Writing about Parkinson’s disease is a cumbersome game. I’m a journalist in my regular life, so I’m no stranger to telling complicated and emotional stories. But my lens is usually focused on others. I tell stories about accomplished athletes and faraway places that don’t affect me directly. But Parkinson’s disease…
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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Some of my earliest memories of my dad depict him like a superhero — the guy who would work all day before coming home and tossing his kids over his shoulder. He had a vitality that practically swirled with enthusiasm. After work, he could be found at the latest theater…
Dad has always loved films about fighters. There’s an allure to watching an underdog rise to fame. Maybe he’s mesmerized by the strength of characters like Rambo and Muhammad Ali because he hopes there’s a fighter in him as well. He won’t define himself by his circumstances or sink into…
James Parkinson changed the course of medical history when he first described the “Shaking Palsy” in 1817, at a time when little was known about neurological and degenerative diseases. I decided to delve into the history of the disease to see how it might relate to modern medical practices.
The sun peeks over the horizon, and before long Dad is up and at it. It’s a boxing day, and he wants to time his medications to optimize control over his Parkinson’s symptoms. The other part of his routine revolves around his morning stretches. Muscle rigidity is the…
Parkinson’s disease introduces challenges into your daily life. Tasks that were once second nature become more complicated when you’re managing symptoms like tremors and dyskinesia. Fortunately, product designers are coming up with simple, adaptive solutions that can make living with Parkinson’s a little easier. Introducing some adaptive products into…
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can affect both cognitive and motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients who undergo the surgery. The procedure gives hope to those who are substantially inhibited by tremors and dyskinesia — people like my dad. After doctors determined he’d make a good candidate for the…
At the top of a Colorado mountain, I realize that my phone has just a single bar of service. I drop to the dusty ground, frantic to contact my dad. He’s going into surgery for deep brain stimulation (DBS) today, and I haven’t had the chance to tell him…
More than 10 million people are living with Parkinson’s disease around the world. While this number seems shocking, it also means that we have a lot of people fighting for change, relief, a cure, or a solution to some of the difficulties that Parkinson’s yields. Research and interest in…
I’ve always been a bookworm. From a young age, I’d collect stacks of dusty literature at the library and vanish in between the pages. Stories helped me learn about the complexities in life. I was often attracted to odysseys, in which an unassuming character went on a quest to learn…
Dad’s dyskinesia is worsening at a startling pace. When he doesn’t take his medications, he’s nearly immobile. And when he does, dyskinesia wreaks havoc on him. At a loss for options, we’ve been searching for alternative solutions to assist in the management of his PD symptoms. A procedure called…
A proud, black piano stands in my parents’ living room. It’s the foundation of our home. From behind the sleek mahogany panels, fury, sadness, and happiness express themselves without judgment. My operatic brother sings his troubles away. My mom, a lifelong piano teacher, often alludes to the power of music…
“Freezing” is when an individual suddenly feels like they’re glued to the ground. Parkinson’s disease patients often experience freezing during the late stages of the disease. It can occur while the person is in motion or after they’ve been stationary and then attempt to move. It’s associated with complicated…
I don’t remember when I started measuring my life in increments of time. But I feel the seconds slipping through my fingers. I think about using quantum mechanics to split myself in two so that I can be at sea and with my parents at the same time. Why…
My dad is a soft-spoken soul. He observes the madness of our lives while quietly rocking in his plushy black chair. His philosophy has always been passive: Worrying doesn’t help you navigate tribulation, and aggression is destructive. So when he told me he was going to join the Rock Steady…
When I was in high school, I followed the written journey of a classmate who was diagnosed with leukemia. Miles Levin struggled to comprehend a senseless battle through the exploration of words. He wore the armor of someone who was too young to fight cancer when he wrote, “Dying is…
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