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In the summer of 2019, I visited my niece, Lou, and my older sister, Bev, in Ohio. While I was there, we decided to drive to Colonial Williamsburg, an outdoor museum in Virginia, for a brief trip. Bev has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD) and was 81 at the…

To live better with Parkinson’s disease, I had to relearn how to walk – “performing” while using mindful movements instead of absent-minded walking. I had to relearn how to talk, being mindful of volume, projection, and using lots of “pause between” to clarify my thoughts before blurting. I…

My sister, Bev, who has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease, has developed major hearing difficulties since her diagnosis in 2017. Bev has worn hearing aids to treat age-related hearing loss for several years, but they have become less effective, particularly with the onset of Parkinson’s,…

It’s the time of year when many of us relish connecting with our families and friends and spending time together to reflect on our blessings. I’m talking about Thanksgiving, of course, although sometimes it feels like it’s being turned into “ThanksChristmas.” My sister Bev…

The “pause between” is my new Parkinson’s self-management tool. I use it every day to help me switch from old ways of reacting to the “flicker effect” (dysregulated systems). It provides improved threshold management and mindful movements, which make life easier. The old ways are like a paved…

According to a 2013 article in The New York Times, the average American knows about 600 people. Since the debut of “Life, Lemons, and Lemonade” over two years ago, I have met many doctors, community educators, foundation directors, researchers, and people with Parkinson’s disease. Between fundraisers, Zoom support…

My sister Bev, who has stage 3 Parkinson’s disease (PD), was diagnosed in 2017. She currently faces cognitive challenges, including issues with decision-making and short-term memory. The Parkinson’s Foundation notes that cognitive impairment is common among people with Parkinson’s, and the “same brain changes that lead to motor symptoms…

Armed with the tools of threshold management and mindful movements, I am ready to put the brakes on this accelerating Parkinson’s progression. Having tools and using them wisely are two different things. It’s the distinction between the design and delivery of my Parkinson’s self-management program. For me, the use…

Journaling can be therapeutic for all of us. For someone with a chronic illness like Parkinson’s disease, storytelling by way of writing can leave a legacy for friends and family, and it can even change a person’s perspective about facing illness. In explaining why she decided to keep a journal,…

One of the major goals I have for managing Parkinson’s disease is to decrease the frequency and intensity of the “ugly days.” Ugly days are episodic in my life but still require managing symptoms every day. If I can keep the worst of the symptoms at bay, I — and…