” Mean?

What does a cure mean to you? Does it mean stopping the illness dead where it is or does it mean a complete elimination of the illness totally and completely?

These questions are not easily answered and are a puzzle for patients, researchers, doctors, and most of the rest of those involved in the Parkinson’s disease community. I have pondered the question for some time now and think I may have a realistic idea of what may be a fair idea of a cure.

My perception of a cure, at this stage of my life, is a treatment or medication that halts disease progression and at least minimizes symptoms of illness with no side effects or bodily harm. To this date, the closest thing to my definition is the power of Reiki, Yoga, Meditation, Vegetarian Diet,Medication Management and Reducing Stress. It has taken me years to find what works for me. I believe that we  must find what works best for ourselves (avoiding anything harmful) through self discovery and the help of our doctors. What will work for some may not work for others. We are all unique and different. Keep an open mind. I’d like to think that we can all find the “cure” that we seek.

That’s my take on it.

I just watched Michael J. Fox’s interview with Diane Sawyer. While I can’t say that I agree 100 percent with everything he says in the interview, I will say, I agree with his optimism and strongly suggest that finding the positives in your life and not focusing on the negatives will make life more enjoyable.  Here is the interview: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/05/18/michael-j-fox-looks-past-stem-cells-in-search-for-parkinsons-cure/

The Davis Phinney Richmond, VA Victory Summit – A Success!

Last Saturday, I had the privilege to attend and share some of what I have learned in my living with Parkinson’s disease for over 25 years. The Davis Phinney Foundation’s Victory Summit in Richmond, Virginia brought  together 500 or more people with Parkinson’s disease, their carepartners, and medical experts from around the nation to discuss research and how to live better with this illness. The Event, both inspiring and educational, felt more like a close-knit family and less of a conference event. Having attended many Parkinson’s related events over my many years with this disease, I can tell you that the Phinney Victory Summit is a truly empowering and uplifting experience that educates and inspires its’ attendees. I highly suggest that if you or someone you love has Parkinson’s, that you look into coming to the next one.

The next Summit is in Pittsburgh on September 15, 2012. For more information, go to www.davisphinneyfoundation.org.

What do we know about our food?

Unless you grow your own food, how much can you account for that plant’s purity? But wait, there’s more–is your plant (GMO) genetically modified? Do you even know? How can you know for certain?

Technical advances and food production have made supposed advances and modifications, but at what cost to the consumer? Food packaging has more information than ever and yet it takes a chemical engineer or an hour on Google to decipher the preservatives, gums, fillers, sugar substitutes, or anything that may be artificially infused. More information is better as long as the data is understandable, pertinent, and accurate.

Wouldn’t it be nice if our food history were posted on our packaging? The package would tell us when the veggies were picked, how long it took them to get to market, and if they were sprayed with any kind of pesticide, i.e. Roundup (which studies since 2003 have been saying may lead to Parkinson’s Disease)? Eating organic is probably the healthiest of our options but unless we grew it ourselves, what assures us that our fruits and veggies are untainted?

Something to ponder, today.

Motherhood at it’s best!

Happy Mother’s Day!

And So It Goes

It’s over–at least for this year! My beloved North Carolina Tarheels run for the NCAA Basketball Championship title for 2012 has ended with a crushing defeat from the young men of Kansas. Don’t worry about me–with years of basketball counseling, behavior modification, and heavy drinking, I will overcome this loss!

I have returned to the living and March Madness has ended for me. In spite of the Final Four still well ahead for the remaining teams, my interest is only in passing as I have no alliance to any of the contenders. Not to say that I won’t take a peak at any of the remaining games, I just don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other. I have broken free of the basketball tether to which I  was entangled. I have returned from the dizzying world of the almighty bracket, once again.

The sun is shining. There is actually a world outside of my television screen–what do you know?

Eating Your Veggies

A new Harvard study performed over 20 years with 110,000 participants on red meat consumption, showed strong evidence for drastically reducing or eliminating red meat from one’s diet. The report did not make the major network news that I watched last night nor did I see it in the major newspaper that I read today.

As a longtime vegetarian, I can tell you that I have seen and experienced so many benefits to keeping on a vegetarian diet. My energy level improved, as did my digestion, the absorption of my meds, as well as my overall health. I am passionate about being vegetarian, not fanatical.

Some people reading this with an open mind may want to try this and slowly implement more veggies and less or even no meat into their lives. Some will be less likely to consider a dietary change at all. All I can tell you is that for 20+ years, vegetarianism has treated me well.

If you decide to try Vegetarianism, you should consult your doctor(s).

NCAA College Basketball Tournament Delays Blog

March Madness is a dizzying joyful , yet harried time for me. A noticeable amount of productivity is lost during  the month of March each year due to committed college basketball fans everywhere.

I am one of those committed fans. I will be posting this month–just not as frequently. In April, Parkinson’s Awareness Month, I am excited to announce my release of my interview with Davis Phinney. I hope to continue with more interviews in the near future. Go Tarheels!

Surge Of Urgency For Parkinson’s Disease Treatments And Cure

Illness isn’t partisan.  Both sides of the aisle are subject to health problems. Both sides are going to need more and better healthcare. Illness doesn’t care about socio-economic status, race, or anything else. It has but one mission , and that is to disrupt and challenge the patient. Life is challenging enough without illness, but when illness combines with everyday existence, life can seem overwhelming.

Lately, there has been talk by politicians and the media about colonizing the moon. Only in a comedy club would this even be funny! I am a huge NASA fan and fully support a space program. Let’s be rational. The technological costs and manpower to perform an operation like this would not only take an astronomical cost but it would require years of preparation, and for what purpose?

For the past 20+ years, I have been told that in 5 years we are going to have a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. I heard it from renowned neurologists and even former leaders in the Parkinson’s community. They assured me that a cure was in the pipeline. I was and remain skeptically hopeful. Until the cure comes, it is up to us, as patients, to do what we can for ourselves.

The United States put a man on the moon, largely to prove our abilities to the Russians during the Cold War, but the USA did it, and in a very short time period. It is this kind of focus and dedication to achievement that is needed to make a breakthrough in Parkinson’s Disease and many other illnesses.

Neurological disorders are usually chronic and degenerative, so time is critical. There ought to be a sense of urgency to uncovering the mysteries of illness on this planet before we go colonize anywhere else.

On Freddie Roach–Insight

The HBO series is what appears to be a candid slice of Freddie’s whirlwind on the go lifestyle. The life of a hugely successful trainer and gym owner, Freddie Roach has neared the pinnacle of the boxing world with numerous champions, but none more than 8 time world champion, Manny Pacquiao.

Roach is so revered in the Philippines, homeland of Pacquiao, that he has achieved celebrity status. Cadres of young women flock around him and men want to meet him, congratulate him, or get his autograph. He is without a doubt, a star. Roach is the third most famous celebrity in the Philippines, only behind Pacquiao and the Country’s leader. He is a boxing legend, but at what cost?

The series reveals bits and pieces of the man and his decisions. If you read between the lines and listen to Roach’s slurred and broken speech, you hear some regret, fear, loss, sadness, and even a touch of anger.  

Boxing has given him success in the sport, but, again, at what cost?  Roach’s current and ex-girlfriends make appearances on the show, leaving the viewer wondering how many relationships has boxing cost this man?

Freddie Roach is a true inspiration and an American success story. He fought his way out of poverty and the projects. His toughness and enduring focus on a goal propelled him to being the best ever.

Even with Parkinson’s Disease, at 52, to see Roach training in the ring, he functions incredibly well and speaks clearer inside the ring than he does outside. When someone with  Parkinson’s is doing what they love and what they excel at, it is easy for them to fall into a zone where he or she almost forgets about their symptoms. I see this in Freddie. His laser-like focus and commitment to his task at hand overcomes the illness while doing his job and what he loves.

On Freddie Roach is a raw and insightful look into Freddie’s taxing schedule, grueling  physical expectations, and the toll that it may be taking on both his body and mind. Roach shows true courage by sharing his life and challenges with Parkinson’s. He pulls back the curtain and sheds light on what Parkinson’s is and what it does. For this, I thank and applaud both Roach and HBO for this important exposure. Bravo!