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Rivalry made sense to me when it happened on a basketball court. Two teams, one ball, one scoreboard, and lines painted clearly enough that people yelling from the third row could pretend they saw everything perfectly. As a basketball official, I understood rivalry, and I loved it. Sports fans also…

As my late Uncle Brandon’s Parkinson’s disease progressed, my family became increasingly involved in helping him navigate appointments, medications, physical therapy, and everyday life. But somewhere along the way, we started making mistakes. At times, we began talking about Uncle Brandon more than we talked to him. At first,…

This month, Michael J. Fox turned 65. And I’ve had a crush on the man for almost 40 years. Back in the 1980s, when I grew up, the show “Family Ties” was at its height. It starred Fox as the teenage son of two ex-hippies, and he had…

Levodopa was first used in clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease in 1961, and it eventually became the gold standard for treatment. Today, it’s still the most common medication available for managing symptoms like tremors and stiffness. But “off” periods — when the medication wears off —…

Throughout my late uncle Brandon’s journey with Parkinson’s disease, my family made sure he kept up with his physical therapy. At one point, we started seeing progress. His balance seemed a little better. His confidence had improved. And he was buying into the process more than he had in…

When a diagnosis is made, life goes on. You walk out of your doctor’s office in a fog, wondering if this is a nightmare you’re about to wake up from. You slowly wander into the crowded elevator and can barely muster the strength to push the buttons. You somehow manage…

Parkinson’s disease takes a lot away from you. And when you are diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s, it can steal so much of your future. I feel lucky that nearly 13 years after my diagnosis at age 36, the majority of my symptoms are well controlled. I have…

For me, having goals is very important. For instance, in the 5K race that I ran last weekend, my goal was to smile for the last 100 meters or so, because that is when they snap a photo of you. Does it matter that I came in 1,153rd? No, it…

If Parkinson’s disease had one ally in our household, it was my late uncle Brandon’s ability to avoid doing his home exercises. As I’ve mentioned before, Uncle Brandon was proud. He liked to stay busy, solve problems, and do things his way. Even as his Parkinson’s worsened, he wouldn’t…

One of the first symptoms I noticed before I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, besides a tremor in my pinky fingers, was difficulty managing a knife and fork. It’s one of those weird experiences that you can’t quite imagine until you experience it. And even when you do,…