Columns

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…

“Oh, poor me. I have lost so much,” I moan, hanging my head down and shuffling my feet. My partner looks up from her book. “Did you say something, dear?” “Just another rough period,” I say with an affect as flat as the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport. It’s a personal…

As a Colorado resident, I often wonder about the healing power of plants. We live in a time when the pharmaceutical industry is booming. Pills exist to tame nearly any symptom, but they often can have unwanted side effects. The side effects of plants, however, may be less harsh, or…

I attend a Rock Steady Boxing class twice a week. Rock Steady Boxing is a program founded in 2006 by Scott Newman, who has Parkinson’s disease, along with his friend, Vince Perez, who does not have Parkinson’s.  The class is more than merely exercising or getting “Parkinson’s fit.”…

During one of my many moments spent pondering frivolous stuff, I recently was thinking about colors and the emotions they represent. Here is what I came up with. I love the color yellow. It reminds me of walking into spring, hoe in hand and clippers in tow. Then I waltz…

“What? You’re moving again? Are you insane?” Neo exclaims. (Neo is my brain’s neocortex, which I’ve mentioned in previous columns.) “I’ve been called many things, yet still retain my sanity. I hope to do so through this very stressful process of moving,” I respond. “How do you plan to…

Would you — a person with Parkinson’s — ever call yourself a dancer? An artist? Graceful? Well, it’s possible. Be open to the idea. You may be surprised. I certainly was. Recently, I met David Leventhal, the program director of Dance for PD. The program brings together trained dancers…