Columns

‘What is something your friends and family can do to show you how much they care?’ A while back, someone asked people with Parkinson’s disease this question on a public Facebook forum. One of the first replies was bittersweet. Bitter because of the loss that was undoubtedly experienced, and sweet…

Imagine that it is a bad day, and you are also in a Parkinson’s disease “off-period.” Normally, it would be time to rest, right? But what if family arrives for dinner? It was the only time they could manage in their busy lives, and I really wanted to see them.

I have frequented a gym for the past two years, participating in Rock Steady Boxing classes. I love the fellowship and camaraderie with other people who understand the Parkinson’s journey I am on.  Detour However, I have had to step back from my class for a while and…

I am reading a book whose story is set in a fictitious town by the name of Second Chance. We all know the phrase “second chance” is more than a made-up town full of cowboys and hoodlums.  A second chance can be a moment in life when you…

They all stood and watched the dog run through my gardens, trampling the newly transplanted iris and hostas. Neighbors called for their poorly trained dog to come. It did not. It continued in its role as a canine tank. I love my gardens. I put a lot of sweat into…

I sit here and look out my window. My garden is drooping in the 100-degree heat. A friend sends a photo of her cactus as it lies lifeless in its clay pot. Later in the day, after receiving some much-needed water,…

Have you ever left a follow-up appointment with the neurologist that felt unfinished? If you are having a bad day, it shows. But it may not be disease progression, it may just be a bad day. It is hard to convey a true representation of “how we are doing” in…

Looking frantic, Neo, my brain’s imaginary neocortex, sighs. “I can’t handle all of this,” he says. “Tips on how to live better with a chronic disease, tips on managing chronic pain, tips on depression and putting on a new face. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it…

I look ahead to the miles and miles of road stretching straight before me. As far as the eye can see, there’s only a worn, gray path known as Highway 62 that seems it will drop me off the edge, should we go far enough. Lined with pine and fir…

The image of Parkinson’s disease I called a caricature in a previous column about depression does not match how I see the illness, nor does it match what most people experience. We need a new face for the disease that reflects how people experience it, and that offers possibility…