As a young girl growing up in the 1970s, reading was my favorite pastime. We had no cellphones, internet, or Snapchat then, and only three TV channels via a rabbit-ear antenna. So I read a lot. I loved Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary and read almost…

SteadyScrib, a startup company led by undergraduate students at Northwestern University, is working on a pen-and-clipboard system that can make writing easier for people with Parkinson’s disease. The company hopes to launch its pen sets by this year’s end, and it offers a waitlist for people…

I published my first column with Parkinson’s News Today in April 2019, confiding in readers about my dad’s struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Since then, I’ve written more than 60 columns, telling stories and sharing information I’ve learned. I’m rather proud to have looked Parkinson’s in the eyes so…

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a tough life and not to be taken lightly. With all the serious aspects of PD that manifest in our lives and the effort needed to manage them, it’s hard to find time to be light and playful. With tongue in cheek, following…

According to a 2013 article in The New York Times, the average American knows about 600 people. Since the debut of “Life, Lemons, and Lemonade” over two years ago, I have met many doctors, community educators, foundation directors, researchers, and people with Parkinson’s disease. Between fundraisers, Zoom support…

Journaling can be therapeutic for all of us. For someone with a chronic illness like Parkinson’s disease, storytelling by way of writing can leave a legacy for friends and family, and it can even change a person’s perspective about facing illness. In explaining why she decided to keep a journal,…

Living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been a curse and a blessing. The curse is a progressive chronic illness, and the blessing is being able to write creatively about the experience in a way that helps others. Writing for Parkinson’s News Today provides worthiness, pleasure, and self-expression for me. It’s…

Receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis immediately prompts a cascade of questions encompassing all aspects of life, including career choices. This can be especially challenging with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. What will I look like? Will I be able to care for myself and my family? Should I keep my…

I love gardening. Besides writing, it is what I most enjoy. I have learned so much from digging in the dirt, whether I am planting something into freshly cultivated soil or digging up something that has recently withered away. No matter what task I do on any particular day,…

Ever since I can remember, I have loved to write short stories, articles, poems, novels, essays, and more. I entered some of my writing into contests, won a few (mostly in the short stories category), and received a few awards. As a young teenager, I asked my grandmother to read…