Mary Beth is a freelance writer specializing in personal narratives. Her work focuses on the outdoors and the transformative powers of nature. When her dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2013, her search to understand the disease materialized through language. She now writes to help others understand the disease and how to be a compassionate caregiver.Drooling is embarrassing. I’ve caught myself spacing out with a trickle of saliva slipping out of my lips before. I can’t help but peer around the room to see if anyone noticed. I know I’m not the only one who has experienced this. My dad recently explained to me that…
“Wow, look at that walk,” my older sister says with a smile. Dad is making his way across the living room in preparation for his birthday party. His steps are fluid and unbroken. It’s a sight that we savor. I love to see my dad unencumbered by his…
Parkinson’s is an impactful disease that comes with a lot of challenges. As such, it probably isn’t a surprise to most that many Parkinson’s patients struggle with mental health at some point. In fact, up to 40% of Parkinson’s patients experience anxiety, according to the National Council on…
Living with a chronic illness that isn’t visible to others can be lonely. Friends and loved ones might not understand why you make certain choices, which forces you to justify your actions. If you skip a social outing, you might experience resistance from those who don’t understand your plight.
Many of us experience a natural urge to relate to others to create a greater understanding of our existence. Human connection is widely seen as a vital contributing factor to health and well-being. But its importance is often overlooked or undermined, which contributes to a high incidence of loneliness…
Everywhere you look, it seems, ads and notifications holler about remedies to ailments that people suffer from in the United States. Flip on the television, and it won’t be long before an ad about some medication will invade your consciousness. “If you have [insert disease], talk to your doctors about…
I’ve heard many stories about Parkinson’s disease changing relationships. Some community members observe personality changes that make their partner feel like a stranger again. Others notice inconsistencies in their loved one’s behavior, such as mood swings and ambivalence. Sometimes the affected relationship survives the changes. Other times, it…
When Diana Dunetz’s husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, she didn’t know what to think. First, there was denial. How could something like this happen to her husband? Then there was apathy, and after that, loneliness, which came unannounced and was brutal in its ferocity. “I found…
When the clock struck midnight on March 13, Dad turned into a pumpkin, sprouting vines for ears and orange skin as a protective barrier from the world. That day completed his seventh full decade on the planet, and I imagine it gave him insight into the number of days he’s…
I’ve always been an analytical person. For as long as I can remember, I’ve catalogued data about my life, creating charts that visually represent how I’m performing at work or whether I’m achieving my fitness goals. I believe this type of information will equip me to better handle the future.
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