The Unshakable Optimist - a Column by Mollie Lombardi

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…

I have Parkinson’s disease. I was just 36 when I was diagnosed. It was a devastating blow. While I’ll never think of it as a blessing, it has been an incredible teacher, and I’m thankful for so much despite my diagnosis. I think often about the brave clinical trial…

I’m often asked what it feels like to have Parkinson’s disease. My answer? Just plain weird. As frequently as I’ve tried to explain it, I just can’t do it justice. One of my early motor symptoms was gait freezing. I’d be walking along, and suddenly, it was…

Travel is a big part of the holidays for many families. Whether you’re driving down the street to attend a party for a few hours or flying halfway across the globe for weeks, these tips can make the journey easier when traveling with Parkinson’s disease. The most important is…

Parkinson’s disease has many facets, and research into its progression and treatment is constantly evolving. So is my health. Navigating all the changes takes a team, and over the past 11 years since my diagnosis, I think I’ve recruited a pretty good one. So who’s on my medical team?…

In the fall of 2012, I was moving fast. I had a big job and was becoming known in my industry. I traveled for work almost nonstop, working with clients and speaking at conferences. I was married to a great guy; we had the resources to enjoy beach vacations and…