In the fall of 1986, I worked as a chef at the Black Swan Café in London, Ontario, Canada. The café was on Richmond Street, one of the city’s busier streets for restaurants and retail. We were excited because Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour would be coming…
Living My Best Life — Christine Scheer
Christine Scheer was diagnosed in 2015, at the age of 54, with Parkinson’s disease. She is a retired chef who lives on a farm with her husband, John, in London, Ontario, Canada. She firmly believes in the power of exercise to slow down the progression of Parkinson’s. Her hope for her column, “Living My Best Life,” is that she can get conversations started and raise awareness by engaging those in the PD community and beyond.
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During the time in my life when I was busy and always rushing around, with no idea what Parkinson’s disease even was, my husband, John, and I “peaked” on pets: 12 chickens, five cats, two sheep, and two dogs. When I got home from work, I’d rush over to…
In 2015, during the early days of my Parkinson’s diagnosis, everything was a blur and I didn’t know where to turn. I had just started seeing a new physiotherapist whom I immediately liked and began to forge a connection with. One day, she said to me, “If you…
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, I didn’t know anyone else with the disease. Then I joined Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed specifically for those of us with Parkinson’s. I’d found my people! I had read about the program and its benefits, but…
It’s that time of year again: time for our annual Walk for Parkinson’s. I hate asking people for money, even for such a worthwhile cause as our local Parkinson’s Society here in Ontario, Canada. Since my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2015, however, I’ve felt the cause…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. It’s been three years since I had deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease,…
We’re going to be grandparents! My husband, John, and I couldn’t be more excited. Grandma, Nanny, Grannie, or Gram — I don’t care what this baby calls me. I look forward to the (hopefully) beautiful relationship I envision with this child. I hope to be a source of love, cuddles,…
I visited my family doctor several months ago regarding some issues related to being a woman “of a certain age” on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Did you know that estrogen is neuroprotective? I’d initially begun HRT to control debilitating hot flashes, but the bonus was that my brain…
For the past couple weeks, I’ve had the post-holiday blues. I’ve also been training for a 5K road race in June. Both of these things have left me exhausted. All I can think about is when I’ll be able to take a nap or go to bed, or whether or…
Lying down and sleeping seems like such a natural thing to do. I remember when one of my mother’s caregivers said to me, “I finally got your mother to lie down.” What? My mother didn’t know how to lie down? It’s true: Dementia had robbed her of that seemingly…
I’m fortunate to have two daughters who are my pride and joy. We get along extremely well, and they’ve always been supportive of me, especially during my Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015. After I had deep brain stimulation surgery in 2021, they both came to our farm to see…
Have you ever had to run for your life? I have — a couple of times. I attend a spin class every Thursday morning at our local Y. Although the class isn’t explicitly designed for people with Parkinson’s disease, I find it remarkable how good I feel…
I’ve been thinking about food a lot lately. This makes sense because I worked as a chef, a farmers market manager, a food columnist, and a community food adviser for most of my adult life. Food was my job, my entertainment, and my passion. Then my Parkinson’s came along…
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