Columns

Sometimes you can feel as if you’re at the end of your proverbial rope. You’re holding on as tight as you can, hoping the blisters on the palms of your hands won’t become totally unbearable and you let go. I was thinking about all that’s going on lately…

Brain training happens all the time. The goal of Parkinson’s disease (PD) rehabilitation is to use training to limit the effects of the condition. When training the brain, it is important to be mindful of what it is doing while implementing a practice of mental attentiveness. This specific type of…

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. When diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), or any disease, it is always beneficial to educate yourself about it. Ask yourself: Do they know what caused it? What are the symptoms? How can I best care for myself? Is there…

Why is there no cure for PD? In my mind, there are several potential reasons there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The brain is an extremely complex organ and there is no known definitive cause for the disease. Each PD diagnosis is unique, patients suffer…

Winter has just about landed upon us, and it’s getting to be that time of year when we hang up garden tools, freeze-proof the outside water spigots, and pull out the heavy sweaters and rain boots. For many of us, it also means trying to get warm and…

Impulsivity is a symptom commonly associated with both Parkinson’s disease (PD) and some of the medications used to treat it. Impulsivity involves acting on urges with little thought to the consequences — that seven-year itch that feels like it must be scratched — regardless of the problems that may…

Some people’s reactions to a person with a disability can be disheartening. They stare, make thoughtless comments, point fingers, or whisper. Some people don’t know how to handle a person who has an obvious disease, disability, or illness. They may be uncomfortable around one who is disabled, which…

There’s a saying in the Parkinson’s community that I struggle with: “You don’t die from Parkinson’s.”  I understand that well-meaning people with good intentions make this statement. However, just as a natural disaster may not directly kill its victims, many deaths happen as consequences of an earthquake…

Editor’s note: This column discusses suicide. Pivotal events in my life have piqued my interest in Lewy bodies. The first event was on March 15, 2015, when my life partner, Steve, killed himself. The second was my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in November 2015. My fascination with Lewy bodies…

Years ago when I was first diagnosed, my partner asked the neurologist, “Is there something we can do about his irritability?” The doctor responded, “I wish I had a dollar for every time a partner made this request.” It seems this is a prevalent issue. In past columns I have addressed…