Jamie Askari is from Cleveland, Ohio, and serves as the managing director of Premier Health Advocates, LLC, a small medical advocacy organization. Her husband, Arman, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2009, at age 38. Jamie and Arman have three grown children. She has named her column “The Bright Side” (actually, her husband named it!) because of their positive attitude regarding Parkinson’s and all aspects of their lives.
It was a cold, gray, rainy Saturday in Cleveland. My husband, Arman, and I would typically spend this kind of day relaxing at home, reading, renting a movie, or binge-watching a series while I…
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“I accuse Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with a revolver.” Wait, does anyone have a conservatory in their home, and if so, what is it? Is colonel pronounced “col-o-nel” or with the letter “r”?…
I’m the ultimate planner — just ask my family. Knowing the next life steps for my husband, my children, and myself offers me a sense of peace and calm. Because of that, I’m constantly…
Recently, for a column I was writing, I was looking for a good definition of Parkinson’s disease. I’m always amazed that much of the information out there about Parkinson’s disease doesn’t apply to…
I’ve always heard that mourning doves symbolize peace, hope, renewal, and love. While I’m unsure if this old wives’ tale is accurate, I can be sure that the nest of mourning doves on my…
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…
I remember when my kids were small and I’d hear the patter of tiny feet running toward my bedside, usually at 3 a.m. I knew the reason would be one of two things: the…
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the short phrase “PD-friendly” (PD being Parkinson’s disease). I wonder if others use this phrase. Or did I just make it up myself? At any rate,…
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…
Early one morning a few weeks ago, I was in the bathroom drying my hair, which usually takes about 30 minutes every few days. I stood in front of the mirror with the dryer…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with vitamin B1. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Last fall, at my…
My most treasured moments come from just a handful of days in my life. The first was the sunny, beautiful day in July 1995 when I married my husband, Arman. Then there are the…
Besides my husband, Arman, we don’t have any friends or family members with Parkinson’s disease. However, we do have a relative, Rose Brown, who’s a social worker working solely with Parkinson’s patients.
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