Columns

I used to be able to put long hours into just about anything I tackled: research, teaching, helping others, painting, writing, and gardening. But PD gobbles up time, just like the video game character Pac-Man gobbles up dots while chasing ghosts. Although I’m retired, I have less free time to…

When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 2015, I asked the neurologist if there was a definitive test to confirm a PD diagnosis. I mentioned a DaTscan, but he said the test is not entirely conclusive. He also indicated that DaTscan results likely would not…

If you asked me which symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most annoying, I may reply, “My soft voice.” I have always had a soft voice. Perhaps I have always had Parkinson’s disease! I have had a diagnosis of the disease a much shorter amount of time…

Depression is often associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), as is apathy. But there may be a subtle difference between the two. At the risk of oversimplifying, let’s define depression as a state of sadness and loss of interest, and apathy as an apparent lack of motivation. Put sadness and…

A reader recently posed the following question: “Why are there never any comments on dementia in regards to Parkinson’s disease? It is very real, and 40 percent of Parkinson’s patients deal with it.” So, I began looking into it. My answer could have been, “Because I don’t want…

Someone once said, “Life is hard.” Someone else said, “Life is hard, and then you die.” Another said, “Life is hard, but God is good.” That’s what I’m holding on to — the belief that although life is indeed hard, God is so very good.  You awake…

Search on the internet for early signs of Parkinson’s disease. Surprisingly, you will not find foot drag on most of the lists. Yet, Ali Samil, in the chapter “Cardinal Features of Early Parkinson’s Disease,” in the book “Parkinson’s Disease: Diagnosis and Clinical Management,” lists foot drag as an…

My son and his family were preparing to move. Was I willing to let them go? Yes. Did I want them to go? No. But that was my selfish desire. I have realized that the harder I try to hold on to what I want, the less I allow…

Why do I feel stuck? As my Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms worsen, my desperation to find relief increases. I constantly tell myself that if my symptoms don’t progress from where they are now, I can handle my dealt cards. However, I feel my ability to stay strong will…

The brain is a plastic organ continually reshaping itself in response to the stimuli it receives and the way those stimuli are processed. The old adage “use it or lose it” applies even in the face of a challenging disease like Parkinson’s. Computer gaming can help with brain training by…