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

I visualize my Parkinson’s disease as a form of brain injury — specifically to small portions of the midbrain. I imagine the total volume of damaged area to be about the size of a golf ball. This means I have the rest of my brain to use for…

I have scars on my retinas I can’t see through. Parkinson’s disease doesn’t cause them, but they do significantly limit my vision. Imagine you’re in the car, looking through the front windshield. A bird flies by and leaves a big dropping right in the middle of your view. It’s…

It’s difficult for people, even family, to understand the serious effects of stress on someone living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). A 2021 Nature article, “Stress and mindfulness in Parkinson’s disease — a survey in 5000 patients,”  suggests that stress has “considerable and detrimental influence on quality of life…

I’ve written previously about how Parkinson’s disease (PD) “breaks” the biological clock that regulates our wake-sleep cycle, disrupting our daily routines and sleep. For me, it manifests most acutely during “off periods,” when everything in my body shuts down. As a 2020 article published in The American…

The most success I had helping those with brain injuries was when I had regular access to both the design and delivery of therapy. Inside a rehab center, there’s good access to both these elements. This would often change when the patient was sent home. My success in designing rehab…

Every year the president of the United States gives a State of the Union address, telling citizens (and the world) how he thinks things are going. This is me telling readers how I’m doing. It’s been eight years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. After writing two books…

I had plans for a day in paradise. Crisp fall weather beckoned me outside to the garden. It was also day three of my 10-day Parkinson’s week, which is usually a good day. I was eager to get into the day, but Parkinson’s disease had other plans. The night…

Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease. While symptoms and disease progression are unique to each person, knowing the stages of Parkinson’s can help. Some people experience changes over 20 years or more, while others find that the disease progresses more quickly. During the first five years after…

Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks used the term “crisis” to describe the episodes when Parkinson’s symptoms flare up. I’ve called these events surges, off periods, and bad days. In his classic “Awakenings,” Sacks describes the symptoms of one Parkinson’s disease patient by saying, “No…

Finding moments of calm during the chaotic brainstorm of Parkinson’s disease is crucial to my self-management. Before I was diagnosed, my best stretch of continuous calm was 14 days. Now, I get excited if I can maintain 14 minutes. I see getting to the calm state of…