Columns

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…

It was one of those “perfect storm” weeks, when everything came together in a cumulative effect to make life miserable. Too much stress on my system makes it exceedingly difficult to use the conductor due to malfunctions. This only happens to me a few times a year, but it is…

I heard something recently that was new to me — that we are living in “sandwich times.” In other words, this is the “sandwich generation.” It’s a time in history when many are simultaneously caring for both a child at home and a parent. Caring for a so-called normal…

Finding the right doctor who meets your needs as a person with Parkinson’s disease can be daunting. I have consulted with 11 neurologists, seven of whom were movement disorder specialists (MDS), in the five years since my initial diagnosis in 2015. Following are my top criteria in choosing what I…