In advanced Parkinson’s disease, it is difficult to predict how any one day will unfold. PD is the kind of disease whereby the timing of medications is almost as important as the medications themselves.
Over the many years since Anthony’s diagnosis, the medications have been changed repeatedly to ‘keep up’ with the progression of the disease. The various timings have also been altered here and there because it’s so difficult to get it right.
In some ways, I quite like the idea of unpredictability – unexpected visitors, for example. In other ways, I don’t like unpredictability -unexpected visitors, for example (ha!)
With PD (especially when it includes a bit of fresh dementia), the unexpected visitors come in the form of constant unpredctability. Today, for instance, I visited Ants at the nursing lodge just after lunch. I predicted that he would have the usual post-meal droopiness but instead he was lively, lucid and he made me laugh.
This was just as unpredicted as the arrival of four wild galahs who seem to have made this place their home recently. So I guess there really isn’t much point attempting to predict the unpredictable, and I am going to stop trying, happily!
jmgoyder 
Lively, lucid & a laugh. How lovely 🙂
Beautiful photos, too.
What lovely surprises.
Forgive my ignorance, but are galahs the birds in the pictures? If so, I love them. They make it seem so tropical.
We have cockatoos hanging around at our place. Makes Monkey jump every time he hears them call.
I loved the bit with the example of unexpected visitors. I’m exactly the same in life.
I Love Change!!!
*oh god, please don’t change!*
I don’t think I’ve seen galahs in the wild – only cockatoos. I love their colour.
It must be hard to cope with changing symptoms and unpredictable moods – I’m glad you were a nurse in your earlier working life, at least you have an understanding of these things.
Of course this doesn’t make it any easier to bear when it’s your own husband that’s exhibiting these symptoms and going through this debilitating disease and dementia. Glad you had an enjoyable post lunch visit. V x
in stopping trying to predict the unpredictable you have taken a great step forward to healthy mental health (ha ha)
Definitely requires you to “go with the flow”
I like happy unpredicabilities!
I have realized also there is no predictability in PD. It keeps us on our toes!!
The pictures of the galahs are so beautiful, I wonder if they mate for life? If they do, you have another pair of birds that you can call Julie and Anthony.:) I’m glad that you have taken unpredictability as your friend and not your enemy (I know some people who view unpredictability as the enemy and it doesn’t work in their favor). Happy days!
I have learned at this point everything has to be spontaneous with me… nothing is predictable anymore… I can only imagine how with Anthony this is so true — teaches us to be in the moment and embrace what is – and yes – as Colline said – to “go with the flow” — it’s much easier than trying to swim against the current. Thankfully there are those happy unpredictable moments we can savor like the ones you describe here 🙂 Thank you dearest Julie!! xxoo
“and he made me laugh”….♥♥♥
couldn’t agree more with your decision, it’s a good one. Only makes for more gray hair when we try to do otherwise..and who the hell needs that? Rejoice in every unpredictable outcome Jules…from where I’m sittin’, those are the GOOD days…xoxo
Nice to hear of the joyful moments with Ants. Like the birds-are they a sort of parrot?
Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that there are happy unpredictabilities as well as sad!
Almost as good as woodpeckers. I’m glad that you had an unexpectedly good day.
Julie, what a very sweet post. I will learn from this. Thank you, Bill
Galahs are lovely birds so pretty, and it is good that Anthony’s medications are revised and updated when needed.
a great life lesson for us all:)