My mom has Parkinson's. Her symptoms are not terrible yet, she's only about 4 years or so in, but what a lot of people don't know about people with Parkinson's is exercise is very important to them. Not just for overall health but because the things, like boxing, she does, greatly help her with physical symptoms and motor stuff. My mom normally exercises at least 5 days a week at the gym with classes and when she does her symptoms stay pretty under control with medications. With gyms being closed covid has forced her into a more sedentary lifestyle than she needs or wants. She's done some online ones at home and tried an outdoor one but thought the online ones were difficult to replicate at home and didn't feel people were really distancing very well at the outdoor one. She's generally one of the most positive people I know, but I can tell it's wearing on her some even if she's not vocalizing it much, because she's a perfect patient and this is out of her control. I saw her recently for the second time since x-mas and her hands are definitely a little shakier than normal. No easy answers here and I'm feeling really resentful lately that this pandemic has been allowed to get this out of control. People have so little care for others that are affected.
The Jack In The Box on the drag at UT???? Man, fuck that place. Always hated it. Sorry to hear about your father's experience there.
More broadly, you're absolutely right. COVID has revealed the not so hidden secret that tens of millions of Americans are struggling every day with things that we have more than enough money to fix. Nobody in the richest country in the history of the world should have to live their life in constant pain.
My dad has had similar problems. He installed/repaired soda fountain machines for Pepsi for 30 years, and a few years ago, he messed up his shoulder in a car accident and had to get surgery. He kept working, despite not being allowed to lift heavy things (but doing it anyway), until his vision got bad enough to qualify for disability.
I've been trying to help him find new hobbies, but he mostly wants to sit at home watching Fox News or holding his iPad up close to his face so he can scroll his Facebook feed. I introduced him to podcasts, but he doesn't seem particularly interested. He has started making beef jerky with a $150 dehydrator he bought online, however. It's pretty tasty.
I'm 31 and I lost my parents (who were older for my age) early. I would've done exactly the same thing for my dad if he needed surgery during the pandemic.
I don't know if it's too hand-intensive to use a mouse, but zooniverse.org has a lot of projects where volunteers classify images for various studies. Some science, some humanities.
My mom has Parkinson's. Her symptoms are not terrible yet, she's only about 4 years or so in, but what a lot of people don't know about people with Parkinson's is exercise is very important to them. Not just for overall health but because the things, like boxing, she does, greatly help her with physical symptoms and motor stuff. My mom normally exercises at least 5 days a week at the gym with classes and when she does her symptoms stay pretty under control with medications. With gyms being closed covid has forced her into a more sedentary lifestyle than she needs or wants. She's done some online ones at home and tried an outdoor one but thought the online ones were difficult to replicate at home and didn't feel people were really distancing very well at the outdoor one. She's generally one of the most positive people I know, but I can tell it's wearing on her some even if she's not vocalizing it much, because she's a perfect patient and this is out of her control. I saw her recently for the second time since x-mas and her hands are definitely a little shakier than normal. No easy answers here and I'm feeling really resentful lately that this pandemic has been allowed to get this out of control. People have so little care for others that are affected.
This was so well written. Thank you for sharing
The Jack In The Box on the drag at UT???? Man, fuck that place. Always hated it. Sorry to hear about your father's experience there.
More broadly, you're absolutely right. COVID has revealed the not so hidden secret that tens of millions of Americans are struggling every day with things that we have more than enough money to fix. Nobody in the richest country in the history of the world should have to live their life in constant pain.
My dad has had similar problems. He installed/repaired soda fountain machines for Pepsi for 30 years, and a few years ago, he messed up his shoulder in a car accident and had to get surgery. He kept working, despite not being allowed to lift heavy things (but doing it anyway), until his vision got bad enough to qualify for disability.
I've been trying to help him find new hobbies, but he mostly wants to sit at home watching Fox News or holding his iPad up close to his face so he can scroll his Facebook feed. I introduced him to podcasts, but he doesn't seem particularly interested. He has started making beef jerky with a $150 dehydrator he bought online, however. It's pretty tasty.
This resonated a lot, Samantha.
I'm 31 and I lost my parents (who were older for my age) early. I would've done exactly the same thing for my dad if he needed surgery during the pandemic.
In terms of hobbies, maybe legos? For someone who likes using his hands, the architecture ones or even the more sciencey ones may interest him
I don't know if it's too hand-intensive to use a mouse, but zooniverse.org has a lot of projects where volunteers classify images for various studies. Some science, some humanities.