I may have mentioned this before, if so I apologise. I used to be an avid reader often a book a day. Whatever else was troubling me a good book would transport me, and I did not feel it was wasted time. No longer. Is it that I cannot hold the book still, that I cannot sit or lie comfortably, that I cannot concentrate or has PD taken me over to such an extent that I can think of nothing else? I have tried audio books but having someone else doing my reading for me is just not the same
Have you looked in the disability shops to see if they have a book stand that you could rest on a table.
If they dont have anything what about looking in the kitchen shops for a recipe book stand.
I am like you in that I get through a vast amount of books and would be completely at sea if I couldn't read
My brother sells disability stuff, next time I see him I will ask him if he knows of anything.
We cant have you deprived of your books
thank you geminipat. A book stand is a great idea
This, hopefully is a link to Nottingham Rehab Supplies (www.nrs-uk.co.uk)which
have lots of ideas and equipment you can buy hope it helps.
Wooden Top Desk and Book Holder
Improves posture while writing or reading; simply raises using adjustable writing slope. Reduces viewing distance and stops the body leaning forward, reducing eye strain. Ergonomically designed, quality beech wood frame with lacquered finish. Leather cloth insert and non slip base. Two magnets attach the paper, whilst the small rounded lip holds books or pens. Folds flat for storage.
W470 x H235 x D70mm (181/4 x 91/4 x 23/4").
Price (exc Vat): £ 21.27
Price (inc Vat): £ 24.99
Tried to copy the picture but was not successful sorry
All the best
thank you newdidit. I have been googling trying to find a book stand. With your info I can ask the OT who visits next Tue
I have always enjoyed reading, it was escapism, I could be Jane Eyre or Nelll Gwyn.!!!.
Since Parkinson’s, I have found it really difficult to concentrate ......so I tried audio books, and I find them so good, I have joined “ Audible” they boast all the new titles out in the book stores, and the narrators are always very good.
Help the aged also have a great library of audio books
I may have just got lazy,
but whatever the reason, I don’t know what I would do without them.
I hope that your book stand helps
i find readin difficult,i cant concentrate to long on a book,it dunna sink in proper,i did not use to be like this just come on over few years,may pd has a roll to play in it?
newdidit - I found the book holder you gave me the info about. I haven't ordered it yet as I am having difficulty visuaalising it from the on-line picture. The OT left a catalogue "ways & means" which appears to be Nottingham Rehab Supplies also. There is another book holder but it doesn't look as nice. One minute I'd never thought about book holders, now I am fretting about choosing one!
Funnily enough a friend bought me a battery run jar opener - also advertised in the catalogue. My friend/carer makes good use of it
I have read your posts with interest. My husband was always an avid (if slow) reader and always had a book 'on the go'. When he was on Mirapexin and experiencing compulsive behaviour he did not read at all. Despite being bought books for birthdays, christmas, father's day etc they all remained unread. I remember commenting to friends as it was so unusual. He was, however, addicted to crossword puzzles and sudoki type puzzles - when not on the computer he would be engrossed in these. When he was being weaned off the Mirapexin he deteriorated quite dramatically physically but one thing that amazed me was that he read a book - in a short space of time and was telling everyone how good it was! He is now on Azilect (once a day) and Stalevo three times a day and his behaviour is much more normal. I won't go into all the details but just to let you know he is reading (also newspapers) a lot more than he was. I'm not sure whether the lack of interest in reading is to do with the Parkinson's Disease or the medication but I am sure it is more to do with the neurological rather than the physical aspects.
point taken libra lady. I have thought for some time that my non-reading is PD and/or medication related but was hoping some kind of physical aid might help. My O/H used to complain that I always had my nose stuck in a book (he called it escapism). Now he complains that I don't. I too do the crosswords in rather than read the newspaper, although su doku is beyond me. It is very puzzling & frustrating
I used to read a lot too then I was dx with pd last November and put on meds. Coming up to Christmas I asked my daughter for a certain book I had been longing to read. I haven`t even opened it yet. I blame the meds I can`t seem to concentrate the same though I still enjoy crosswords and suduko.
I do have one of these adjustable tables that I pull up close when sitting, the top can be angled into a sloping position which enables me to do my puzzles.
I find my neck less painful now.
I have learned from this forum that some Parkinson's medication can cause compulsive behaviors in some people, apparently due to changed activity in the reward centre in the brain. I wonder if this might be the cause of decreasing interest in former pursuits that used to bring pleasure. Just a thought
I'm very interested in your remarks about reading. Like you, I used to read a lot, never as much as a whole book in a day, but maybe a couple a week. I also find the concentration difficult now. I've been wondering how this little group of lapsed readers could maybe help ourselves to get this reading habit back again.
In the past, i've been in several reading groups , but this is not what I'm proposing. They were enjoyable sometimes , but I used to get fed up putting a whole lot of effort into a book which I didn't really want to read.
If enough other people would think about joining in , we could maybe get another sort of group running where we tell others about a book we've really got a lot from , and so to speak , wet the appetites of those of us who like the sound of a book someone else has enjoyed and talked about on-line.
It could be fiction or non-fiction , doesn't matter. the only criteria , you've read or are reading something that's really grabbed you and you'd like to tell others about it.
If anyone likes this idea , post me! Don't want this to be formal , not writing reviews or anything like that - just a casual; I've just read this . . . it's about . . . . and I think some of you might like it.
What do you think ? I 'm off to the library tomorrow , at the moment, my reading material this evening has been the Radio times , can do better than that !
well I think that's a grand idea Lorna. I have my new book stand in situ. The book that is in it at the moment is The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson & Kate
Pickett. I dip into it from time to time. It is not a novel but a book that comes to the conclusion that we do better when we are equal. Not an eloquent precis I know, but a worthwhile look for anyone interested in social issues
I would be most interested in recommendations re contemporary fiction as I do feel quite out of touch
2 books that kept me up all night:
Gone With The Wind - I was a teenager and it was long before I saw the film. I think it was the "what happened next" factor
Midnights Children - I think it was the use of language that kept me spellbound
Hopefully Lorna you will be able to start a "book club" thread
Would that it were a good book keeping me awake
Thanks for your reply A.B.D. Congrats. on reading a Salmon Rushdie book ! I've looked up your 'Spirit level' book and it looks very interesting. Have ordered it from my library , so will look forward to a chat about that soon !
Yes, it's funny with the contemporary fiction - I also am quite ignorant of which authors are popular at the moment.
I think it'll be good to read with more of a purpose , should help our concentration. So , if anyone else feels the same , I'm waiting to hear from you!
Has anyone read "Always Looking Up" by Michael J Fox? Ive ordered it from my local library. Read "Lucky Man" when I was first diagnosed at Xmas 2009. It was ok, but didnt really inspire. Any views on these books?
ive just finished the "always looking up" book. It was ok. It was a lot about his political fight for stem cell research. I was a bit disapointed there wasnt more about his actual pd and the progression of symptoms etc.Overall though i thought it was ok.
Hi emswife and Trees !
Nice to have a conversation about books, I wasn't sure there were many readers out there. I've read both these books , but some time ago . They were interesting , but I agree not a huge amount of how he copes with our condition.
I've requested his new book ' A funny thing happened on the way to the future ' it was published at the end of August , so I'm not sure how long before the library gets it for me.
Maybe , if others can get it from their libraries , we could discuss it in depth ?
I read the book written by the chairman of 'Next' , big high st fashion chain , in the summer. That was amazing , he managed to conceal his symptoms for a good many years. Interestingly , he said at the end of the book , he wished he hadn't.
Good point for discussion tho , why some of us do this, and for so long.
I'm still preferring non-fiction , but would like to get back to fiction sometime . Anybody read something in that genre that they'd recommend ?
Happy bed time reading everyone