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.
“Mary Beth, you should write a piece about night terrors.” My dad’s text lit up my phone one morning. “Why do you feel that way? Is that something you’re struggling with?” I responded. My dad went on to explain that he’d had a few incidents where he woke up in…
Christmas is just around the corner, and I’ve started thinking about gift ideas for people with Parkinson’s, particularly my dad, who is pretty practical. He usually prefers tools to knickknacks or sentimental items. He tells me to get him socks and Channellocks, which I’m happy to do. But I also…
As a moderator for the Parkinson’s News Today Forums, I recently posed a question that’s received several surprising responses. I asked our forum members about their greatest challenge as a caregiver for someone with Parkinson’s disease (PD). I had imagined they might cite medication management, doctor appointments,…
I’m always on the hunt for different ways to find relief and even joy from what seems to be constant loss. Since my father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, I have turned to reading books about the disease to see how others have managed the sadness that comes with this illness. Seeing…
Many Parkinson’s caregivers report seeing changes to their loved ones as the disease progresses. Some people experience more irritability. Others might see apathy. Maybe it’s just that there’s been a subtle adaptation to how they experience the world. Since my dad’s diagnosis in 2013, I’ve definitely seen changes in…
When I was a kid, my dad was always in motion. If he wasn’t hard at work in the office, he was mowing our 10-acre lawn or cleaning the chicken coop. It was only in the evening that I’d finally see him at rest when he’d pop in a video…
Hi, everyone! If we don’t know each other already, I’m Mary Beth. I’ve been working as a columnist and a forums moderator for Parkinson’s News Today for a fair amount of time now. But I’m still learning. I set out here to explore my dad’s journey with Parkinson’s…
When I stumble through the door on my recent visit home, I’m not entirely prepared for the sight that greets me. My dad looks like he’s walking through molasses, and my mom is hobbling around on a bad hip. I’d seen them both just a few months earlier. Mom’s…
It is a Thursday evening when my sister asks me to come up with fake illnesses to give my dad. He has just received his first dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, and my sister, ever the practical jokester, wants to tease him.
Last weekend, I was exploring a South Carolinian swamp when my phone buzzed. It was my dad. “Call me after 2,” the text glowed on my phone. “OK,” I responded. After I’d wiped the swamp juice from my shoes and peeled back my muddy socks, I dialed my dad. Usually…
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