Columns

Family gatherings at home are often supercharged with emotion, tension, and anxiety, but I’m grateful for the time spent together. Attending these get-togethers gives us an opportunity to remember what’s most important and deepen our connections with one another. When I walked in the door of my parents’ house on…

My sister, Bev, who has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD), is a Fox News and Hallmark Channel junkie. Although I tease her that Hallmark movies always have the same basic themes and storylines and that TV news is hype, Bev says watching them helps her focus and concentrate. And…

Seizures. The word conjures images of a contorted, twitching body and total loss of motor control. But that’s just one type, known as tonic-clonic seizures. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements…

“Thanks for putting into words my experience with Parkinson’s. I’m going to share your column with my doctor.” Readers of my “Possibilities with Parkinson’s” column have often made such comments. It’s a sincere compliment, and I’m very grateful that my words resonate with others. However, I can’t help but wonder…

Spring is finally here, and when I think spring, I think baseball. Just like in baseball, where each team has a roster of players, Parkinson’s patients have their own teams of professionals in their lineup. Let me tell you about my team and its batting order. For my team, the…

In a four-part audio series for Newman Catholic Campus Ministry called “Nothing to Fear,” the Rev. Mike Schmitz delves into several elements of fear: vulnerability, rejection, inadequacy, and the future. The series led me to ask, “How do we view fear?” I believe many people see fear as something…

Every year in April, Parkinson’s Awareness Month comes and goes, and I find myself wondering if anything has changed. Did the temporary boost of attention spark change in the medical community? Did fundraising efforts make a difference in our pursuit to end this disease? How might we maintain our…

My sister, Bev, 84, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 2017 after having undiagnosed symptoms for about eight years. She told me that while working as a nurse and then as an echocardiography technician, she experienced the shaking of her head and left hand. Bev also had some…

Notable events, like my granddaughter’s school play, often are not scheduled to accommodate my Parkinson’s disease (PD). Usually, early evening events seem to occur exactly as I reach the peak of my worst “off” period. But will I miss these types of activities? No! I need to be out…

Keeping adequate reserve in our personal reservoir of energy helps us to be available for the lucid times. We need to minimize fatigue and add richness to life despite living with a chronic illness like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Managing the well of resources involves not only filling up the…