Columns

Sometimes we say “I’m sorry” and we mean it. Sometimes we say “Thank you” and we mean it. And sometimes, we don’t mean it at all. Let me explain When we are overwhelmed with living, stress takes over and we are weary and worn out. It feels as if…

I don’t remember having a teddy bear as a child. I do remember a pink monkey and a rabbit that my grandma made for me. There have been times during my journey with Parkinson’s disease that I have wanted a teddy bear — something to hold tight that would…

“Hey, Doc, you don’t look so good. Like a walking zombie,” Neo says with genuine concern. (Neo is my brain’s neocortex. I’ve mentioned him in previous columns.) I let out a bigger sigh than usual. “This move to St. Louis, Missouri, halfway across the country is unusually difficult. The…

Sleep. It used to be something that came to me as natural as breathing. Now, it eludes me, and I struggle to get the rest my body needs. My body is exhausted, but my mind does not agree. I think about what I should have done that day but didn’t…

With Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement, some days you need a little nudge to keep going. Other days require a huge push. I recently watched a video that told the story of a pastor who asks his friend, a heart surgeon, if he can…

 “When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no ‘I’ll start tomorrow.’ Tomorrow is disease.” –V.L. Allineare In December, I asked members of the Parkinson’s News Today Forums if anyone was an athlete prior to their diagnosis. By “athlete,” I mean a recreational athlete who consistently trains…

One of my favorite stories is an old Cherokee tale that goes something like this: A Cherokee grandfather is talking to his grandson about life. He tells him that there is a struggle going on inside all people — a struggle between two wolves.  He explains that one…

For my PhD research, I wanted to examine in more detail the processes by which humans move from traumatic injury, like traumatic brain injury, to a place of well-being. My clinical experience led me to consider two things that people drew upon. I found that, firstly, they drew upon cognitive…

We all want to feel that we have something we can depend on, something we can call “normal” in this fight against Parkinson’s disease. But Parkinson’s is anything but normal.  You might have heard that each person with Parkinson’s wears the disease differently. How the disease manifests is unique…

When my kids were younger and still in school, I volunteered to be a driver for most of their field trips. One of the most memorable outings was when I took my youngest son and his classmates to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I had been there several…