Columns

When I’m not busy writing my weekly column for Parkinson’s News Today, I’m the managing director of a small medical advocacy organization in Cleveland. In this role, I’ve learned much about our ever-changing healthcare system and the importance of having a dedicated team to manage all aspects…

Planning for travel is essential, and my recent trip to Spain for the 6th World Parkinson Congress (WPC) posed a question: While the host city, Barcelona, had planned for me and others with Parkinson’s through the World Parkinson Coalition’s Parkinson’s Ready program, would I be able…

“Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.” — Brené Brown, “The Gifts of Imperfection” All patients with Parkinson’s disease slowly but surely…

Since my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2015, my sense of smell has been nonexistent. Overall, I have to say the loss hasn’t bothered me too much, especially when compared with other Parkinson’s symptoms, such as tremor, slowness, and stiffness. The only time it does bother me is…

Parkinson’s is an impactful disease that comes with a lot of challenges. As such, it probably isn’t a surprise to most that many Parkinson’s patients struggle with mental health at some point. In fact, up to 40% of Parkinson’s patients experience anxiety, according to the National Council on…

Do you ever notice how symptoms of Parkinson’s disease sometimes seem to start at the perimeter? You might first get a twitch in your pinkie finger or thumb, or it might be some other subtle problem, possibly starting on one side of your body or the other. At the…

I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to tell our story through this column, “The Bright Side.” My main goal in sharing our family’s story with the world was to help others dealing with similar situations. I also hope readers won’t feel so alone in their fight against…

Why do we often neglect our mental health? Although the term contains the word “health,” we don’t always care for the health of our minds as well as we do that of our bodies. If we’re feeling under the weather, for instance, maybe with cold or flu symptoms, we…

When my daughters were young, I used to joke that my superpower was the ability to worry. Now that they’ve grown into capable young adults, I don’t worry quite as much. Plus, what’s left to worry about? I already have an incurable illness, as I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s…

Living with a chronic illness that isn’t visible to others can be lonely. Friends and loved ones might not understand why you make certain choices, which forces you to justify your actions. If you skip a social outing, you might experience resistance from those who don’t understand your plight.