{"id":2442689,"date":"2019-04-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=303760"},"modified":"2019-04-09T08:32:35","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T14:32:35","slug":"judson-haims-living-with-parkinsons-disease-and-turning-challenges-into-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/judson-haims-living-with-parkinsons-disease-and-turning-challenges-into-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Judson Haims: Living with Parkinson\u2019s Disease and turning challenges into success"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Life has a way of presenting us with many challenges. Those who face the challenges, those who have the fortitude and perseverance, experience success.<\/p>\n

Over the years, I have had to take more than a couple \u201cprofile\u201d tests. Perhaps my first was with a college adviser who explained to me that such a test would help him, and me, better understand my personality traits and therefore be helpful in directing me to a college best suited to me and my goals. I took another when applying to the Air Force and another when purchasing Visiting Angels.<\/p>\n

I have found a reoccurring question often found in these test: \u201cTell me about your heroes.\u201d Steadfastly, I have always responded that I do not have heroes. Rather, I have people I respect and admire. Consistently, all such people are those who have experienced adversity and turned challenges into success.<\/p>\n

Challenges are a part of life. Without them, life would be meaningless as we\u2019d have little understanding of achievement and failure. Life would be complacent and boring.<\/p>\n

Facing and living through life\u2019s challenges and adversities provides us with experience that define our lives. The secret to our successes is rooted in our challenges, failures and adversities.<\/p>\n

As with any ailment, people have the choice of letting the disease take over or fighting back. Fighting back against Parkinson\u2019s Disease is taking many people to places they may have never thought of. Some are attending yoga, Tai Chi, pool exercise programs and even the boxing ring.<\/p>\n

Recently, I assisted a few locals to a Parkinson\u2019s therapy session at a somewhat unlikely place \u2014 a martial arts and boxing studio. If the paradox is not clear, let me illuminate. Parkinson\u2019s inhibits movement and boxing is all about movement.<\/p>\n

Research is showing that non-contact boxing is therapeutically beneficial for Parkinson\u2019s patients \u2014 physically and mentally. Physically, boxing is proving to help balance, agility and hand-eye coordination. Mentally, boxing provides a stress release and is empowering. The sport teaches people to be mentally strong and overcome adversity. If nothing else, a right hook to a punching bag or strike mitt can curb anger and can be quite cathartic.<\/p>\n

One gentleman in the group is just shy of his 90th birthday. I was informed that prior to his joining the boxing program, his family was distraught that they could not motivate him to get out of the chair. As I sat and watched him work out, I was impressed every time I heard the loud crack from his hands as he hit the hand pads of the instructor. Should I make it to be close to 90 years of age, I hope I move as deftly as he. He is inspirational and has turned formidable adversity into success.<\/p>\n

Others in the group were in their 70s and 80s. Each had donned their red boxing gloves except for one who danced around the floor mats in bright pink gloves. Yes, women participate, too.<\/p>\n

Watching the camaraderie of this group and their united front to work through the difficulties this movement disorder presents them with is encouraging to me and should be encouraging to anyone who may be fighting a health ailment.<\/p>\n

I admire every one of these people. They have not given up, nor do they whine and ask \u201cwhy me?\u201d While I am sure each has had their down moments, they have not given up. They have chosen to fight adversity.<\/p>\n

My mother has Parkinson\u2019s, as did my grandmother. It sucks. But does Parkinson\u2019s suck more or less than cancer, multiple sclerosis cardiovascular diseases, ALS, vision or hearing loss?<\/p>\n

While many people living in our valley are pretty fit and try to be healthy, it won\u2019t last forever. If we want to remain in the valley we love when life\u2019s challenges present themselves, we must take action now to promote and develop resources that can help us stay here.<\/p>\n

Within the past three months, I know of four longtime locals who have had to leave the valley they love because we do not have the resources needed to assist them. (I\u2019m sure there are many more.)<\/p>\n

There are organizations that are being proactive. Howard Head has developed a program called Brain & Balance. The program helps treat stroke patients, Parkinson\u2019s patients and those with impaired balance and proprioception concerns. Additionally, the Parkinson\u2019s Association of the Rockies has brought Power Punch to both our community and Colorado.<\/p>\n

We are all going to get old and experience challenges with our health. Get involved, donate, better utilize resources we already have and think out of the box. These are things we can do to help build a community that will assist us in ensuring we can remain in the valley we love.<\/p>\n

Judson Haims is the owner of Visiting Angels Home Care in Aspen, Basalt and Carbondale. He is an advocate for our elderly and is available to answer questions. His contact information is http:\/\/www.visitingangels.com\/comtns<\/a> or 970-328-5526.<\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life has a way of presenting us with many challenges. Those who face the challenges, those who have the fortitude and perseverance, experience success. Over the years, I have had to take more than a couple \u201cprofile\u201d tests. Perhaps my first was with a college adviser who explained to me that such a test would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2442689","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-16 11:37:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442689\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2442689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2442689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}