Columns

A continuation of the “ABCs of Parkinson’s” series. When people hear Parkinson’s disease (PD) mentioned, their memory likely turns to thoughts of Michael J. Fox or someone who shakes all the time. Their memory would serve them well. However, if that is the only thing they think…

I was working as a crisis clinician when the twin towers fell. My colleagues and I saw an increase in the number of people needing help with anxiety-related mental health issues. Sheldon Solomon, PhD, explained this phenomenon with his terror management theory – which is concerned with how humans…

To see a rainbow, you need sunlight and raindrops. Like glass prisms, raindrops break sunlight into different colors and reflect that light to make a rainbow. Some say that rainbows come after the storm. While that is true, it is also true that rainbows can appear during a…

What is my strategy? I plan to take Parkinson’s disease (PD) medications as prescribed to get me to a point where I can function well and really push hard in my exercise. Then, I hope that a combination of exercise, diet, meditation, yoga, and massage will help me…

There are so many prescription and nonprescription medications out there for Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses that it’s hard to tell what is good and what is not. It’s often difficult to determine what is worth your time and money. My mother-in-law introduced me to arnica, an over-the-counter…

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…

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…

I have read several books “about” Parkinson’s disease (PD). Some were by doctors, some by patients. Some books educated and others encouraged. Some are fact while others are fiction. It seems like every couple of months, new ones come out, especially those written by people who have the disease.

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,…