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 our extended family and friends would come to our farm for a skating party. When we…
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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For me, having goals is very important. For instance, in the 5K race that I ran last weekend, my goal was to smile for the last 100 meters or so, because that is when they snap a photo of you. Does it matter that I came in 1,153rd? No, it…
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 traveled to Australia and Asia the previous year. “Why not?” we thought. It was a fantastic…
“How could I be so stupid?” I was berating myself for buying a ridiculous book that promised to cure Parkinson’s disease. The book was one of the first purchases I made in a long line of failed attempts to feel better and take control of my life after I…
Every Tuesday afternoon you can see us. We might be outside at the park or, if there’s inclement weather, inside at the mall. Sometimes there are only two of us; other times, there are up to 12. It’s our Tuesday walking group for people with Parkinson’s disease. The casual…
Many losses are associated with Parkinson’s disease, some more impactful than others. So far, because of deep brain stimulation (DBS), which I had in 2021, I’ve had more gains than losses in the past couple of years. It’s changed my life for the better in so many ways,…
My husband, John, and I got our cat Rosie from the animal shelter many years ago. She was a muted calico, the smallest and prettiest of all our indoor cats. What a sweetie she was. We called her my daemon, after the animals that were a physical manifestation of a…
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…
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…
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