Columns

I’m unsure about how I feel today, but I am certain it’s not me. I am not at my best. Tired and weary, I am running this race against time. I hope I am running it well. We all believed, at one point or another, that we had a limitless…

“Your mission, should you choose to accept it … This tape will self-destruct in 10 seconds.” — Mission: Impossible (TV series). What is my problem? At times, putting on my clothes in the morning can be an impossible mission. This is one of the unseen symptoms that some people…

A huge part of bringing in the new year is buying a new calendar, a new journal, a copy of the book you have vowed to read, or a working scale — one that tips in your favor and not against it when counting those unwanted pounds. The first days…

I recently attended a symposium titled “Shaping the Future” at the University of Delaware. The event, organized by the Johns Hopkins Udall Center, was patient-oriented, so rather than their peers, the expert speakers were addressing people with Parkinson’s. Looking around the room, I noticed that the audience included people…

Boom! A cannon shot shakes the windows of the house. No, it’s not terrorists showing up in rural New England. It’s just winter. We have a steel roof. When the temperature is just right, the snow slides off the roof with the force of a cannonball and hits the ground…

Dad used to tell us that he has two sets of clothes: a normal set and a set of “skinny clothes” that emerge when he gets sick. Dad was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in his 30s, and the illness caused him to lose a startling amount of weight. He was…

Have you ever heard someone say that Parkinson’s can be blamed for much and many a thing? I have. And why not blame our woes on this disease? It’s taken much and many a thing from us. Things that we, at one time in our lives, had full…

I was playing a nice, calm game of Hearts with my kids and grandkids when I started laughing. Again. My outburst was not out of the ordinary, unless somewhat irrepressible mirth counts as abnormal. I’ve experienced several bouts of uncontrollable laughter in the last few months. I have noticed that…

The progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unique to every person, with different early, middle, and late-stage symptoms. However, this view of PD progression may be an artifact of limited data rather than an accurate description. We need new ways of measuring PD symptoms as they change over time.

Every year, I compile a list of holiday gift ideas for people with Parkinson’s disease. This year, I’ve taken my favorites from previous lists and added some new ideas. I’m offering them here for those who need assistance with finding the right gift for their loved one. A few…