Columns

As a person with Parkinson’s, do you think hiking is a viable exercise option? If your answer is a resounding “No!” you are not alone. If someone had told me in the past that I would take up hiking, I would have had a similar response. However, keep an open…

I’ve always been a bookworm. From a young age, I’d collect stacks of dusty literature at the library and vanish in between the pages. Stories helped me learn about the complexities in life. I was often attracted to odysseys, in which an unassuming character went on a quest to learn…

I have often seen the legend “Parkinson’s Hero” on shirts and sweatshirts. Come to think of it, I even have a shirt with that written on it. But I have often felt confused by the expression. A Parkinson’s hero? What is a Parkinson’s hero? I recently was reading a…

While my grandkids were here last week, we read books every night before bed. And, of course, each night at least one book had to be by Dr. Seuss. The night before they left, we read “Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?“…

A man walks into a store and asks for a map. The storekeeper responds, “We have lots of maps. Where are you going?” The man snaps, “Anywhere but here.” The shopkeeper says, “Sorry. We don’t have a map to ‘anywhere but here.’” When I was first hit with a sudden…

My 2-year-old grandson runs back toward the fence that shields him from entering a dark, muddy pond. I am sure there are water monsters that live deep in that 3-foot shallow, but ever-so murky, pond. They lie in wait beneath the scum and the sludge and the slime and all…

“It doesn’t matter what cards you’re dealt. It’s what you do with those cards. Never complain. Just keep pushing forward. Find a positive in anything and just fight for it.” — Baker Mayfield (American football player) A mantra of the Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) program is to fight…

Dad’s dyskinesia is worsening at a startling pace. When he doesn’t take his medications, he’s nearly immobile. And when he does, dyskinesia wreaks havoc on him. At a loss for options, we’ve been searching for alternative solutions to assist in the management of his PD symptoms. A procedure called…

I have Parkinson’s disease, but unless you have a good eye and a good listening ear, most days you won’t notice. On most days, my symptoms are internal. Occasionally, such as when I have forgotten to take my medications, I will have breakthrough tremors. And when my deep…

I wrote a column recently about the things you shouldn’t have in your house if you have Parkinson’s. In this column, I take the opposite approach and suggest things you might consider having in your home that may be of benefit. 1. Laughter We’ve all heard the adage that…