"Where Life Meets Parkinson's." A blog for Parkinson's education, research advances, treatment strategies, and personal reflection. The goal is to provide support and resources to anyone either with Parkinson's disease or with any neurodegenerative disorder.
"Come grow old with me. The best is yet to be." William Wordsworth "As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning." Criss Jami Introduction: Recently, an exciting and in-depth review article about inflammation and the immune system and their dysfunction in the pathway of Parkinson's was published. The citation for …
"A myth is a lie that conveys a truth." C.S. Lewis "Myths are made for the imagination to breath life into them." Albert Camus Introduction: Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Thus, Parkinson's occurs relatively frequently in adults. Unfortunately, it can be a complex disorder for physicians to make a proper diagnosis, and it …
Continue reading "Fifteen Myths and Common Misconceptions About Parkinson’s"
"If you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." Muhammad Ali "A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world." Leo Buscaglia Importance of Friends: Although one cannot deny the disorder's existence, we do not live totally through the lens of Parkinson's. Although we rely on our intuition …
Continue reading "Thought for Thursday: With A Little Help From My Friends"
"Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use." Ruth Gordon "Commitment is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets." Chalene Johnson Introduction: Along the way to receiving the diagnosis of Parkinson's, you may have to undergo several different kinds of tests/procedures to help your physician(s) learn what …
Continue reading "Part 4: Journey to Parkinson’s and Electromyography (EMG)"
"Beginners are many; finishers are few." Stephen Covey "Nothing comes from doing nothing." William Shakespeare Introduction: By now, you know exercise is medicine for many disorders, including Parkinson's. But how is our health improved for those with Parkinson's, and what does that mean? The studies described here are either review articles that summarize the evidence …
"There's a brief moment when you first wake up, where you have no memories. A blissful blank slate, a happy emptiness." Candace Bushnell "Celebrate our brief moment in the sun" Lawrence M. Krauss Introduction: There have been moments in the past when I felt "normal" without my motor symptoms being present. Have you had such a …
Continue reading "Friday’s Reflection: Those Brief Times Without Motor Symptoms from Parkinson’s"
"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other." Randy Pausch Gratitude: Since beginning this blog in 2015, I have mentioned gratitude numerous times and written about gratitude several …
"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed." Arthur Schopenhauer "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain Introduction: For 26 years, I taught undergraduate Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill entitled "Biology of Blood Diseases." We …
Continue reading "The Significance of a Birthday: Journey with Parkinson’s"
"The great events of the world take place in the brain." Oscar Wilde "The brain is wider than the sky." Emily Dickinson Views of the Brain:Â Â The usual photos and depictions of the brain typically show it to be smooth. However, in contrast, the reality of the brain is that it has a very different look. …
Continue reading "Views of the Brain: Journey with Parkinson’s"
"The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition." Thomas A. Edison "Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food." Hippocrates Introduction: Besides being used in foods as a spice, cinnamon has been used for many …
Continue reading "Science Sunday: Cinnamon’s Neuroprotective Potential in Parkinson’s"
Journey with Parkinson's 