Columns

My dad has always been my superhero. When I was a child, he was the person who would rush home with pizza, sugary drinks, and laughter to break the tension of the day. As I grew older and began navigating the complexities of high school, I knew I could pour…

Parkinson’s disease is not only degenerative but incurable, which means it gets worse, to some degree, every day. While we still don’t have any proven disease-modifying treatments — those that will actually stop, reverse, and cure Parkinson’s — advances in technology have helped to control symptoms. And as I’ve…

Dear readers, I have been writing my column, “The Bright Side,” for Parkinson’s News Today for almost three years. How fast that went! I’m always amazed at how the days seem to move slowly, yet the years pass quickly. When I first agreed to write the column, I…

Many ancient civilizations believed that the Earth was flat. This worldview was tethered to the simple, familiar image of a flat plane with edges you could fall off. Of course, the Earth was never flat, but thousands of years ago, it may have seemed that way. That was the…

Anniversaries can be good and bad, loving celebrations or reminders of past tragedies. For me, the anniversary of my diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease is a bit of both. It was awful and tragic and life-altering in some ways. But it’s also the day we named the monster that…

While boarding a recent flight, I noticed a man a few paces ahead of me in line. He looked to be in his 60s, with sun-worn skin and wrinkles framing his eyes. He wore a worried look on his face while watching the airport screen. I couldn’t help but observe…

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you’ll understand the following metaphor. You walk in with the faint hope of progress. Maybe today will be different. Maybe the line will be short. Maybe the system will work. Maybe, finally, someone will call…

My husband, Arman, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, was hospitalized recently after falling and breaking multiple ribs. During his weeklong stay, we often heard a lullaby playing. I was convinced that it was the cellphone ringtone of another patient on our floor. But a few days into his…

September is the most active month for hurricanes in the U.S., so it makes sense that it’s also National Preparedness Month. It’s essential to consider how you’d survive in the face of a natural disaster — be it a hurricane, flood, or wildfire — and to make plans for…

Technology can be challenging to navigate, even for someone like me who grew up as it emerged. However, I’ll be the first to admit that it typically makes my life better. Back in the early 2000s, my dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, kept track of all his appointments using…