Parkinson’s: The Smell Factor & Choosing Your Battles

 

Snarky Parky & Me

A journey Into Parkinson's with Nancy Mellon

Coordinated by Corrine Bayraktaroglu 

We  Smell?

I smell?  New research discovered that people with Parkinson's have a distinctive odor- a sort of musty, yeasty smell. Hmmmm- a musty smell doesn't sound too attractive. Most people can't smell it, (thank goodness) you have to have a pretty special nose to smell it.  (Maybe If we still had a dog, it would be snufflin' my skin and barking “Yep she's got it. She has Parkinson's.”)

Somehow it seems a bit too much- OK now we smell?

I am already not happy about the way I've been stiffly moving, when my medicine wears off or at night- I shuffle and tip this way and that. I feel so old when it happens.

I am 68, I don't consider that old. But it is aging.

I have normal aging, my skin is stretching out and going down hill (In my head,  I find myself singing a song my grandma sang, “Do your boobs hang low, do they wobble to and fro, can you thow them over your shoulder like a continental soldier...”) 

My face is starting to resemble one of my grandmother's dried apple dolls. She'd carve out a face from an apple and then set it out to dry.  Over time, it would dry itself into it's character -always with a wrinkly, wizened, old face. (Sort of sounds like people, doesn't it?) Then she'd make a body and make tiny clothes to fit it's character.  I loved her apple dolls, (my beloved Grandma looked like one.) I, sort of, don't mind my turning into one.

 I am also gaining weight, (the teeny, weeny anxiety pill I am taking before bed, to help me sleep, causes you to gain weight.  I pretty much want to nosh all the time. Notice, I did say want to, not that I do!  At least not all the time...... but I have gained 20 pounds in 6 months. Yikes!)

I've never been much of a person to fuss with my looks. But lately I am thinking a bit of fuss might be a good idea.

So I decided to tackle my skin problems. Enter stage right-the Snark. I never had skin problems, until 4 years ago. I started having teenage-like eruptions on my face. Then came clusters of, skin-toned-colored tiny bumps. Parts of my skin now feel bumpy. Ick! I started to think this is weird! It must be Parkinson's.

Hey google-  “Skin issues with Parkinson's“

From the Parkinson's Foundation:

Skin Changes

Changes in the skin are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Many people with PD develop oily or flaky skin, especially on the face and scalp. Others have trouble with dry skin or excessive sweating. Studies have also shown an increased prevalence of melanoma skin cancer among people with PD. 

Seborrheic dermatitis:  (while  brushing my fingers through my hair I discovered a couple of these sneaky, scaly clumps of skin,   After tentatively exploring them with the pad of a finger tip, it is very tempting to want to pick at them with a finger nail. I didn't think that was a good idea.  But it does say that you can: Loosen scales and patches with mineral oil before cleansing.  'Loosen' sounds like you can then wash them off?  I haven't tried it yet.)

•      Seborrheic dermatitis causes red, flaky, scaly, oily, and sometimes itchy patches on the skin. These patches most often appear on the scalp and forehead, near eyebrows, in the creases between the nose and mouth, behind the ears, and on other parts of the face and body.

•      They are not an infection, and they are not contagious.

•       In Parkinson’s, seborrheic dermatitis also may be due, in part, to changes in the nerves that control skin and temperature regulation. “Have you noticed your temperature spiking and then all of a sudden, you are freezing?  Nope, it's not menopause. Been there, done that.”

•       It may be worsened by cold, dry air; stress; and lotions or cleansers with alcohol, which can dry and irritate skin. 

 

 Tips for fighting seborrheic dermatitis:

•                Loosen scales and patches with mineral oil before cleansing.

•                Rinse your hair with anti-fungal or anti-dandruff shampoo twice a week. (Look for ingredients like ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, sulfur, salicylic acid, zinc or coal tar.)

•                Wash skin twice a day with warm water and rinse with cold water. Cleanse and moisturize your face with products free from alcohol, perfume or dye.  Use a neutral soap like unscented glycerin soap

•                If prescribed by your doctor, apply a topical anti-fungal or anti-inflammatory cream as directed.

 OK, I wrote this a while ago. I am now 69 and still am having trouble with my skin.  But what the  heck, it's not so bad.

Choosing what battles to take on-

 

Cheers,

Nancy & the Snark

****************************************************************************

Footnotes From Corrine:  

Photo Info: The large Papier Mache nose was made by Nancy and myself  years ago and now currently  hangs around in my studio.  Back in 2009 we hung the nose over a shop door on Dayton Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio with the intent of hiding it in plain sight. It hung there for a couple of years without being noticed LOL!