In the late 1960s, Gary Melton was fighting battles with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division deep in the jungles of Vietnam. Fifty-plus years later he’s facing a different foe—Parkinson’s Disease—and he’s tackling it head-on with help from the Whole Health programs at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
“I was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam,” the 78-year-old Poplar Bluff native said. “It was something I thoroughly enjoyed while I was doing it, and I was very confident.”
His confidence and skills earned him 56 medals in Vietnam, and upon his return to the States, he became a flight instructor at the Army’s Primary Helicopter School.
“Flying a helicopter required a lot of eye/hand coordination,” he said, but a flight with a friend a few years back showed him his skills had waned and it was physically difficult. “I realized I don’t have the reactions and the reflexes I used to have, and then I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. … That took a little while to come to grips with it.”
He sought help from the physical therapists at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, who recommended he try the facility’s Whole Health classes. “I asked about any exercises I could do to extend my better times, since I’m in the early stages,” Melton recalled, “and they recommended I do the Tai Chi classes.”
Tai Chi helped, but it wasn’t improving the stiffness and dexterity issues that were progressing in his hands.
“We talked about my finger dexterity and they recommended that maybe I could do the guitar program, and I’ve been involved with both the individual and group guitar programs for about eight months now,” he said.
The difference playing guitar has made in his hands, Melton said, has been dramatic.
“Before I started, I had a lot of stiffness in the hands. I couldn’t move the fingers and do the wiggles,” he said, flexing his hands. “I can do that now with all of them. I can also stretch better with the hand because, when working the chords on the fretboard, you have to stretch a little bit to reach some of the different notes.”
Playing without a pick and using only his fingers to keep them limber, he said, the guitar program is exactly what he needed.
“I feel all aspects of the guitar program are helping me, I really do,” he insisted.
While he still struggles with picking up coins, buttoning his shirt, and other fine-motor skills using his fingers, Melton firmly believes he’s made great gains through the guitar classes. “While I may not be able to pick something small up, I feel like I’m better suited to try it than I was before,” he said.
Plus, he feels the classes, and the Whole Health program overall, provide additional benefits.
“When I started, I really had no idea what the Whole Health program was, what it encompassed, or what I could get out of it,” he said. “I’ve learned it’s not only a physical program, but it’s a mental program also. It keeps me mentally sharp.
“With guitar, you have to strum and chord, but you have to mentally think about what you’re doing so you can make the fingers hit the right strings on the fret while getting the other hand to hit the right strings with the right motions.”
And, he said, the camaraderie of the Whole Health program is second to none.
“This gives me something to do, somewhere to go … to be with people,” he said. “I could be at home playing the guitar all by myself, but it’s a whole lot more fun when I’m with a group and we have the group interaction. This helps keep me moving, keeps me active, and keeps me motivated especially.”
For Veterans with mobility or other health issues, Melton encourages them to try their local VA’s Whole Health programs. “I would highly recommend it, but they have to remember it takes time,” he advised. “It’s not a silver bullet by any means, and they have to keep it fun so they will do it every day.
“I think they should at least try it to see if it’s something that can help. Maybe they’ll find it’s something that will make them happy, and they’ll get the satisfaction of knowing they’re still trying.”
Veterans interested in participating in guitar, Tai Chi, painting, and other programs are encouraged to ask their Primary Care provider for a Recreation Therapy or Whole Health consult.
For more information about Whole Health or other programs and services offered at the John J. Pershing VA Medical center, call 573-686-4151 or visit www.va.gov/poplar-bluff-health-care/.
