The Bright Side - a Column by Jamie Askari

When my husband, Arman, was diagnosed in 2009 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 38, it felt nearly impossible to find anything positive about our situation. At the time, we were parents of three young children, and Arman was busy building his career as a physician.

Early one morning a few weeks ago, I was in the bathroom drying my hair, which usually takes about 30 minutes every few days. I stood in front of the mirror with the dryer fan on high, hoping to get through the job as quickly as possible. My hair dryer…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with vitamin B1. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Last fall, at my support group for Parkinson’s caregivers, I learned about vitamin B1, or high-dose thiamine, for the management…

My most treasured moments come from just a handful of days in my life. The first was the sunny, beautiful day in July 1995 when I married my husband, Arman. Then there are the times I first held each of my three children, just seconds after they were born. Many…

Besides my husband, Arman, we don’t have any friends or family members with Parkinson’s disease. However, we do have a relative, Rose Brown, who’s a social worker working solely with Parkinson’s patients. She’s the Parkinson’s program coordinator at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the sister-in-law of one of my favorite…

If you’re reading this column, there’s a good chance you have some connection to Parkinson’s disease. I say this because I don’t often receive comments from readers who aren’t touched by Parkinson’s in some way. Now that we know why you might be reading this, I have some questions.

If someone says the words “Parkinson’s disease,” what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? How do you visualize this disease? I can’t help but think about how I used to visualize Parkinson’s disease. I probably learned about it at some point during my childhood, and the image…

Traveling can be so stressful that it often feels like we need a vacation after the vacation. For my husband, Arman, who has early-onset Parkinson’s disease, and me, all of the relaxation we enjoy during much-needed trips melts away as soon as we return to the airport. A…

Whenever anyone asks my husband, Arman, how he is doing, his standard reply has become, “Living the dream.” He usually gets a good laugh from this response, and they quickly move on to other topics. This has become his tagline, which seems to work well for him. Living with a…

I love doing one kind act for a stranger each day. I have done this for as long as I can remember. It was quite a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, though, since I didn’t often encounter strangers in my living room. These small acts of kindness usually take…