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Before I knew I had Parkinson’s disease, or even what it was, my family lost their collective mind. They insisted I was whispering and they couldn’t hear what I was saying. I still remember thinking they were all crazy. Were they gaslighting me? Why would they do that? Was…

There are a lot of hoops to jump through leading up to deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, such as neurocognitive testing, health insurance approvals, medical team meetings, preoperative testing, and surgery scheduling, to name a few. It may seem like once all of this is done and the surgeries…

Twenty years ago, I developed frozen shoulders. Yes, plural. Over the course of a year, both of my shoulders locked up, causing me to gasp in pain when doing the simplest tasks — brushing my teeth, putting on deodorant, combing my hair. It took months of physiotherapy, and then…

Everywhere you look, it seems, ads and notifications holler about remedies to ailments that people suffer from in the United States. Flip on the television, and it won’t be long before an ad about some medication will invade your consciousness. “If you have [insert disease], talk to your doctors about…

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” — Christopher Reeve A hero is typically admired for their achievements and noble qualities, while a classical hero might be someone who dies in the pursuit of honor. From my perspective,…

Parkinson’s disease involves a series of wait-and-see scenarios. Which part is worse: the waiting or the seeing? If you’d asked me that question before my Parkinson’s diagnosis, the clear answer would’ve been seeing. For me, ignorance was bliss. Fast forward a decade, and my answer has changed. I’ve…

A few weeks ago, I was driving to see my son, Jake, at college. I’ve written before about visiting him, but this was different from my usual college visits. It was 4:45 a.m. when we got Jake’s call: “I’m heading to the hospital.” I immediately packed a bag and hit…

I’ve heard many stories about Parkinson’s disease changing relationships. Some community members observe personality changes that make their partner feel like a stranger again. Others notice inconsistencies in their loved one’s behavior, such as mood swings and ambivalence. Sometimes the affected relationship survives the changes. Other times, it…

When you’re asked about Parkinson’s disease, how do you describe it? Do you have any particular ways of imagining Parkinson’s that are helpful for you to understand or explain the disorder? Any pictures, diagrams, or frameworks that provide meaningful context? Or when you’re trying to motivate yourself to…

Planning a vacation or any type of trip can be exciting; it’s fun to have the calendar full of events. Our family has been fortunate to have traveled to many parts of the world. We traveled often before my husband, Arman, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in…