A study on Parkinson’s and exercise affirms I’m on the right track
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…
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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Is it normal aging or symptoms of Parkinson’s?
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…
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When sleep and Parkinson’s disease don’t behave as allies
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…
When Parkinson’s anxiety, Google Maps, and texting collide
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…
Running for my life: How I exercise to feel better with Parkinson’s
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…
I’m still making revisions in my diet for Parkinson’s
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…
Hypomimia got you down? Make smiling part of your exercise routine.
When I was in college, I worked as a waitress. One of the things I found remarkable was that I could go to work grumpy and leave happy. Was it because my co-workers were…
Was a spray can of pesticide the cause of my Parkinson’s?
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, I had been living the dream. I had two lovely daughters, a wonderful and supportive husband, a terrific extended family, and many good friends.
Remembering ‘Stand up straight!’ and other words of wisdom
Stand up straight! Speak up! Pick up your feet! Sound familiar to anyone? I thought so. People with Parkinson’s disease often struggle to stand up straight or speak loudly and clearly, and…
With Parkinson’s and exercise, my mantra is ‘challenge yourself’
“Challenge yourself!” a fitness instructor once said to me. It was some of the best fitness advice I’ve ever received. In fact, it will be my mantra for 2024. In 2015, I was…
Among my most cherished holiday memories is a sense of smell
The warm and comforting scents of Christmas infuse my memories. Yes, these smells are only memories since Parkinson’s disease snuck into my life and took away my sense of smell, like the…
In trying something I loved as a kid, I found myself skating on thin ice
The winter of 2022 was spectacular here in southwestern Ontario. It was cold enough for our pond to freeze for the first time in many years. Most weekends were sunny and icy cold, and…
Traveling with Parkinson’s disease is a little different, but I got this
In 1991, my husband, John, and I got married, quit our jobs, and cycled around the world for a year. John was an engineer and I was a chef, and we had friends who’d…
