Sometimes I think about the odd medical practices that were used hundreds of years ago to treat illnesses and how those strategies compare with today’s practices. In the 19th century, milk transfusions were considered to be an adequate replacement for blood transfusions. (While some patients survived the procedure,…
Shaking Things Up
— Mary Beth Skylis
Mary Beth Skylis (she/her) lives in Colorado, where she works as a full-time freelance writer. As a columnist for Backpacker Magazine and Women’s Health, she spends most of her time learning about the latest developments in the outdoor and health industries. When her dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, she began conducting research and looking for ways to share her journey. Joining Bionews was the result. Now she works as a forum moderator and continues to share monthly musings about life with Parkinson’s disease.
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A few years ago, I accompanied my dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, to a neurology appointment to observe how his doctor interacted with him and assessed whether his deep brain stimulation hardware needed adjustment. The doctor asked if he was taking the recommended dosage of levodopa at the scheduled…
One of the more challenging Parkinson’s disease symptoms that my dad navigates is stiffness or rigidity, which makes the mornings hard on him. He does his morning stretches to counteract the problem, but it puts a hamper on his groove. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the stiffness comes…
A few months ago, my mom called me up and asked if I’d be willing to take her and my dad to a holy site in France after my sister’s wedding. Every year, about 4 million people travel from around the world to the Grotto of Lourdes, located…
I recently discovered that I, like 10% to 30% of the human population, am deficient in magnesium. The mineral plays a key role in supporting nerve and muscle function, the immune system, and strong bones, and it’s commonly found in foods such as green, leafy vegetables, nuts, and coconut…
“Morning, Mary Beth. Have you heard anything about weight loss and Parkinson’s?” my dad texts me one day. “From what I’ve read in the Parkinson’s News Today Forums, it seems like a mixed bag,” I respond. “Some people lose weight, and some people gain it.” This isn’t…
Degeneration is painful to witness, but even more painful to experience. The tasks one might previously have been able to tackle become difficult or impossible. It’s not uncommon for those with a degenerative disease like Parkinson’s to experience changes to their memory and difficulty in staying focused. But it’s…
“Jim Rice was a nice guy,” Dad told me one afternoon late last summer. “He walked into my office when I was at Century 21. He didn’t know who I was, but he asked me right away if I had Parkinson’s disease. That was almost 15 years ago.” Dad…
Every time I step foot in a new country, I dive into the local culture to try to intimately understand the region. I compare and contrast it with the U.S., where I’m from, in an effort to expand my understanding and experiences. But I’m not only an explorer of geographical…
Self-care sometimes gets a reputation for being a woo-woo practice — something that’s unconventional and has little scientific data to back it up. But the body of scientific evidence showing that self-care practices can have an impact is growing. A self-care routine has been shown to…
When my parents moved into their current house about 10 years ago, one thing they quickly learned about the property was that the previous owner had Parkinson’s disease. From what they understood, the man took his last breaths in the house, living out the end of his days…
My dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, has experienced some weight loss recently. I have theories about that. I think it’s partly because of his Parkinson’s tremors, which not only increase his energy output, but also make it more difficult for him to eat (which could mean that he’s…
The sun peeked through the window at 8 a.m. on a weekday morning, and I found myself wanting to shut the world out. The day before, I’d hiked 12 miles through the Rocky Mountains with a friend, and my chronic illness had made it difficult to rebound from the exertion.
I was texting with my dad a few weeks ago when he told me something that stopped me in my tracks: He had his first fall. I often live in a state of denial when it comes to my dad’s experience with Parkinson’s disease, believing he’ll be an exception…
I’m on the phone with a technology expert from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department — the biggest sheriff’s department in the world — when the idea strikes me: Dad could use an Apple Watch to help monitor potential falls caused by his…
“Hi, Mom,” I say after hitting the green button on my phone. “How are you?” “Hi, honey. I’m doing well,” she responds. It’s an early Sunday afternoon and she sounds chipper. We don’t connect often, so I’m grateful to hear her voice. But I’m curious about the call. Is something…
Years ago, my dad realized that acute stress made his Parkinson’s symptoms worse. He was more inclined to freeze or experience exacerbated tremors, especially if he was full of anxiety. This revelation led him to focus on reducing the amount of stress he experiences on a regular…
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