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.While walking through the soggy streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland, I saw an excerpt of a poem by American humorist Don Herold. It read: “If I had my life to live over, I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax; I’d limber up. I would be sillier…
I don’t know about you, but I’m still having a hard time believing it’s 2025. I know we’re three months in already, but I still feel like we just unwrapped Christmas presents and embraced our loved ones while surrounded by twinkling lights. As I work to get myself into the…
Sometimes I think about the odd medical practices that were used hundreds of years ago to treat illnesses and how those strategies compare with today’s practices. In the 19th century, milk transfusions were considered to be an adequate replacement for blood transfusions. (While some patients survived the procedure,…
One of the more challenging Parkinson’s disease symptoms that my dad navigates is stiffness or rigidity, which makes the mornings hard on him. He does his morning stretches to counteract the problem, but it puts a hamper on his groove. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the stiffness comes…
A few months ago, my mom called me up and asked if I’d be willing to take her and my dad to a holy site in France after my sister’s wedding. Every year, about 4 million people travel from around the world to the Grotto of Lourdes, located…
I recently discovered that I, like 10% to 30% of the human population, am deficient in magnesium. The mineral plays a key role in supporting nerve and muscle function, the immune system, and strong bones, and it’s commonly found in foods such as green, leafy vegetables, nuts, and coconut…
“Morning, Mary Beth. Have you heard anything about weight loss and Parkinson’s?” my dad texts me one day. “From what I’ve read in the Parkinson’s News Today Forums, it seems like a mixed bag,” I respond. “Some people lose weight, and some people gain it.” This isn’t…
Degeneration is painful to witness, but even more painful to experience. The tasks one might previously have been able to tackle become difficult or impossible. It’s not uncommon for those with a degenerative disease like Parkinson’s to experience changes to their memory and difficulty in staying focused. But it’s…
“Jim Rice was a nice guy,” Dad told me one afternoon late last summer. “He walked into my office when I was at Century 21. He didn’t know who I was, but he asked me right away if I had Parkinson’s disease. That was almost 15 years ago.” Dad…
Every time I step foot in a new country, I dive into the local culture to try to intimately understand the region. I compare and contrast it with the U.S., where I’m from, in an effort to expand my understanding and experiences. But I’m not only an explorer of geographical…
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