Columns

I have written about “the conductor,” a mental construct useful for shifting perspective. The conductor likely has major neural components in a network of areas in the brain: the default mode network, the salience network, and the executive network. In this column, I will focus on the default mode…

I was helping my 86-year-old neighbor get dressed. After getting her shirt on, we grabbed her medications, and a sheriff, who was in the house with us, grabbed her shoes. I held her arm as we shuffled down the ramp together to where my husband was in the car. …

The idea for the title of my column, “Possibilities with Parkinson’s,” arose from my attempts to understand what was happening to me. Because I do not display the dramatic motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but have many of the non-motor symptoms, I seek out research that can help explain…

I met my friend Kathy when she came to our exercise class more than two years ago. She has Parkinson’s, too. Over the past year, we have developed a “big sister, little sister” relationship. Exercising is part of our time together, but we do so much more, including cooking, shopping,…

I recently zigzagged across the country, preparing to make my new home on the Eastern Seaboard for the winter. While my dad, Jim, observed my journey from afar, he sent me a message saying, “Maybe while you’re wandering around the country, you should wander home.”…

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, and luckily, thus far the symptoms are more of an annoying inconvenience. In the past few months, I have been struggling with disease progression and worsening symptoms. I believe this is because I haven’t been able to exercise like I have in…

During my training for the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1968, I was exposed to toxic chemicals in the water. Later, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigated and found that Parkinson’s disease was strongly associated with exposure to those toxic chemicals. Out of the…

The conductor is a mental construct that supports metacognitive processes while in a rested state. That means it is a nonjudgmental observer of the mind that is curious without causing harm. There are many benefits to having a strong conductor, but for me, the most beneficial is the…

A loud crack. I turned and yelled at my grandson, “Keep the billiard balls on the table!” The noise was so loud that I was sure the ball had smashed into the Sheetrock wall. I’ve been known to bounce a ball off the table practicing a special billiard shot. But,…

Sometimes you’re living life to the fullest and forgetting Parkinson’s while doing something you never expected. Recently, for me, it was fishing — something outside my comfort zone. Fishing — really? My first adventure was last summer with friends who wanted to share their love of fishing. It was a…