I didn’t want you, my friends to think I fell off the earth, I haven’t, but I admit, I haven’t been on the computer too much. I have a tablet I read and play on when I am in bed, but it is very difficult to write a post on it with a smaller keyboard.

I have thought of you so much, but I just haven’t felt well the past few days. I think Parkinson’s has something to do with it and the fact that I have been trying to keep the thermostat down in my house. I am finding out quick that this little house is quite expensive to heat.

The pay-off wasn’t good though. I was freezing. Every piece of my body was freezing. I did learn through the Parkinson’s web sites that being cold is a symptom, so this was easy to understand, but my blood pressure went up too.

At first I was taking my BP too often and I knew I was; but I was worried. It was running high, not high enough to cause me danger, but much higher than my usual. This in turn caused me to stress more. Finally I made myself just check it in the am and pm. I also made me an appointment for the doctor right after the new year, when my insurance will kick in.

I learned that if our bodies get too cold along with my age the cold bothers us more and therefore our BP goes up. So I gave in and turned the thermostat up a little but will turn it down at bedtime and keep it low through the day, using my electric fireplace, then back up over the supper hour.

I already feel better. I still have a dull headache around the temple but I feel better emotionally after talking to the nurse at my new doctor that I wasn’t in a danger zone. I feel even better than that knowing I now have an appointment.

I am not interested in getting a neurologist for my Parkinson’s. I know too much about it after my dad, his mom and her sister and my brother Al, all had it. I can get an official diagnosis on paper but what good will it do me? I already know about all the PD medications and the big side-effects. I know there is no cure too. Unless my new doctor strongly advises me I won’t deal with a specialist at this point.

But the doctor can help me get new prescriptions for my blood pressure and check it instead of me doing it. He can also check my sugars, so it will feel good to be back in a doctor’s care.

When I moved to Kentucky, my health insurance was no good here. I think I told you that already. I am on straight Medicare right now, so going to a new doctor will be quite expensive for the first visit, so I wanted to wait until Jan 1, plus I had enough refills of my medications to get me to that point of my appointment.

So, I jabbered enough. Time to take a shower, turn the heat back down and climb into my bed layered with lots of blankets. I will talk to you all very soon. Love and hugs