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’m not typically a private person by nature. But for nearly 15 years, I’ve worked hard to hide my heavy load, to keep it tucked away from the world. Some days, this load weighs…
My family always looks for the good in every situation. We try to find the humor and the positive in times that can be hard. It’s our way of looking on the bright…
When I look back on our journey with deep brain stimulation (DBS), I wish I’d documented our experience on paper rather than the bits and pieces of memory my brain struggles to recall.
When dealing with a disease like Parkinson’s, eventually a caregiver will be needed. I suppose the politically correct term for this person is now “care partner,” at least in some circles. The…
Opening up about a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is a personal and complicated decision. While some share the diagnosis immediately with friends, family, and colleagues, it’s common for people with Parkinson’s to…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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