Three Peaks, three symptoms, plus “winning” redefined

Philippe's 226 Blog November 2024

I want to show people that Parkinson's is not a death sentence. That inspires me to keep moving forward.

Welcome to my second blog. Having meandered randomly around my Parkinson's diagnosis, I'll start to focus on some specific topics – I'll take you for a walk in the Yorkshire Dales too! Many thanks for the very kind feedback and words of encouragement I have received since the first blog, it really means a lot.

There are many perspectives, many management techniques and many treatments for Parkinson's – some of them probably accurate, others clearly bullsh!t. These blogs represent my view, developed from embracing some research recommendations and ignoring others.

I hope you enjoy the read and maybe pick up just one, "wafer thin", morsel of inspiration.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go."

Do you ever compare yourself to a younger you? You know, back in the day, I was …..

• Fitter than I am now
• Stronger
• Faster
• More stamina
• More suppleness
• Smarter
• …… that sort of thing?

That's where I find myself now. Not so long ago, I was racing several Ironman races each year, swimming 100km, cycling 5,000 km and running 1,000km annually. Now, over a year after my diagnosis, that's a distant memory.

However weird this may appear, however much I am clearly in denial over what may come along in the next few years, I am excited about the opportunity to make a difference. Parkinson's will not define me, but the way I tackle it WILL.

Remember, what is important is not about life after death, it's about life before death, I have three broad options:

• I slow down to the activity levels that my current level of Parkinson's wants me to adopt
• I maintain a reasonable "recommended" level of activity across a broad range of activities
• "Carpe diem", I set seemingly impossible objectives today, who knows what will happen tomorrow. I'm tempted to call it Parky Diem – but that's too corny – even for me. 😊

So which do I choose? …….. I'll give you two guesses, but you're only going to need one.

"So make the best of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time."

I appreciate most of you reading this don't have my special Parkinson's powers, but I ask you to have a think! Where are you now? What are your options?

In August, as we "celebrated" the first anniversary of my diagnosis, I started to develop ideas on how to pursue Parky Diem. For starters, I didn't want to wait until September ended to start the journey. I don't fear getting to Parkinson's Stage 2 and 3, I fear not having taken the opportunities open to me in Stage 1.

During our early years, I used to tag along with Rosie and her pals' trips walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks. How better to chase Parky Diem, than try to do something I haven't done for well over 40 years!

"It's something unpredictable, but in the end, it's right, I hope you had the time of your life."

The Yorkshire Three Peaks of Penn-y-Ghent (694m), Whernside (736m) and Ingleborough (723m) were formed through wind and rain erosion of limestone / sandstone 200 million years ago. The circuit, traditionally starting and ending at Horton in Ribblesdale, is about 40 km long (just under 25 miles) with 1600 metres (just under a mile) of vertical ascent.

Back in the day, we used to walk the route in around nine hours. I have a number of friends and sporting acquaintances who, astonishingly, run it in less than half than time – wow! The traditional time limit is 12 hours. Back in the 80s, walkers would clock in and out at the Penn-y-Ghent café earning a certificate for "winning". Sadly, the café is now closed and for sale. To be honest, I find Horton in Ribblesdale an extremely sad place these days, not the vibrant hiking hub it used to be. The two hotels have been for sale for years and there are no shops at all. Such a shame.

Note to self – don't be like Horton in Ribblesdale.

Having walked the circuit in two recces in the previous weeks, I knew what to expect from a route finding perspective – I was sure I couldn't get lost. The big question was how would my special Parky powers cope with a long day? – only one way to find out. Hoping for a vitamin D top up (some research points to vitamin D improving regulation of Dopamine), I spotted a two-day weather window and went for the first – that ended up being a good call.

Early to bed at the Crown Hotel (for sale but open).

"So take the photographs and still frames in your mind, hang it on a shelf in good health and good time."

With 13 hours 45 minutes daylight available in mid September, a pre-dawn start would give me plenty of time, even if I missed the 12 hour target. One key lesson learned from the recces is that walking poles are essential for my balance and really help to keep my dodgy left arm swinging!

A spectacular climb of the first peak. I had the whole mountain to myself, not a sole in sight! ….. just me! Truly peaceful – the beauty of hiking on your own. Yes – I told my mum I did the trek as part of a group as she had compared my proposed hike to Michael Mosely's final walk.

I'd love to describe my dawn climb of Pen-y-Ghent with multiple, imaginative, images of the freshness of the morning, with artistic, alliterative, adjectives of the powerful farmyard smells …. however I can't.

There are approximately 40 different Parkinson's symptoms (the world's worst buffet!). We all get a few, but nobody gets them all. Part of my buffet is an incredibly variable sense of smell. I have a default, business as usual olfaction, then sometimes I have an exaggerated awareness of the actual odour and occasionally I simply can't smell anything!

Well, the morning of my spectacular and steep climb of Penn-y-Ghent, it was a business as usual day which I can only describe as ………. mouldy chicken in a smoky room! Lovely! We're tackling each symptom one by one so Rosie has bought me a smell trainer – these were developed for long covid patients with sense of smell issues. Let's smell how that goes.

There's a "my dog has no nose" joke in there somewhere, I just can't work it out!

"Tattoos of memories, and dead skin on trial, for what it's worth, it was worth all the while."

Up and over the first peak in good time, feeling strong and much to my delight, still all by myself.

The short sharp climb of Pen-y-Ghent is followed by a long trek to the iconic Ribblehead viaduct. A couple of kms into this section, I was caught up by a guy with an Ironman tattoo on his calf (mid-life crisis or what?!). We chatted all things triathlon for the next couple of hours – excellent fun. He was due to race at Ironman Wales a few weeks later – I checked the tracker on race day – he was a DNS (did not start), I've got that t-shirt.

I reached Ribblehead in just over four hours, with nutrition and fluids for the first 8 hours. I kept going onto the long, circuitous, ascent of Whernside.

Parkinson's is only playing with my left sided motor skills at the moment, tremors on my left hand and foot, stiffness mainly on my left side, decreased strength only on the left side. I am still saying no to the drugs (I'll blog about that approach soon) so as the day progresses, my dopamine levels decrease and my motor skills diminish – notably with my left foot dragging a little.

Whilst the impact of a misstep on a rock would have been serious (after all who needs the humiliation of being wheeled home by mountain rescue), this wasn't really an issue as long as I concentrated on lifting that left foot every step of the way. There were lots of hikers around by now on this gorgeous Friday, (working from home I think!) I was a lot less chatty by now – total focus on that left foot.

I am working hard (daily workouts) on maintaining my left leg / foot strength – critical to keeping moving forward without falls. Falls are one of the major risks for PWP (people with Parkinson's), broken hips and smashed up faces are common place. Focusing on tackling each symptom is critical. We've got this.

"It's something unpredictable, but in the end, it's right, I hope you had the time of your life"

The Ingleborough climb is similar to Pen-y-Ghent; very steep and rocky – but it was more tiring as, at the foot of the peak, I was 9 hours and 30km into the day. By now my focus on every step was necessarily intense, I was totally anti-social and not chatting with fellow walkers – no eye contact - eyes on the feet always.

Amazing views at the top – God's own country on one side and all the way to Morecambe on the other.

Time to descend from Ingleborough to Horton in Ribblesdale. 11 hours into the walk, and a long, long section to come, I wasn't going to hit 12 hours but I was still moving forward and hadn't given up – surely that's what matters isn't it?

Imagine yourself hiking on a long steady downhill stretch, there are rocks of varying shapes and sizes, there are holes, shallow pools of water and deep ones, some short steps to take, and some longer strides needed. Subconsciously:

• Your eyes are scanning 10 to 20 metres away to establish the best route
• Your eyes are scanning three or four metres away to assess which rocks, holes, pools need to be avoided and which need to be tackled
• Your brain is processing all the visual information, deciding on a strategy / approach
• Your brain is passing instructions to your legs and feet
• Your legs and feet are reacting to the instructions and making sure you move forward without falling
• All this at walking pace

Well, when you've been hiking for 12 hours and your Dopamine levels are significantly depleted, that relatively simple process doesn't really work – especially not at walking pace.

In theory you should "Stop when the lights flash red" as the Green Day song goes. However, when you're 5 km way from base and with less than two hours daylight left and everything is a blur, you have no choice but to keep moving forward the best you can. Is that a metaphor for Parky Life? Possibly.

So I kept moving forward, with each step taking significantly longer than expected. Having started the day gloriously on my own, I ended the day disconcertingly alone, as the sun set on a spectacular day, I was processing each step as if it were a major intellectual calculation.

With 13 hours 45 minutes' daylight available to me, I hobbled into the hotel (still for sale) 14 hours and 3 minutes later. I missed the 12 hours but did I fail? No way, I kept going and finished!

I mentioned earlier that the weather forecast identified a two day weather window for the walk, I took the first day. As it turned out, it was an excellent choice, walkers on the second day ended up being taken off Ingleborough by mountain rescue, as an unpredicted storm hit the area. Seize the day!

It's something unpredictable, but in the end, it's right, I hope you had the time of your life

One of the key mind set changes I am making as I embrace Parkinson's, is to stop mourning what I can't achieve whilst celebrating what I can. I am redefining success – was I the absolute best I could be? Yes. Well that's a win. King for a day. 😊

What next for this blog?

It took me a while to get this second blog out, lazy sod!, the next one will come along more quickly ……. Parky Diem Philippe! That really is a rubbish catch phrase isn't it?

This will always be an unscientific, unsanitised view of my specific experience of Parkinson's. Your feedback would be very welcome.

Just Keep Moving Forward.