Possibilities with Parkinson's - a Column by Dr. C

Hell on earth, that’s what it was. I was shocked by becoming legally blind in addition to worsening Parkinson’s symptoms, including what I call SEM (surges of exaggerated mood) attacks, chronic pain, and fatigue. People used to say, “You don’t look like you have Parkinson’s.” But recent…

“I’m still not feeling well. I should go to the doctor,” said Mrs. Dr. C with a pained look. I gave her a quick glance and without even a hesitation in garden shoveling, said, “OK. It’s important you attend to your health.” She asked if I would like to go…

“Be one with the moment.” Hogwash! I can’t be one with the darkness. Yet, I do understand the power of the darkness for shaping my behaviors. I see the darkness as pure survival and protection against possible threats. It is a hyper-focus on self-survival along with unhealed battle wounds…

Neo, the neocortex of Dr. C’s brain mentioned in previous columns, exclaims, “That was amazing, Dr. C, to watch Mrs. Dr. C apply the healing relationship, and poof, you’re all better!” Neo was referring to last week’s column, in which Dr. C emerged from a long period of darkness…

“Yuck! It peed all over me,” my granddaughter exclaimed as she released the toad back into the forest. “That’s just his natural defense mechanism,” her father replied. Like the toad, we also have our natural defense mechanisms. They are automatically called upon when a threat is perceived, real or not.

In the book “Talking to Strangers,” author Malcolm Gladwell posits that we are lousy at knowing the intent of strangers. We have no better success than chance in determining whether someone is lying or telling the truth. One explanation is called truth default theory. Simply stated, when meeting…

My wife and I left our New England home on April 4 and moved into a St. Louis home on the 22nd — a total of 18 days in the dark, cramped quarters of various motel rooms. We have almost 50 years together and communication is one of our strong…

I miss my support groups, the warm handshakes, and the genuine greeting, “How have you been?” Most of all, I miss hugs from my granddaughters. There is no technology that can replace their healing hugs. We are social beings, and to thrive rather than just survive, we need healing contact…

Steam from my hot chocolate fogs my glasses. I almost miss Neo’s opening comment: “How goes the move to St. Louis?” I wipe my glasses. “We had to speed up the whole thing because of the pandemic. Trying to prepare for every possible concern during these unstable times has turned…

If I was a hoarder, I would choose chocolate chip cookies over toilet paper. In a head-to-head match, chocolate chip cookies have many more benefits for coping with the COVID-19 crisis. That soothing smell of a freshly baked cookie can’t be matched by toilet paper, even the scented kind. A…