Columns

Graphics by Dr. C I hate the bad days, and what I have to say about the ugly ones is not fit for print. But the good days — well, they are delightful. I write these columns during those times. It’s not about “Jekyll and Hyde” mood…

“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,…

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…

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…

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…

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. The girls OK, OK. So I’m reaching for examples of the letter “G” to fit for this section. Girls? Yes, girls, speaking toward the female sex. And there is evidence that between boys and girls — er, men and…

I often refer to my journey with Parkinson’s disease (PD) as a battle I am fighting. One Merriam-Webster definition of battle is “an extended contest, struggle, or controversy.” Another is “a struggle to succeed or survive.” To go to battle is to engage in a fight…

The needs of each Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient varies because there is a large symptom diversity in the disease population. We may think of this diversity as a Parkinson’s disease spectrum: some people display little or no symptoms of a certain type while others describe those same symptoms as severe.

While searching for a movement disorders doctor, I happened upon a government listing for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Centers of Excellence, which fascinated me. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, PD Centers of Excellence deliver care worldwide to more than 127,000 patients. The centers “advance research to improve the lives of…

Third in a series. Read parts one and two. Complacency setting in “Complacency is a continuous struggle that we all have to fight.” –Jack Nicklaus It has been about a year since I started Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) classes. It has been a great journey filled with many…