Columns

Recently, my husband, Mike, commented on my ability to recall song lyrics. When we are in the car, I start singing along to any song that comes on the radio. Granted, most of the time it is classic rock, but I also cross into other genres. I have never received…

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease almost 20 years ago. Many of us with this disease can tell you when we first started noticing symptoms, which can be quite a time difference from when we received an actual diagnosis. Love and hate Sometimes it feels like just yesterday when we…

Sometimes we don’t want to go another day trapped inside a body that seeks to control our thoughts, moods, and feelings. If we need to have Parkinson’s, we want to be the one in charge. As long as possible, we want to have the final say. After all, it is…

“I feel terrible, yet everyone thinks I look fine.” I’ve heard this sentiment expressed many times by folks with Parkinson’s disease. So, why do we feel so bad? I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, and I am still so frustrated with trying to find relief from my symptoms. Just…

Several years ago, I attended a women’s conference. The speaker was very pretty. Her Dorothy Hamill haircut — most popular for the times — was styled just so, and her makeup was applied perfectly. Her earrings didn’t sit lopsided on her lobes, her clothes were neatly ironed, and all the…

One of my biggest problems with the current science about Parkinson’s disease is the way that progression is described. Early stages of the disease are poorly understood and explained. The transition from early to middle stage also lacks a firm definition, particularly if one looks at the disease as…

One of my favorite sights is a dad and his child walking together and holding hands. I also absolutely love hearing the childhood laughter that comes from Dad rolling on the floor and roughhousing with his kids, otherwise known as playing “rough and tough” in my grandson’s house. When you…

This New Year’s Eve was, well, different. Our tuxedo, gown, and sparkly shoes were replaced by shorts, T-shirts, comfy pajamas, and slippers. My husband, Mike, and I didn’t have a plan, but ultimately, we spent New Year’s Eve creating our own date night. We cooked dinner, made a fire, played…

When we’re born into this world, it takes us about seven months to sit up for the first time. It takes about a year to learn how to walk. The learning process is long and difficult, and riddled with unsuccessful attempts and blunders along the way. The act of walking…

There was no reason for me to be sitting on the exam table in the doctor’s office wearing a flattering cotton gown. Well, let me back up. There was a reason. I was trying to find a new neurologist. I had already given up on finding a movement disorder specialist…