We all want to feel that we have something we can depend on, something we can call “normal” in this fight against Parkinson’s disease. But Parkinson’s is anything but normal. You might have heard that each person with Parkinson’s wears the disease differently. How the disease manifests is unique…
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
When my kids were younger and still in school, I volunteered to be a driver for most of their field trips. One of the most memorable outings was when I took my youngest son and his classmates to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I had been there several…
I attend a Rock Steady Boxing class twice a week. Rock Steady Boxing is a program founded in 2006 by Scott Newman, who has Parkinson’s disease, along with his friend, Vince Perez, who does not have Parkinson’s. The class is more than merely exercising or getting “Parkinson’s fit.”…
During one of my many moments spent pondering frivolous stuff, I recently was thinking about colors and the emotions they represent. Here is what I came up with. I love the color yellow. It reminds me of walking into spring, hoe in hand and clippers in tow. Then I waltz…
Last week I had surgery. Little did I know that it would be a great time to advocate for Parkinson’s disease (PD). It began with the registration process two days before my hospital check-in. The hospital’s admittance clerk called me with some last-minute instructions for my surgery, which took…
I have had several surgeries in my lifetime but have never fretted over them beforehand. I think that’s because the procedures were all to deal with my Parkinson’s disease, and I explicitly trusted the doctors in each situation. As I write this, I have another surgery tomorrow, and I must…
The other day, I filled out a form requesting my name and email address. It also asked me to check a little box. That was it. So I filled out my information and left the little box unchecked. It took me about 37 seconds to fill out the form and…
Life can be hard. It is painfully true: Life is so very hard. Not all of us suffer from Parkinson’s disease, but maybe our young child is fighting diabetes. Perhaps a friend is battling cancer. Maybe our spouse is struggling with an addiction. We experience feelings of anger, sadness, confusion,…
I had a pretty good day recently. It was better than I’d had in a long while. I remember thinking that I could forget I had Parkinson’s disease if every day was like that day. But every day isn’t like that one. Every other day usually begins with being slow…
I am a strong advocate of forgiveness. Without it, we strike out with vengeance when we’ve been hurt, whether it was intentional or not. We take revenge into our own hands. We become bitter, hateful, critical, and spiteful. Choosing to hold on to perceived offenses against us creates an unhealthy…
Some of us may think we’re a burden when perhaps our issue is pride. We don’t want to be a burden because we’ll think less of ourselves if someone has to care for us. Or, we may think others will think less of us if they have to care…
Respect for oneself can often be hard to come by. We can see our mistakes and failures. We recognize the missed opportunities to become who we wanted to be, and the times we fell short of our goals. Couple the inadequacies we carry with us alongside having a chronic illness…
I’ve always liked attending different events, such as movies or concerts, or having lunch or coffee with friends. But I don’t get out to socialize much anymore. It’s not that I can’t or don’t want to. I merely am hesitant and for one reason or another usually talk myself…
I’m unsure about how I feel today, but I am certain it’s not me. I am not at my best. Tired and weary, I am running this race against time. I hope I am running it well. We all believed, at one point or another, that we had a limitless…
A huge part of bringing in the new year is buying a new calendar, a new journal, a copy of the book you have vowed to read, or a working scale — one that tips in your favor and not against it when counting those unwanted pounds. The first days…
Have you ever heard someone say that Parkinson’s can be blamed for much and many a thing? I have. And why not blame our woes on this disease? It’s taken much and many a thing from us. Things that we, at one time in our lives, had full…
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