Journey with Parkinson’s: Happy Thanksgiving

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." Meister Eckhart A Thought at Thanksgiving: According to Wikipedia, "Thanksgiving (in the United States) As the name implies, the …

Your Greatest Wealth Is Your Health

"The greatest wealth is health" Virgil “The first wealth is health” Ralph Waldo Emerson Introduction: When I recently met my new Family Practice physician (the third one in less than 2 years), she said "My health was my wealth." I left that medical visit with her comment stuck in my brain. Thus, the topic here, …

Journey with Parkinson’s: Rigid and Sore Muscles (Psoas, Piriformis, Quadratus Lumborum, and Lumbar Multifidus)

"Being the first to cross the finish line makes you a winner in only one phase of life. It's what you do after you cross the line that really counts." Ralph Boston "The key is that I control my life; my life doesn't control me." Gabrielle Reece The Musculoskeletal System: Muscles work together with bones …

Noted Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Scientist Accused of Falsifying Data for Decades

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." Ernest Hemingway "Trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose, and the hardest thing in the world to get back." R. M. Williams Introduction: Eliezer Masliah, a leader in the fields of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, and other neurological …

Update on My Strategy Using Supplements in Treating Parkinson’s

"Be the kind of person who takes supplements - then skip the supplements." Michael Pollan "One, I am skeptical of the effectiveness of nutritional supplements." Michael Shermer Supplementing Our Treatment Plan: We all contribute to this collective knowledge, using various supplements and over-the-counter compounds to manage our Parkinson's. Besides exercise, what other strategies can we …

Journey With Parkinson’s: The Rolling Stones

"[joking about the length of the Rolling Stones' career] You have the sun, you have the moon, you have the air that you breathe - and you have the Rolling Stones!" Keith Richards "There are some Rolling Stones songs that are just stunners." John Lydon Introduction: We embarked on a musical journey to Atlanta, Georgia, …

Journey With Parkinson’s: Five Days in March that Changed My Life’s Perspective

"To understand the living present, and the promise of the future, it is necessary to remember the past." Rachel Carson "Remembering the past gives power to the present." Fae Myenne Ng Introduction (NOTE: the Title should really read 5 days in March/1 day in January; but I liked the symmetry of the 5 dates in …

Parkinson’s: The Loss of a Friend

"I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life." Corazon Aquino "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." Helen Keller Sadness: The title was one word, "Sadness," and the note was brief. My friend, a fellow Person-with-Parkinson's (PwP), passed away …

Science Sunday: Passive Muscle Stiffness in Exercise-induced Muscle Damage

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment." Marcus Tullius Cicero "Life yields only to the conqueror. Never accept what can be gained by giving in. You will be living off stolen goods, and your muscles will atrophy." Dag Hammarskjold Introduction: …

The Importance of Exercise to Help Manage Parkinson’s

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." Lou Holtz "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." John Wooden A New Paper Describing the Benefits of Exercise in Parkinson's: Corcos et al., (Corcos, D.M., G. Lamotte, N.S. Luthra, and …