Columns

“Snowflakes. One of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they do when they stick together.” – Unknown As I look out my window, it is snowing. Watching the snow fall reminds me of a blog post I wrote…

I don’t have Parkinson’s disease, but my dad does. And sometimes I wonder how lonely it can be. Even when we as loved ones try to understand the disease, experiencing the symptoms seems really isolating. No, I don’t know what it’s like to struggle with tremors, dyskinesia, or freezing. Random…

It wasn’t long after I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 17 years ago that I started my blog, Parkinson’s Journey. Due to a general lack of information at the time, it became my mission to encourage others with this disease and to let them know they were…

It’s flu season, my least favorite time of year. I always experience some flu-like reactions to the vaccine and get a mild viral infection anyway. This year, after receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, I experienced strong (not adverse) reactions. Given the association between viruses and the exacerbation…

Every Parkinson’s disease patient has their own way of dealing with their diagnosis. Sometimes we accept it immediately. After all, we may have had a nagging idea that something wasn’t quite right with our bodies, after living with the symptoms for a while. Some of us may recall the…

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…