Columns

Relearning how to eat with Parkinson’s disease is more than being mindful of mouth movements. It requires careful observations of the motivations behind what food to eat, when, and how much. Relearning how to eat required me to examine the drive to start eating and the desire to stop…

My sister Bev, who has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD), is delighted when the spring equinox arrives in Ohio, where she lives. Gone for the most part are the blustery winter storms and frigid temps. Appearing are the fragrant floral blossoms and the season of smells on the outdoor…

There are many ways to get a backache. This is new for me — lower back pain that leads to spasms and literally drives me to my knees. It doesn’t feel like the pain from overdoing it in the garden. Every gardener knows that exquisite twinge from too much lifting…

Over the years, I’ve found myself attracted to writing stories about the underdog. I love learning about people who come up against seemingly insurmountable odds, only to overcome them through sheer grit, ingenuity, and determination. In 2015, my first published article was about a woman who fell 45 feet…

My sister Bev had symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) for about eight years before she was properly diagnosed in 2017 at the age of 78. She told me that before she was diagnosed, while she was first working as a nurse and then as an echocardiography technician, she experienced uncontrollable…

I lost most of my vision two years ago and became legally blind. It was devastating. Through the course of rehabilitation with a low vision clinic, I was taught how to see in a very new way, called eccentric viewing. Eccentric viewing is a method by which a…

My mom says, “You only get one set of teeth. Take care of them.” This is especially important with Parkinson’s disease. Regular dental visits are a vital part of your care plan. However, it’s much easier said than done, especially when your dentist retires. After months of procrastinating, you’ll…

We’ve all heard that having an attitude of gratitude can make a difference when doing this thing called life. But does gratitude make a difference for someone who is experiencing the distressing effects of Parkinson’s disease (PD), or for their caregivers? In a beautifully written Parkinson’s News Today column…

Some people go on vacations to play. For me, play is when I’m creating: writing columns, building garden landscapes, and being of service. Living with a chronic illness can be overwhelming. It helps to have a healthy sense of play, a playful mind, a lightness of being. Being a…

“Mary Beth, I’ll be starting a new Parkinson’s exercise class this week,” my dad told me early one morning. Before COVID-19 hit, Dad was religiously taking Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) classes at a local facility. But the pandemic forced that particular location to close permanently, leaving my dad…