The Unshakable Optimist - a Column by Mollie Lombardi

When it comes to weird and unexpected symptoms, Parkinson’s disease is the gift that keeps on giving. My grandfather had Parkinson’s, yet when I was diagnosed with it, the only symptom I’d heard of before was tremors. As I eventually learned, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Parkinson’s disease is not only degenerative but incurable, which means it gets worse, to some degree, every day. While we still don’t have any proven disease-modifying treatments — those that will actually stop, reverse, and cure Parkinson’s — advances in technology have helped to control symptoms. And as I’ve…

Anniversaries can be good and bad, loving celebrations or reminders of past tragedies. For me, the anniversary of my diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease is a bit of both. It was awful and tragic and life-altering in some ways. But it’s also the day we named the monster that…

September is the most active month for hurricanes in the U.S., so it makes sense that it’s also National Preparedness Month. It’s essential to consider how you’d survive in the face of a natural disaster — be it a hurricane, flood, or wildfire — and to make plans for…

One of the most unhelpful things you can say to a Parkinson’s disease patient is, “Just relax and get comfortable.” For me, and many of my fellow Parkinson’s warriors, the idea of relaxing and being comfortable is a ship that sailed long ago. I’m almost always experiencing some level…

Parkinson’s disease can be a tricky opponent. Its path and progression, as well as the timing and nature of its symptoms, vary from person to person and can change within an individual from day to day. That can make diagnosis complex and confusing for everyone. One of the quirks…

I achieved a major accomplishment recently. Not only did I ride in a boat, but I was also able to use the tiny, foldable swim ladder off the back of the boat to go swimming — and I didn’t hurt myself. To an average person, this may not seem like…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with various medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. You know how when professional wrestlers or politicians take the stage, they’ll often play…

I’ve always tried to be a pleasant enough person. Polite to strangers, going with the flow, trying to be kind when I can. But three things can cause me to lose my pleasing personality: being hungry, hot, and tired. And hot has always been the worst, because it’s harder to…

I took an exciting new step in my Parkinson’s disease treatment path late last month. I moved from constant deep brain stimulation (DBS) to adaptive DBS, which recently was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Medtronic, the maker of the DBS system I have…