Columns

Growing up, I had always wanted to be a teacher. However, when applying to colleges, I was encouraged to try engineering. My dad had always wanted one of his kids to be an engineer. I was the youngest and his last chance. So, I decided…

It’s hard to look back on this past year without finding some sort of grief, anger, confusion, heartache, or other emotion that gives us pause. We stop and ask ourselves if anything good has come of this year or if we took unwelcome steps, one after another, that led…

I recently had an unusual attack of kidney stones, passing 20 medium to large crystals within 24 hours. I stopped taking the plant-based vitamin I was trying, thinking it was the culprit, and the stones stopped. But the healing process took a surprisingly long time. My usual routine was thrown…

Every once in a while, the urge to crochet washes over me. It usually happens when the temperatures start to dip into the 30s when Christmas is just around the corner. During a recent visit home, the desire to make something with my hands emerged…

“Dealing with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s is not easy and there is no one, single technique that will ease the pain and no magic pill that will miraculously enable you to cope with it.” — John Baxter Parkinson’s treatment is a lifelong commitment that involves much more than just…

Sometimes we can get confused with all the abbreviations used to communicate in the different Parkinson’s communities. It can be frustrating, especially if you are newly diagnosed or beginning to gather information about the disease. That is why I try to spell out words instead of resorting to shortcuts. (Although…

Celebrating the recent holiday here in the U.S. tested our ability to adapt. It has always been a time for the family to gather, but not this year. Our family members decided not to congregate in a physical space. Instead, we adapted, connected through video, spoke on the phone, and…

As a parent with young-onset Parkinson’s disease, I’ve been adjusting and adapting to the bumps and detours of my life. One of those adjustments has been our expectations for family events, from milestone events to everyday activities. With young-onset Parkinson’s, we hope our health doesn’t rob us or our family…

Several years ago, I was introduced to Barney Saltzberg’s children’s book titled “Beautiful Oops!” In it, a bent piece of paper becomes a penguin’s beak while a torn piece of paper becomes a crocodile’s mouth. The point of the book is that almost anything damaged can become a beautiful…

With the biggest shopping day of the year nearly upon us, our anxiety levels may reach extremely high levels.  Here’s an idea: Shop from home for your favorite Parkinson’s patient. Avoid the maskless coughers and sneezers standing in front of you at the checkout lines who refuse to social…