Doc Irish is a “patient research scientist,” not a real doctor. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 49 in 2020. He has an amazing family, is married with four children, owner of a healthcare market research firm. Believed to have eventually developed the disorder due to herbicide exposure while working for a landscaping company in high school and college – initial concerns were all about possible causes and trying to rule out genetic links. Now, focused on how can we try to make sense of brain-body dynamics… and how to accelerate real-world therapies.
Living with Parkinson’s disease is an intricate dance of challenges. For me, pain has been a persistent partner on this journey. For years, my coping strategy was to try to push the pain out of my mind,…
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I was watching my youngest daughter’s high school lacrosse game the other night and commented to my wife, “She’s seeing the field really well right now.” We talked a bit about how it’s obvious, from a spectator’s perspective, when…
In my last column, I discussed the importance of pursuing a collaborative effort with healthcare providers to develop a holistic and personalized approach to managing Parkinson’s symptoms. Today, I’ll delve into the ongoing trials and errors I’ve…
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, one of my fears was that I would have to stop refereeing basketball. The game of basketball has been a big part of my life since childhood. Some of my best…
Can there be anything beautiful in Parkinson’s disease? It’s so easy to see the ugly and clutch the feeling that all is lost. I hate to say it, but sometimes we need to experience loss to break through…
Do you ever notice how symptoms of Parkinson’s disease sometimes seem to start at the perimeter? You might first get a twitch in your pinkie finger or thumb, or it might be some other subtle problem, possibly starting…
Flash back with me to the mid-1980s to early ’90s, the acting heyday of our beloved Michael J. Fox and his “Back to the Future” film series. Remember how time travel in the films was made possible…
When you’re asked about Parkinson’s disease, how do you describe it? Do you have any particular ways of imagining Parkinson’s that are helpful for you to understand or explain the disorder? Any pictures, diagrams, or frameworks that provide…
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