The Stove

Waves of heat radiate from the modest cast iron stove spreading warmth throughout the room as the summer gathered logs burn steadily within. In warmer weather, doors to adjacent rooms are left open to partially circulate the warmth, taking away the chill. As temperatures plummet outside in the grip of winter, supplemental heat is required to maintain a reasonably hospitable state in the house. Whether wood stove alone or stove plus its helper, heat is required to maintain a cozy abode in the fall and winter here at the farm in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. In a similar fashion, one living with Parkinson’s disease requires supplemental “fuel” to replenish the diminished levels of dopamine produced by the brain. Dopamine, an essential chemical in the transmission of nerve impulses, is not being produced at sufficient levels deep in the brain of those challenged by PD. To do its job, dopamine is best used when given off by the “stove” in the brain and that presents a problem. The brain maintains a barrier to substances that are too large. Medications that mimic dopamine are sometimes taken, but are only effective for a while. Since the brain needs the “real deal” fuel that contains the hardwood needed for the fire has to be taken eventually. Since only a portion of that hardwood is able fit through the brain’s barrier, the rest is left to clutter other pathways. That clutter is most often known as side-effects. PD challenged persons strive to maintain a steady stream of transmitters that provide for optimal degrees of movement. Keeping the doors of exercise and mental agility open helps to spread the supply of comfort from the trove of transmitters that radiate from the brain’s stoked stove. Today I am grateful for fuel and a well burning stove!