Jamie E. Askari is a weekly columnist for Parkinson’s News Today. Jamie is also the managing director of Premier Health Advocates, LLC, a small medical advocacy organization in Cleveland, Ohio. Her husband Arman was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s disease in 2009, before his 40th birthday. Jamie and Arman have three grown children: Lexy, who is an attorney, Mandy, who is completing her MBA and dietetic internship; and Jake, who is an undergraduate student studying Finance and Accounting. She has named her column “The Bright Side” (actually, her husband named it!) because of their positive attitude regarding PD and everything in their life. Jamie is thrilled to share her story with Parkinson’s News Today!
So what exactly happens when a full-time caregiver gets sick? Needs to take a well-needed day off? Can’t perform the necessary tasks of caregiving? As full-time caregivers, some crazy questions run through our minds. For example, how will…
Read more
One of the most challenging nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is fatigue. When I think about the word, a poor night’s sleep comes to mind, resulting in a day of being tired afterward. Or fatigue might result…
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Victor Frankl This quotation was shared…
The name Alexa is of Greek origin and means “helper” or “defender of humankind.” Back in 1996, when my husband, Arman, and I were deciding on a name for our first child, we had no idea that this would…
When my husband, Arman, was diagnosed in 2009 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 38, I learned everything I could about it. I purchased every book I could get my hands on and searched…
Have you ever witnessed someone falling? One minute they’re walking by your side, and the next, they’re on the ground. Usually this involves slipping on the ice on a cold winter day or drinking too much beer at a…
I recently began attending a support group for Parkinson’s disease caregivers. Although I may have been one of the group’s youngest members, I’ve been a caregiver for longer than most, as my husband, Arman, was…
“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter/ Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter/ Let it rain ’cause you and I remain the same.” — Maren Morris, “The Bones” I just love this…
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” This famous quote is from one of the all-time greatest movies, “The Shawshank Redemption.” Andy (the main character, played by…
I’m always in awe when I think about how my husband, Arman, has handled his diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He was young at the time, just starting his independent medical career after years of supervised training. Arman’s…
It started with a dry throat, which isn’t unusual for us in winter. After a lifetime of living in chilly Cleveland, we’re used to the dryness from forced-air heat. But the minute my husband, Arman, and I both woke…
While I have talked a lot in my columns about staying positive and looking for the good in all situations, I want to reflect on this. When you live with a loved one who has Parkinson’s disease (PD),…
Visit the Parkinson’s News Today forums to connect with others in the P
Get regular updates to your inbox.
