The Unshakable Optimist - a Column by Mollie Lombardi

I’ve been thinking a lot about energy lately, as many of us have, with the high costs of electricity, gasoline, and oil right now. But I am not thinking only about the energy that runs the things in our lives — cars, heat, the very computer you’re reading this on…

Parkinson’s disease can cause a wide variety of symptoms, from losing your sense of smell to having terrible gait issues that result in multiple falls a day. And they don’t happen in any particular order. It’s not like you can say, “OK, now I’m going to tremor for two…

I have spoken previously about how lucky I am to have such a strong support network, including my wonderful husband. No one signs up for a devastating health journey when they say “I do” and promise to love through sickness and health. But you come to learn the true…

I was very lucky to have a relationship with a truly remarkable neurologist for more than 12 years. I started seeing her right after I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. The first time I met her, she told me, “You’re too young; you have too much to do.

I have written about both of my parents before, and the lessons their own lives have taught me about living with Parkinson’s disease. I’ve also written about how much my dad’s support has meant to me over the years. Now it’s my turn to support him. If you looked…

If you’ve been a regular reader of my column over the past few years (thank you!), you may have noticed I took some time off this summer. I work full time at another job, in addition to writing this column weekly. And, you know, I live with Parkinson’s disease.

This month, Michael J. Fox turned 65. And I’ve had a crush on the man for almost 40 years. Back in the 1980s, when I grew up, the show “Family Ties” was at its height. It starred Fox as the teenage son of two ex-hippies, and he had…

Parkinson’s disease takes a lot away from you. And when you are diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s, it can steal so much of your future. I feel lucky that nearly 13 years after my diagnosis at age 36, the majority of my symptoms are well controlled. I have…

One of the first symptoms I noticed before I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, besides a tremor in my pinky fingers, was difficulty managing a knife and fork. It’s one of those weird experiences that you can’t quite imagine until you experience it. And even when you do,…

For 11 wonderful years, we were blessed with having a beautiful Bernese mountain dog called Kona in our lives. He’s been gone nine years, and I still think about and talk about him nearly every day. He was 97 pounds of love, joy, and fur. He was goofy — as…