Columns

Living with Parkinson’s disease is a struggle against the loss of both motor and cognitive functions. One must invest effort into an action plan that reduces the impact of the disease — a rehab plan. This effort is daily (sometimes hourly) and can be exhausting. Living with PD is…

The next letter in a series on the ABCs of Parkinson’s is “N.” This is because the disease is not just about shaking. When the topic of Parkinson’s disease comes up, it’s often met with a misunderstanding of what it really is. People immediately think of someone…

Twice a week for over a year, I have been religiously taking Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) classes for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Has RSB helped my PD? I believe that my PD symptoms would be worse or my disease would have progressed more quickly had I not taken these…

I received an email from someone concerned that they may be in the beginning stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD). I have met others who have PD, but not someone in the throes of wondering if their symptoms indeed result from Parkinson’s disease. I can’t stop thinking about them…

In my column about time management, I mentioned a nagging inner voice saying, “You did not get enough done today.” That phrase ties to an old “tape,” inner dialogue left by the voices of parents and childhood teachers that says, “You are never going to amount to anything. You are…

I used to be able to put long hours into just about anything I tackled: research, teaching, helping others, painting, writing, and gardening. But PD gobbles up time, just like the video game character Pac-Man gobbles up dots while chasing ghosts. Although I’m retired, I have less free time to…

When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 2015, I asked the neurologist if there was a definitive test to confirm a PD diagnosis. I mentioned a DaTscan, but he said the test is not entirely conclusive. He also indicated that DaTscan results likely would not…

If you asked me which symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most annoying, I may reply, “My soft voice.” I have always had a soft voice. Perhaps I have always had Parkinson’s disease! I have had a diagnosis of the disease a much shorter amount of time…

Depression is often associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), as is apathy. But there may be a subtle difference between the two. At the risk of oversimplifying, let’s define depression as a state of sadness and loss of interest, and apathy as an apparent lack of motivation. Put sadness and…

A reader recently posed the following question: “Why are there never any comments on dementia in regards to Parkinson’s disease? It is very real, and 40 percent of Parkinson’s patients deal with it.” So, I began looking into it. My answer could have been, “Because I don’t want…