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, I thought deep brain stimulation (DBS) was a last…
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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Grief has a way of slipping in when you least expect it. Generally, I am a cheerful person, but lately I’ve felt a bit … sad? Apathetic? Angry? The correct answer is all of the above. Is it because I have Parkinson’s disease? Or was it triggered by the…
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, I was alone. I had an appointment with the neurologist, and I never even considered bringing somebody. My husband, John, was working as a vendor at a farmers market, so I drove straight there after the appointment. He was busy…
My husband, John, was leaning over me and saying, “What happened?” I looked up at him and said, “Why?” What I was trying to say is, “Why did you wake me up?” But I couldn’t get the words out. Then my arms, which hadn’t tremored since my deep brain…
Since my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2015, my sense of smell has been nonexistent. Overall, I have to say the loss hasn’t bothered me too much, especially when compared with other Parkinson’s symptoms, such as tremor, slowness, and stiffness. The only time it does bother me is…
When my daughters were young, I used to joke that my superpower was the ability to worry. Now that they’ve grown into capable young adults, I don’t worry quite as much. Plus, what’s left to worry about? I already have an incurable illness, as I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s…
It’s hard work being an optimist when you have a disease that is progressive, neurodegenerative, and — wait for it — incurable. So what do I do? I work hard at it! The work began in 2015, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. There is nothing like a…
Before I knew I had Parkinson’s disease, or even what it was, my family lost their collective mind. They insisted I was whispering and they couldn’t hear what I was saying. I still remember thinking they were all crazy. Were they gaslighting me? Why would they do that? Was…
Twenty years ago, I developed frozen shoulders. Yes, plural. Over the course of a year, both of my shoulders locked up, causing me to gasp in pain when doing the simplest tasks — brushing my teeth, putting on deodorant, combing my hair. It took months of physiotherapy, and then…
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