Columns

Deep Fatigue Is More than Tiredness

Fatigue is a symptom commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and one I experience more often each year. The term “fatigue” alone does not do justice to the experience. It is too easy to relate fatigue to being tired or overworked, or to muscle aches after hard physical labor. I…

ABCs of Parkinson’s: ‘H’ Is for Heroes

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. Ninja Turtles. Batman. Superman. Wonder Woman.  If you were to list today’s heroes, the list would most likely contain those mentioned above, the tried and true of all “heroes.” When it came time for my 10th-grade son to…

Black Doggy Goes to the Doctor

“Why can’t I go?” asked my granddaughter, whom I call Boo. “The doctor is trying to fix my brain and it won’t be any fun,” I replied as 3-year-old Boo looked at me curiously. I had undergone deep brain stimulation two weeks earlier for my Parkinson’s disease,…

Welcome to My Pity Party

Today began with a pity party and I had to take out the hats. Like most people with Parkinson’s (PwP), our days — even our hours and minutes — are a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. My day started extremely low, and my pity party began…

The Games People Play

I had every good intention of writing a column about my first experience with Rock Steady Boxing last week, but alas, things don’t always work out as planned. My first attempt A week ago, I walked into a gym settled in a nearby valley on a beautiful…

A New Look at Freezing: ‘Scenario Looping Breakdowns’ As an Early Symptom

Reframing how we describe symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) can help us understand the disease spectrum concept that I introduced last week. One such symptom is the movement disorder called “freezing.” I believe there is an early PD symptom variation of freezing, called “scenario looping breakdown.” Understanding it may help…