I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 64. That is close to the average age that most Parkinson’s patients are diagnosed. My goal has been to live to the age of 85, one year beyond the age of my grandfather. In my lineage, he held the record for years lived.
My clinical training is in helping people recover from brain injury. After receiving my Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis and reading that scientists believe the disease is linked to the destruction of dopamine-producing neurons, I began thinking of Parkinson’s as a brain injury. While working with brain injury patients, I’d…
My Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten worse. Every day has two peak off times that I think of as “horrible.” During peak off periods, I experience the following sequence: First: Pain flares have surges up to levels 7 and 8. It can include 15 different pain locations, but only three…
Celebrating the recent holiday here in the U.S. tested our ability to adapt. It has always been a time for the family to gather, but not this year. Our family members decided not to congregate in a physical space. Instead, we adapted, connected through video, spoke on the phone, and…
When I was struggling with healthcare providers to arrive at the right diagnosis, I kept wondering, why is Parkinson’s so difficult to diagnose? I asked my favorite neurologist, Dr. Donald Higgins Jr., “Has anyone come up with a good theory explaining the large variability in how Parkinson’s presents?” He answered…
Get regular updates to your inbox.
