Kevin Schaefer

This is Alan MacKenzie’s story.

Alan’s Parkinson’s diagnosis put a halt to his retirement plans and forced him to adapt. He had many challenges to face with his new reality, but he’s also developed a heightened sense of awareness. He’s learning to let go of unrealistic expectations and take things as they come.

Here’s an excerpt, “Part of…[Read more]

This is Brian Reedy’s story.

Brian writes about how living with PD is more complicated than most people realize. In particular, he shares how a lack of dopamine affects people with Parkinson’s. It affects communication and the part of the brain that produces the “feel-good factor” in daily life.

Here’s an excerpt, “Your personality may ha…[Read more]

This is Lori DePorter’s story.

Lori compares living with PD to life in the circus. There’s the unpredictability, the chaos, and the constant interruptions. Through it all, she’s grateful for the community of people along with her for the ride.

Here’s an excerpt, “So I guess I am the clown car. I put on a happy face. I keep appearing over a…[Read more]

This is Maria de los Angeles Bacigalupe’s story.

Maria has been working with people in the Parkinson’s community for years as a medical researcher. She’s learned that every individual with PD is different and that their needs should be treated as such. She understands the power of community and empathy.

Here’s an excerpt, “In all my yea…[Read more]

This is Nikki Louiselle’s story.

Nikki writes about the long road to receiving her PD diagnosis and her life since. Though her new reality was difficult to accept initially, she’s learned to adapt. With each day, she practices patience and gratitude. She also writes about being present for her four children.

Here’s an excerpt, “I want them t…[Read more]

This is Mike O’Connor’s story.

When Mike retired a few years ago, he and his wife became “bucket list adventurers,” dedicating their time to travel and photography. Mike then received his Parkinson’s diagnosis in spring 2020. Between this and the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to adapt.

Shortly after, Mike spoke to a camera club in Ontario abo…[Read more]

This is Patrick Pelkey’s story.

Patrick first heard about woodcarving while participating in a Parkinson’s support group. This sparked a passion in him, and he is grateful for the community that he found in PD groups. He’s also gotten into advocacy and took part in numerous fundraising events.

Here’s an excerpt, “I tell people not to fee…[Read more]

This is Tommy Stringer’s story.

Tommy recently resigned from his position in the South Carolina House of Representatives after 13 years. He jokes that Parkinson’s is the only progressive thing about him. Throughout his PD journey, he’s used humor as a primary coping mechanism. He also writes about his DBS surgery in 2019, and other treatment t…[Read more]

This is Christine Scheer’s story. 

Christine received a life-changing call from her physician on her 60th birthday. She was scheduled for deep brain stimulation surgery, an operation that drastically improved her quality of life.

As Christine’s Parkinson’s symptoms became more prevalent, she knew she needed a change. While the surgery is by…[Read more]

This is Julie Fitzgerald’s story.

Julie writes about dealing with the initial unpredictability and overwhelming nature of Parkinson’s. However, she eventually channeled her struggles into advocacy. She joined with other advocates in 2019 for a nine-day hike in Sicily to raise awareness for both PD and Alzheimer’s. Julie believes in the power o…[Read more]

This is Mike Krukar’s story.

Mike relates living with Parkinson’s to an adventure that he can’t quite pinpoint the beginning of. He writes about early symptoms, the diagnosis stage, and the transition from denial to acceptance. Through it, all, faith and family have been instrumental parts of Mike’s story.

Here’s an excerpt, “Park…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend. For those here in the U.S., I wish you all a good Memorial Day.

So, as states and other places around the world begin to reopen, I wanted to get your thoughts. I don’t want to start anything political here. Rather, I’m just curious if anyone here feels comfortable going out som…[Read more]

So I’m sure you’re all pretty tired of hearing about COVID. Paying attention to the news right now is exhausting.

However, I did want to share this column about COVID-19 and post-traumatic growth. The author, Brianna Albers, is a writer for one of our sibling sites. She’s been writing about mental health coping mechanisms, speci…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

Today, I wanted to start a conversation about setting personal goals. Obviously, it’s an unusual time to even think about this subject. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and just trying to stay healthy, most of us aren’t focused on the future.

Still, I actually think it’s a great…[Read more]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on our healthcare services, we have to approach medical appointments differently than before. TeleMed and other virtual services could become the new norm. Still, some appointments and procedures need to be in-person. It raises questions about how we can best approach appointments with our…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

I wanted to share this book with you all. This is a collection of essays from the New York Times disability series. The book’s contributors include people living with quadriplegia, chronic illnesses, blindness, and more. The idea is to give people with a plethora of visible and i…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

I wanted to ask if anyone here does online therapy. With all of the stress and anxiety in the world right now, it’s as good a time as any to focus on mental health. And since we’re all on lockdown, online therapy is a great alternative to in-person appointments.

There’s one s…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe and healthy.

So I just wanted to do a mental health check-in. Obviously it’s a stressful time, but how’s everyone doing mentally and emotionally? For me, I’m just trying to take things day by day. I’m keeping a lockdown journal, reading, watching movies, calling friends and family, and going out…[Read more]