Nearly two weeks ago, Mr. Twitchy and I embarked on a two week trip to Israel with friends.  This is the fifth year in a row that we have traveled together and they have seen me at my worst, before starting Sinimet, and at my best.  We have reflected on how well all four of us have done on these trips, which often move at a very fast and strenuous pace. We try to fit way too much in to these trips, because basically, we don’t want to miss anything!

We have traveled all over Israel, from the northern border

to the south in Eilat, including a day trip to Petra, Jordan.  We jokingly call our free days our “Days at Sea” since last year we took a Panama Canal cruise that had 9, count em, 9 days at sea.  Being the type A personality that I am, I dreaded those days at sea.  But they turned out to be the best part of the cruise.

Yes, we have enjoyed the few “days at sea”, but the rest of the time we were running around like maniacs, checking to make sure that we didn’t miss a thing and to see which day had the most steps.  Last Monday in the Old City of Jerusalem was the winner as it topped 20,000 steps!

But what really made us feel good was the fact that we walked uphill for 1 1/2 mlles yesterday in Petra, without any signs of fatigue, passing much younger people who probably thought that they were in much better shape than us old people. They were huffing and puffing their way up stuggling to keep our pace, and we were just fine.

Which just goes to show you that exercise definitely benefits everyone, no matter what age you are.  And for those of us with PD, it really is essential.  Without exercise I could not have kept up with the group, nor would I have felt as good as I did. As one of my PD boxing pals said so eloquently:  “I am in the best shape I have ever been.  And it is all because of Parkinson’s.”

Photos by Sharon Krischer