Shaking Things Up
— Mary Beth Skylis

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…

Snow is falling from the sky in tufts here in the Colorado mountains as I write this. Christmas is on my brain. It’s the time of year when my sister and I book flights back to Michigan and brainstorm ways to make the season memorable. For me, doing that means…

After my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, one of the most frightening parts for me was learning about the later stages of the disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, and it’s hard to think about how the symptoms will worsen over time. Of course,…

 “Let’s play a game,” my sister, Anne Marie, suggested one balmy summer evening. Our entire family had congregated in Northern Michigan for a weeklong vacation, and we were looking to create some fun. Anne Marie explained the rules of the game: One player would read a question out…

I have an autoimmune disease. I’ve known about it for about as long as my dad has known about his Parkinson’s disease. And sometimes it’s striking to see how the treatment strategies vary between illnesses. Both diseases are progressive, causing worsening symptoms over time. My medication dosages…

When I was a kid, the world was divided into the haves and the have-nots. The haves never wanted for anything, while the have-nots had to find a way to navigate their lives without the appropriate resources to do so. I fell into the have-nots. And anytime I struggled to…

Drooling is embarrassing. I’ve caught myself spacing out with a trickle of saliva slipping out of my lips before. I can’t help but peer around the room to see if anyone noticed. I know I’m not the only one who has experienced this. My dad recently explained to me that…

“Wow, look at that walk,” my older sister says with a smile. Dad is making his way across the living room in preparation for his birthday party. His steps are fluid and unbroken. It’s a sight that we savor. I love to see my dad unencumbered by his…

Parkinson’s is an impactful disease that comes with a lot of challenges. As such, it probably isn’t a surprise to most that many Parkinson’s patients struggle with mental health at some point. In fact, up to 40% of Parkinson’s patients experience anxiety, according to the National Council on…

Living with a chronic illness that isn’t visible to others can be lonely. Friends and loved ones might not understand why you make certain choices, which forces you to justify your actions. If you skip a social outing, you might experience resistance from those who don’t understand your plight.

Many of us experience a natural urge to relate to others to create a greater understanding of our existence. Human connection is widely seen as a vital contributing factor to health and well-being. But its importance is often overlooked or undermined, which contributes to a high incidence of loneliness…

Everywhere you look, it seems, ads and notifications holler about remedies to ailments that people suffer from in the United States. Flip on the television, and it won’t be long before an ad about some medication will invade your consciousness. “If you have [insert disease], talk to your doctors about…

I’ve heard many stories about Parkinson’s disease changing relationships. Some community members observe personality changes that make their partner feel like a stranger again. Others notice inconsistencies in their loved one’s behavior, such as mood swings and ambivalence. Sometimes the affected relationship survives the changes. Other times, it…

When Diana Dunetz’s husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, she didn’t know what to think. First, there was denial. How could something like this happen to her husband? Then there was apathy, and after that, loneliness, which came unannounced and was brutal in its ferocity. “I found…

When the clock struck midnight on March 13, Dad turned into a pumpkin, sprouting vines for ears and orange skin as a protective barrier from the world. That day completed his seventh full decade on the planet, and I imagine it gave him insight into the number of days he’s…

I’ve always been an analytical person. For as long as I can remember, I’ve catalogued data about my life, creating charts that visually represent how I’m performing at work or whether I’m achieving my fitness goals. I believe this type of information will equip me to better handle the future.