Living My Best Life — Christine Scheer

Last in a series. Read part one. Recently, I had terrible abdominal pain in the middle of the night. It was so bad that I was doubled over and couldn’t sleep. I thought it was appendicitis, or kidney stones, or maybe diverticulosis. I tried to walk it off and…

First in a series. We were careening down our gravel road at breakneck speed. “Can you go any faster?” I yelled at my husband, John. Gravel flew out from under the car tires, squirrels scattered, and my eyeballs were sweating. We live on a peaceful farm that is accessible by…

Getting older isn’t for sissies, my mom always said. She also said “Merry Christmas” to me in July one year and noted how everyone in her care home had gray hair (she had been gray since her 30s). She was spot on about the challenges of aging, though, especially for…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with probiotics. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy or supplement. What I’m about to share with you is not an endorsement of any product; it’s simply my own story.

Even though I can still drive, I always welcome the offer of a drive somewhere by somebody else. It’s not just about the convenience but the companionship that comes with it. Usually, it’s my husband, John, but often, it’s our good friends and neighbors who step in. Their patience and…

This spring was a soggy one in southwestern Ontario, and nobody loves the damp more than big, black carpenter ants. An army of them invaded our house, so I spent a couple weeks stepping, stomping, and trying to poison the little monsters. They were everywhere, but mostly, they loved our…

“Squash the bug, Barry!” my friend Dave yelled across the boxing gym. Our other friend Barry had been on his way to get a drink of water and had frozen. When Dave shouted, Barry lifted one leg and stomped it down (picture somebody squishing a bug), and that got him…

Do you ever have moments when you forget you have Parkinson’s disease? Sometimes, in those first few sleepy moments when I wake up, I feel good. Then, of course, I start to tremor, or my muscles clench, or I get out of bed and can hardly stand. It’s…

My husband, John, and I recently embarked on a memorable trip to the Dominican Republic. We’ve been there before, but this year was special: We’d be babysitting our 6-month-old granddaughter for part of the time and enjoying the company of her parents and the sunny and gorgeous Dominican weather. My…

I love a good routine. Every morning, I have a cup of tea and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, and I’ve been doing that for at least 10 years. It’s super satisfying, and I see no reason to change it. Every night, my husband, John, and I watch “Jeopardy!”…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, things weren’t too bad. I had a slight tremor…

This winter has been hard here in Ontario, Canada. It’s been cold, dark, and snowy. Plus, my Parkinson’s symptoms worsened, with freezing and dyskinesia happening more frequently, my balance being at an all-time low, and fatigue ruling my days. In the past, I’d been able to keep most of my…