Columns

I have scars on my retinas I can’t see through. Parkinson’s disease doesn’t cause them, but they do significantly limit my vision. Imagine you’re in the car, looking through the front windshield. A bird flies by and leaves a big dropping right in the middle of your view. It’s…

In today’s world, information is available at our fingertips. All day, every day, information bombards us. If you’ve ever used a search engine to research Parkinson’s disease, you’ve likely encountered sites with the latest statistics, which are alarming. According to the…

Every year, the holidays sneak up on me, and I’m left scrambling for the perfect Christmas gifts. My dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, is particularly tough to shop for, so I’ve taken to looking for Parkinson’s-friendly gifts over the past few years. One year, I set up a…

When our first daughter, Alexa (whom we call Lexy), was born in 1996, we were in our mid-20s. My husband, Arman, and I were obsessive first-time parents, documenting in detail her feedings, diaper contents, and sleep (or lack thereof) schedule. All visitors were required to scrub their hands before entering…

It’s difficult for people, even family, to understand the serious effects of stress on someone living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). A 2021 Nature article, “Stress and mindfulness in Parkinson’s disease — a survey in 5000 patients,”  suggests that stress has “considerable and detrimental influence on quality of life…

Our family loves musical theater. My husband, Arman, and I used to go to the theater often before we had children, and we were thrilled when our kids also took an interest. Our daughters, Lexy and Mandy, were involved in local community theater productions from a young age. As a…

I’ve written previously about how Parkinson’s disease (PD) “breaks” the biological clock that regulates our wake-sleep cycle, disrupting our daily routines and sleep. For me, it manifests most acutely during “off periods,” when everything in my body shuts down. As a 2020 article published in The American…

A new opportunity recently brought me to a different kind of Parkinson’s exercise class: “singercise.” “Singercise” consists of singing, toe-tapping, and general fun for an hour at a time. In a previous column titled “Music Therapy Can Be Just What the Doctor Ordered,” I wrote about the benefits of…

We vividly remember very few days in our lives, and the rest of our memories tend to blur together. I’m always amazed at how accurately I remember specific events from childhood, like witnessing my neighbor’s house burn to the ground when I was around 7 years old; I can still…

The most success I had helping those with brain injuries was when I had regular access to both the design and delivery of therapy. Inside a rehab center, there’s good access to both these elements. This would often change when the patient was sent home. My success in designing rehab…