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Many would find the book title “If I Can Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Why Can’t I Brush My Teeth?” intriguing. Few people, however, would understand its meaning.                                   Nan Little, author of…

“Fun” is an F-word that doesn’t have a strong history in our home. My partner and I are from the “nose to the grindstone, make it happen, pursue the American dream” generation. Oh, and we try to live up to the adage “Become the change you wish to see in…

Despite having a good rapport with my movement disorder specialists, a feeling of dread still overtakes me when I have an appointment looming in the next 48 hours. This occurs even when I don’t anticipate the day’s events being different from the last time I sat — and sat…

My youngest grandson fought his daily naps. My oldest grandson, on the other hand, loved naps so much that when they rolled around, he would ask if it was “time for sleeping yet.” Needless to say, when the time came to sleep, they both woke happy and rested — most…

Laurie K. Mischley, a naturopathic doctor, assembled approximately 60 people with Parkinson’s for a conference at Bastyr University’s Seattle campus in August. The six-day “summer school” included lectures, exercise classes, and nutrition advice designed to improve each patient’s experience with Parkinson’s and possibly slow progression. Those in attendance…

Pain visits me all the time now. There are multiple days when high pain levels make me nauseated. I am sick and tired of having to say how sick and tired I feel. I’m experimenting with a new approach: responding to the pain in a dispassionate way, making observations, and…

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can affect both cognitive and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients who undergo the surgery. The procedure gives hope to those who are substantially inhibited by tremors and dyskinesia — people like my dad. After doctors determined he’d make a good candidate for the…

There is a story of a little girl who was late coming home from school one day. Her mother was beside herself with worry. When the girl finally came through the door, her mother’s concern quickly turned to frustration. “Where have you been?” she asked her daughter. “I’ve been worried…

The tallest sunflower I am aware of measures 30 feet, 1 inch. It was grown by Hans-Peter Schiffer and was first verified by Guinness World Records in August 2014. Schiffer now holds the record twice, winning again in 2015. The tallest sunflower I grew was just over 22 feet.

Wow! That was intense. I was just sitting in the “pause between” with no expectation beyond a quiet mind, allowing the moment to bloom. Suddenly, the moment transformed into this encompassing sense of being caressed by calmness. Even more surprising, the calm stayed with me for part of the day,…