For 11 wonderful years, we were blessed with having a beautiful Bernese mountain dog called Kona in our lives. He’s been gone nine years, and I still think about and talk about him nearly every day. He was 97 pounds of love, joy, and fur. He was goofy — as…
The Unshakable Optimist — Mollie Lombardi
In 2013, at the age of 36, Mollie Lombardi was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Six years later, she underwent brain surgery to implant a deep brain stimulation device that now helps manage her symptoms. She writes about the challenges of young-onset PD, including working full time, travel, and navigating the joys of being a wife, daughter, auntie, sister, and friend. Her column, “The Unshakable Optimist,” is about not letting the tremors of life get you down and the benefits of a positive attitude when battling a chronic illness every day.
Featured Post
One of the first symptoms I noticed before I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, besides a tremor in my pinky fingers, was difficulty managing a knife and fork. It’s one of those weird experiences that you can’t quite imagine until you experience it. And even when you do,…
My birthday is this month, and I’m turning 49. I’m not doing anything particularly exciting to celebrate, just dinner with some friends and my husband. Low-key birthdays are fine by me, but it is a big deal to be entering the last year of my 40s. I started this decade…
A vanity isn’t just for the vain. If any of you are like me and watch a lot of home improvement shows, you probably have some bathroom envy. My house was built in the 1970s, and our primary bathroom is definitely a “before,” not an “after,” when it comes to…
If you’re a regular reader of this column, you may have noticed I haven’t published anything new in a few weeks. You see, I was sick. I had the flu — the same terrible one that seems to be affecting people all over the country. I always say that having…
This year, I’m celebrating Parkinson’s Awareness Month by saying, “F— Parkinson’s!” If you watch the Apple TV show “Shrinking,” you’ll get exactly what I mean. The show features a group of multigenerational friends, three of whom work together at a psychiatrist’s office. (Get it? “Shrinking?”) Harrison Ford plays…
I recently started seeing a new neurologist after the doctor I’ve had since my Parkinson’s diagnosis moved out of state. This has been a big deal for me; I even devoted a column to how much I’ll miss her. I loved my doc. She saw me through 12-plus…
Having a chronic illness is exhausting in so many ways. I’ve described Parkinson’s disease as being exhausted physically on a cellular level. It’s not like being tired after running a foot race or sleeping poorly the night before. On a molecular level, it’s like my cells and neurons are…
In the 12-plus years since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I’ve become increasingly aware of how difficult the world is to navigate physically. When I started having gait and balance issues, I realized how many uneven flooring surfaces there were, all of which had become newly noticed…
When you are diagnosed with a chronic and complex disease like Parkinson’s, it can be like learning a new language. Words like “gait” (the body’s posture while walking), “dyskinesia” (uncontrolled, involuntary movements affecting the arms, legs, head, or whole body), “micrographia” (tiny handwriting), and other strange-sounding…
Songs can be a powerful trigger for memories. I can’t hear Kermit the Frog singing “Rainbow Connection” without thinking of my family and my childhood spent playing Muppets records. I hear “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, and instantly, the image of John Cusack holding a…
Developing a chronic, degenerative condition like Parkinson’s disease is a raw deal. It’s also horrible when it comes at the age of 36, as it did for me. You’re entering the prime of life and career, and BLAM! Hello, early-onset Parkinson’s disease. It’s totally unfair to young spouses…
Explore More Columns
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion