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

I had plans for a day in paradise. Crisp fall weather beckoned me outside to the garden. It was also day three of my 10-day Parkinson’s week, which is usually a good day. I was eager to get into the day, but Parkinson’s disease had other plans. The night…

Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease. While symptoms and disease progression are unique to each person, knowing the stages of Parkinson’s can help. Some people experience changes over 20 years or more, while others find that the disease progresses more quickly. During the first five years after…

Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks used the term “crisis” to describe the episodes when Parkinson’s symptoms flare up. I’ve called these events surges, off periods, and bad days. In his classic “Awakenings,” Sacks describes the symptoms of one Parkinson’s disease patient by saying, “No…

Finding moments of calm during the chaotic brainstorm of Parkinson’s disease is crucial to my self-management. Before I was diagnosed, my best stretch of continuous calm was 14 days. Now, I get excited if I can maintain 14 minutes. I see getting to the calm state of…

My worst Parkinson’s symptom used to be pain. Now, it’s the “go, no-go” effect, which greatly limits my ability to function. “Go, no-go” is an urgency to move, a severe restlessness, followed by a severe resistance to moving. This experience — craving to move, mixed with dampened movement,…

During my recent time away from writing weekly columns, I was able to reflect on how often I fail at using my self-management toolkit for this chronic illness. I fail at least once every day. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a noisy, intrusive brat that demands to get its…

I can’t lie to myself. When I’m having a bad day and feeling miserable, it’s extremely hard to shift toward calmness, and nearly impossible to convince myself I feel OK. Positive thinking has no way to get a foothold on my physical, mental, or emotional weather-beaten doorsteps. When I am…

Mornings may be broken with Parkinson’s disease, but the entire day isn’t shot. There are ugly days that land me in bed, but there are also lucid windows that help me write. The lived Parkinson’s experience changes from day to day, and on any given day, fluctuations can occur…

When Cat Stevens sang “Morning has broken,” the lyrics were referring to the rejuvenation of the sunrise. That doesn’t happen for me as someone with Parkinson’s disease. It starts with what I call the 4 a.m. four-alarm wake-up call. It’s head-to-toe body pain, sweating, and an erection…

Neo, my friendly brain conversationalist who engages with Mrs. Dr. C, inquiries about the Parkinson’s disease (PD) self-management toolkit. “It seems overwhelming.” Mrs. Dr. C suggests, “Would a review of the ideas, one by one, help?” Neo nods and gets comfortable. “I’ve read all the columns, but I do…