Columns

In recent columns, I touched on my frustrations with clinical trials and how, as a patient, I felt out of the loop regarding meaningful research and development. Despite all my efforts to get involved, I’ve realized it’s a slow-churning, big-money system. I can’t see how I can personally make…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation surgery. Not everyone will have the same response to the procedure. Consult your doctor before considering any particular therapy or treatment. Last in a series. Read parts one, two, and three. In part three of…

March 3 marked one year since my father passed away. As I reflect on his journey, I realize how much his retirement contributed to the worsening of his Parkinson’s symptoms. In hindsight, I see that while retirement should have been a time of relaxation, it played an unexpected and…

Do you have a long list of binge-worthy shows typed into the notes application on your phone? If you’re like me, you do. Whenever a friend mentions a show they’ve enjoyed, I add it to my list. My husband, Arman, and I watch our shows as we settle into our…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation surgery. Not everyone will have the same response to the procedure. Consult your doctor before considering any particular therapy or treatment. Third in a series. Read parts one and two. In part two of this series,…

This winter has been hard here in Ontario, Canada. It’s been cold, dark, and snowy. Plus, my Parkinson’s symptoms worsened, with freezing and dyskinesia happening more frequently, my balance being at an all-time low, and fatigue ruling my days. In the past, I’d been able to keep most of my…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation surgery. Not everyone will have the same response to the procedure. Consult your doctor before considering any particular therapy or treatment. Second in a series. Read part one.  In last week’s column, I left off at the…

As a caregiver to a husband with Parkinson’s disease, I often feel like we’re in an unseaworthy boat surrounded by sharks, searching for a lighthouse. So far, nearly 11 years after my husband Eric’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, we’ve been able to ride the waves of the disease’s progression.

Sometimes I think about the odd medical practices that were used hundreds of years ago to treat illnesses and how those strategies compare with today’s practices. In the 19th century, milk transfusions were considered to be an adequate replacement for blood transfusions. (While some patients survived the procedure,…

Growing up, we always had a dog in our family. My mom was particularly fond of schnauzer breeds, so I always had a gray-haired, old-man-looking dog to walk, feed, and keep me company. One dog, Charlie Brown, came into our family a few years before I was born, so we…