The Unshakable Optimist - a Column by Mollie Lombardi

One common but frustrating symptom of Parkinson’s disease is what’s known as “off periods.” These happen when medication, such as Sinemet (carbidopa and levodopa), wear off — sometimes suddenly — and other Parkinson’s symptoms that had been under control show up again or get worse. During off periods, you…

I read an article this year on Parkinson’s News Today about a recent study on how men and women differ in their approaches to the decision to undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to treat Parkinson’s disease. Having decided to have DBS surgery in 2019, I found the…

Earlier this month, on Jan. 17, we celebrated the 83rd anniversary of boxer Muhammad Ali’s birth. Ali remains a towering figure worldwide, even years after his death in 2016 at the age of 74. He was a fighter both by occupation and in spirit. He stood up for peace and…

The word “fine” can mean many things, from superb to satisfactory to precise, and even delicate, depending on its usage. Merriam-Webster also lists its synonyms, which include acceptable, decent, middling, and passable. When I look at these words, “fine” seems to cover many conditions. That’s why it’s a handy word…

One of the many annoying, frustrating, and mysterious symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is micrographia. Micrographia is when your handwriting gets teeny-tiny and illegible over time. Like gait freezing, it’s one of those odd motor symptoms of Parkinson’s in which your mind knows what it wants to…

I’ve always been pretty organized and logical. I like knowing the rules and the “why” behind things. My brain looks for patterns I can rely on to predict or explain everything. Growing up in a family where my dad taught seventh and eighth grade science, I was always encouraged to…

The name of my column is “The Unshakable Optimist,” so you might expect that I’m always happy. That idea would make most of my friends snort with laughter. I’m fun, but I can still get pretty cranky sometimes. I am fundamentally optimistic, but I’m far from a Pollyanna. I…

Before the pandemic, I traveled for work frequently — 40-plus weeks a year attending meetings and conferences for over a decade. I’d gotten used to life on the road, but early-onset Parkinson’s disease added new layers of difficulty, especially when it came to navigating in public. When I was…

Being told you have a chronic illness can make you feel different from the rest of the world. And when there’s something unique about that illness or diagnosis, it can make you feel even further from “normal.” I’ve written about the challenges of finding the right medical care team…

It’s a big deal to be the girl who has Parkinson’s. It’s also a big deal to be the guy whose wife has Parkinson’s. Back in September 2013, I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 36. What no one told us is that…