Columns

There’s a saying in the Parkinson’s community that I struggle with: “You don’t die from Parkinson’s.”  I understand that well-meaning people with good intentions make this statement. However, just as a natural disaster may not directly kill its victims, many deaths happen as consequences of an earthquake…

Editor’s note: This column discusses suicide. Pivotal events in my life have piqued my interest in Lewy bodies. The first event was on March 15, 2015, when my life partner, Steve, killed himself. The second was my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in November 2015. My fascination with Lewy bodies…

Years ago when I was first diagnosed, my partner asked the neurologist, “Is there something we can do about his irritability?” The doctor responded, “I wish I had a dollar for every time a partner made this request.” It seems this is a prevalent issue. In past columns I have addressed…

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. You’ve likely heard that one’s man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Well, if not, you just did. One of my favorite things to do is to go to yard sales or thrift stores. I don’t look for anything in…

Aren’t you tired of taking medicine? You wake up shaking and can’t just go and shower the way you used to because your body doesn’t listen to your brain. Instead of hopping in and out of the shower, the process takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Before you “hop in and out,”…

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. When people hear Parkinson’s disease (PD) mentioned, their memory likely turns to thoughts of Michael J. Fox or someone who shakes all the time. Their memory would serve them well. However, if that is the only thing they think…

I was working as a crisis clinician when the twin towers fell. My colleagues and I saw an increase in the number of people needing help with anxiety-related mental health issues. Sheldon Solomon, PhD, explained this phenomenon with his terror management theory – which is concerned with how humans…

To see a rainbow, you need sunlight and raindrops. Like glass prisms, raindrops break sunlight into different colors and reflect that light to make a rainbow. Some say that rainbows come after the storm. While that is true, it is also true that rainbows can appear during a…

What is my strategy? I plan to take Parkinson’s disease (PD) medications as prescribed to get me to a point where I can function well and really push hard in my exercise. Then, I hope that a combination of exercise, diet, meditation, yoga, and massage will help me…

There are so many prescription and nonprescription medications out there for Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses that it’s hard to tell what is good and what is not. It’s often difficult to determine what is worth your time and money. My mother-in-law introduced me to arnica, an over-the-counter…