Columns

Here is a riddle for you: “How do people with Parkinson’s disease shave?” “Very carefully!” Not long after my husband Arman’s diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2009, it was clear that shaving had become a complicated process. In the years before he had deep brain…

Many losses are associated with Parkinson’s disease, some more impactful than others. So far, because of deep brain stimulation (DBS), which I had in 2021, I’ve had more gains than losses in the past couple of years. It’s changed my life for the better in so many ways,…

My husband, Arman, and I spent almost 20 years of our married life in one house. Before that, we moved several times during his medical training, but the majority of our family memories were created in that house. It was the place our three children considered home. We moved into…

When I am not writing my column for Parkinson’s News Today, I work for a small healthcare company. One of my favorite parts of the job is coordinating care for clients. I assist with in-home caregiver management, care reporting, and medication and medical supply management, and I…

My husband, John, and I got our cat Rosie from the animal shelter many years ago. She was a muted calico, the smallest and prettiest of all our indoor cats. What a sweetie she was. We called her my daemon, after the animals that were a physical manifestation of a…

I have an autoimmune disease. I’ve known about it for about as long as my dad has known about his Parkinson’s disease. And sometimes it’s striking to see how the treatment strategies vary between illnesses. Both diseases are progressive, causing worsening symptoms over time. My medication dosages…

Stress! Life is full of it, and it’s nearly impossible to avoid. Although stress is our body’s natural reaction to dealing with a difficult situation, it doesn’t feel very natural. There are many types of stress that we encounter daily. Some stressors are considered big, such as a move, a…

I love a funny movie. Our family often rewatches our favorites over and over again. Some jokes just never get old. The more we watch, the better the punchlines become. My recipe for a perfect night includes a delicious takeout meal (Italian or Mexican fare is my personal preference) and…

When I was a kid, the world was divided into the haves and the have-nots. The haves never wanted for anything, while the have-nots had to find a way to navigate their lives without the appropriate resources to do so. I fell into the have-nots. And anytime I struggled to…

Can there be anything beautiful in Parkinson’s disease? It’s so easy to see the ugly and clutch the feeling that all is lost. I hate to say it, but sometimes we need to experience loss to break through to another level of understanding. This certainly has been true in…