My husband, John, and I recently embarked on a memorable trip to the Dominican Republic. We’ve been there before, but this year was special: We’d be babysitting our 6-month-old granddaughter for part of the time and enjoying the company of her parents and the sunny and gorgeous Dominican weather. My…

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having my entire family around me. But now that my three children are grown and living on their own, having everyone together is rare for my husband, Arman, and me. When the kids were growing up, we planned a yearly winter vacation to…

When my husband, Arman, was diagnosed in 2009 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 38, it felt nearly impossible to find anything positive about our situation. At the time, we were parents of three young children, and Arman was busy building his career as a physician.

Why do we often neglect our mental health? Although the term contains the word “health,” we don’t always care for the health of our minds as well as we do that of our bodies. If we’re feeling under the weather, for instance, maybe with cold or flu symptoms, we…

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.

“I would trade places with you,” my friend said. “You have Parkinson’s disease, but you also have people who love you. That matters.” I was speechless, but it’s true. We may take love for granted, but others notice it and wish they had it. I chose this column for…

A few weeks ago, I was driving to see my son, Jake, at college. I’ve written before about visiting him, but this was different from my usual college visits. It was 4:45 a.m. when we got Jake’s call: “I’m heading to the hospital.” I immediately packed a bag and hit…

Living with Parkinson’s disease can feel like an insurmountable challenge. As we strive to maintain our mobility and preserve our way of life, we look for ways to empower ourselves as patients. We want to feel in control and restore our confidence. As the disease progresses, motor symptom…

“It looks like I’m getting surgery next month,” I texted my dad one morning. I’ve been dealing with a mystery pain in my foot for nearly a year. Every time I run or rock climb, I end up with a burning sensation in my toe. A recent MRI revealed…

Determination can be a powerful ally in life, especially when dealing with a chronic illness like Parkinson’s disease (PD). My sister Bev has stage 3 PD, which causes balance and short-term memory issues, along with hand tremors. Life happens to all of us. There are emotional…