First in a series. You have Parkinson’s disease (PD). If someone were to observe you, what would they see (external symptoms/issues) that is attributed to having Parkinson’s disease? What wouldn’t they see (internal symptoms/issues) that is attributed to having this disease? This is not just my story. This…
Journeying Through Parkinson’s Disease
— Sherri Woodbridge
Sherri was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease over 15 years ago. She can be found working in her garden, going for walks, taking pictures, or reading books to her three favorite grandkids. Sherri is taking life somewhat slower, and perhaps with guarded steps, but she’s not giving in.
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How do I start this? What do I say? A few years after I was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease, I went to my movement disorder specialist for my routine, three-month checkup. We chatted for a while and then he brought up the subject of work. How…
Sherri Woodbridge -- Journeying Through Parkinson's Disease
If I were to ask someone “What is DBS?”, they might reply something like: “Deep brain stimulation. Yeah, that’s it. DBS … Deep brain stimulation.” That’s good, but not the definition. And another interviewee: “Well, it’s a surgical procedure that involves cutting into the brain and putting…
Parkinson’s disease can be difficult to live with, and excessive sweating adds to the mix. People with PD have a higher likelihood of emitting unfavorable odors because a person with PD can perspire more than someone who doesn’t have it. “When Parkinson’s affects the autonomic nervous system, it…
I used to be happy. I used to be a lot of fun. Or, so I’ve been told. What happened to me? The me who used to not have to take pills to feel good? The me who used to laugh all the time with others and dance…
We sometimes don’t get all of our facts straight when it comes to pursuing what we want. As Parkinson’s patients, we only want one thing: a cure. Since we know that a cure is being researched but we don’t know when it will come about, we are grateful…
This is written for loved ones who might have a sense that something isn’t quite right with the one they care about. It is a list of early signs you may notice before your spouse, friend, child, or parent does and how you might help them. Most people…
You’ve seen the commercials about diarrhea. It’s not something to be embarrassed about, but we try to make light of it by calling it by some other name like the runs, the squirts, the trots, Montezuma’s revenge, or the really polite word: dysentery. When it comes down to…
Often when I am tired, feeling sorry for myself, or in need of encouragement and truth, I pick up and read my Bible. Sometimes I am inspired to mix up the message (hopefully without mixing up the meaning), and in doing so, it becomes much more personal. The…
I was watching my 3-year-old grandson this past week. He was having a difficult day. There have been several adjustments in his little life lately. Daddy’s job is taking him away for five months straight. We can understand time, but a 3-year-old wonders where daddy is at the…
In 2011, Ann Voskamp’s “One Thousand Gifts” hit the bookstore shelves and almost immediately became a bestseller. After struggling with different issues throughout her life and her days, Ann tried a different approach to counterattack the darkness she so often found herself trapped in. She began a…
I have been starving for music lately. I am not great at technology stuff, and my husband has much of our media set up so that if I get ahold of the remote control for the music-player thingy, it’s safe to say my husband will soon be working…
You’ve just returned home from school. A conference. A training course. And now, what is one of the first questions you might be asked? “Did you learn anything?” or “What did you learn?” I remember coming home from elementary school and being asked by my uncle, “Did you…
In a conference I attended on Parkinson’s disease a few years back, one of the speakers stated, “Hope is medicine.” In many ways, that is so true. Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “To live without hope is to cease to live.” As a Parkinson’s patient, it may be hard to…
I used to wear my heart on my sleeve for all to see … and comment on. Not that I wanted to. Who am I kidding? I still wear my heart on my sleeve for all to see … and comment on. Not that I want to. It…
The Press Democrat published the following question and reply from the “Dear Abby” column just this past week: “I’m a 72-year-old married woman. My husband has atypical Parkinson’s and can no longer talk or walk … I need someone to talk to, to share life with. I…
What is a “Terrific Tuesday”? An opportunity, just like any other day, to look at life optimistically. It sounds more poetic and, for this article, works better than “Mundane Mondays” or “Weird Wednesdays.” Terrific Tuesdays. Days in which to decide to see the positive and not the negative.
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