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

“I’m nervous about this conference trip,” I said to Mrs. Dr. C. “We just moved into our new home and don’t have phones hooked up. What if something happens while I’m away?” With a smile, Mrs. Dr. C responded, “I’m a strong New England woman. I’ll be OK. You have…

Seizures. The word conjures images of a contorted, twitching body and total loss of motor control. But that’s just one type, known as tonic-clonic seizures. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements…

“Thanks for putting into words my experience with Parkinson’s. I’m going to share your column with my doctor.” Readers of my “Possibilities with Parkinson’s” column have often made such comments. It’s a sincere compliment, and I’m very grateful that my words resonate with others. However, I can’t help but wonder…

Notable events, like my granddaughter’s school play, often are not scheduled to accommodate my Parkinson’s disease (PD). Usually, early evening events seem to occur exactly as I reach the peak of my worst “off” period. But will I miss these types of activities? No! I need to be out…

Keeping adequate reserve in our personal reservoir of energy helps us to be available for the lucid times. We need to minimize fatigue and add richness to life despite living with a chronic illness like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Managing the well of resources involves not only filling up the…

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a tough life and not to be taken lightly. With all the serious aspects of PD that manifest in our lives and the effort needed to manage them, it’s hard to find time to be light and playful. With tongue in cheek, following…

“Just sit and watch him,” said his wife, with affirming nods from their children. They were heading out to enjoy some respite from the demands of caring for a terminally ill family member. It was the same set of instructions my hospice supervisor gave me about spending time with this…

Relearning how to eat with Parkinson’s disease is more than being mindful of mouth movements. It requires careful observations of the motivations behind what food to eat, when, and how much. Relearning how to eat required me to examine the drive to start eating and the desire to stop…

There are many ways to get a backache. This is new for me — lower back pain that leads to spasms and literally drives me to my knees. It doesn’t feel like the pain from overdoing it in the garden. Every gardener knows that exquisite twinge from too much lifting…

I lost most of my vision two years ago and became legally blind. It was devastating. Through the course of rehabilitation with a low vision clinic, I was taught how to see in a very new way, called eccentric viewing. Eccentric viewing is a method by which a…