Columns

I recently had a FaceTime conversation with Brittany Dunnum, a speech therapist in Lewiston, Idaho, who works with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and utilizes methods developed by the nonprofit Parkinson Voice Project. I met her in Washington, D.C., at the 2019 Parkinson’s Policy Forum sponsored by The Michael…

For most of my life, those around me have perceived therapy as taboo. I was taught that if you’re in therapy, something must be wrong with you. From that perspective, it’s a resource people seek only if they’ve experienced a big trauma, or perhaps behavioral problems. This…

My sister, Bev, has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD), which causes her to experience balance and short-term memory issues, along with hand tremors. While visiting her in Ohio last month, I noticed Bev’s PD had progressed. She was having more difficulty with balance, memory, and chronic fatigue,…

In a column two years ago, I shared that I’m not the only case of a Parkinson’s patient showing at least a slower than normal decline. I was just two years out from my Parkinson’s diagnosis when I read in 2016 that researchers had identified a…

My battle with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is getting more difficult. I have more pain, more motor and nonmotor problems, and more difficulty processing emotions. The stages of Parkinson’s are defined by the Parkinson’s Foundation, yet everyone is different in how they progress and at what rate. I feel…

Decluttering and downsizing are often associated with simplifying, in line with the concept “less is more.” Both may be necessary as we continue our journey with Parkinson’s disease. But there’s a third D-word missing: difficult. My oldest son said, “Downsize now because you want to do it together. Don’t…

Few things enable personal freedom as much as a car. When you live in the great automotive state of Michigan, just a short one-hour drive from the headquarters of companies like Ford and General Motors, this reality seems even starker. People use vehicles to go to the grocery store, church,…

I used to develop workaround rehab models to help folks recover from traumatic brain injury. They were needed to circumvent the damaged areas of the brain and to make new neural pathways. Currently, I’m applying that same approach to my own rehabilitation with Parkinson’s disease. My model places…

I admit it. We are cat people. Cats are more suitable companions for our lifestyle, particularly given the constraints of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Petie is my familiar, and Squeaker is Mrs. Dr. C’s snuggle pal. Relationships with cats are special, especially for anyone with a chronic illness like…

I often get asked if a person can drive after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The answer is yes. Some are able to drive for many years after a diagnosis. However, we must consider the safety of everyone on the road, including ourselves. The last thing we want is…