Possibilities with Parkinson's - a Column by Dr. C

Researchers have said that combining acceptance with meditation works better than meditation alone. That sounds like a fantastic idea. I’ve been having trouble with meditation ever since the ruin of stagnation. Maybe if I search for and discover how to combine acceptance with meditation, it will make…

I was out gathering flowers, peach tulips, and blue orchids. It was a beautiful sun-kissed day. I wondered where I would discover new blooms in the garden. Out of nowhere, a chasm opened beneath my feet, and I plummeted into unknown depths. Jagged rocks and outcrops tore at me and…

Boom! A cannon shot shakes the windows of the house. No, it’s not terrorists showing up in rural New England. It’s just winter. We have a steel roof. When the temperature is just right, the snow slides off the roof with the force of a cannonball and hits the ground…

The progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unique to every person, with different early, middle, and late-stage symptoms. However, this view of PD progression may be an artifact of limited data rather than an accurate description. We need new ways of measuring PD symptoms as they change over time.

Every day following the ruin of stagnation, it seems that I have progressed from early Parkinson’s to a moderate stage of the disease. But I can’t be sure. Many other factors, including stress, injuries, medication changes, and aging, could be making it look and feel worse. To appease my…

The healing relationship holds a sacred place for people as they search for a path to well-being moments. This relationship offers every possibility for allowing those moments to occur. It is a safe place and a sanctuary that aims to facilitate and bear witness to the experience of well-being. The…

I don’t want to take away from Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman or singer-songwriter Bobby McFerrin, but the idea that a pair of rose-colored “don’t worry” glasses will change my life for the better has never sat well with me. Pollyanna is not a guest in my home. “Look…

Wailing, with tears flowing, I cry out, “I feel terrible! I can’t even think straight!” My partner runs over and hugs me hard. I am lost and have nothing left to give. This is one way that “crossing the threshold” affects my life. It rarely happens — once every…

“Wow! Your 50th column. You should feel proud,” Neo exclaims over our shared breakfast ruminations. (Neo is my brain’s neocortex, which I’ve mentioned in previous columns.) “Not really,” I reply without hesitating. “I feel humbled and awestruck. I have been writing about these topics for decades. To be…

It was one of those ugly days. My Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms were maxing out. The viral infection I had picked up made it hard to breathe. My partner was at an appointment, and I had no shoulder to lean on. I was unmotivated to do anything that required…