A Brief Description of Parkinson’s Disease

“Parkinson’s can be the wake-up call to transform yourself into a better person.” John Baumann “No matter what science can do for people living with Parkinson’s, we must prepare our brain and body to face all difficulties.” Nikolas Koukoulakis Introduction: All of the quotes used in this blog post are by people with Parkinson's. On …

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 …

Parkinson’s: Some Jazzy Blues Holiday Music

"Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life." Art Blakey "There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind." Duke Ellington Intro to the Introduction: This blog primarily focuses on Parkinson's and (hopefully) gives helpful advice about various aspects of the disorder. Along this journey, I have shared a lot about myself, and …

Brief Report: Comparison of the COMT Inhibitor Opicapone to Entacapone in Parkinson’s

"When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'" Sydney J. Harris "Comparison is the death of joy." Mark Twain Overview: Recently, I have presented two blog posts on COMT (Catechol-O-methyl transferase) Inhibitors: "COMT Inhibitors in Parkinson's: Tell Me More, Tell Me More" (click here) and "Addendum …

Words Worth Living in the Presence of Parkinson’s

“You can observe a lot just by watching.” Yogi Berra “Though the road's been rocky it sure feels good to me.” Bob Marley Introduction: Since my diagnosis with Parkinson's, I seem to have become a collector of quotes and sayings. Some make me smile, like the one above from Yogi Berra. Some make me take …

Why Monitoring Every Parkinson’s Symptom Matters

"We must never neglect the patient's own use of his symptoms." Alfred Adler “A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption.” Guy de Maupassant Painful Leg Cramps with Parkinson’s: I bent down to put some extra toilet paper rolls into a bathroom cabinet this morning. Suddenly, the hamstring muscles in …

Parkinson’s: Feeling Good

"If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you do good." Georges St-Pierre "Create a vision that makes you wanna jump out of bed in the morning." Ella Henderson Introduction: My mentor at UNC-CH, the sage physician, Dr. H.R. Roberts, used to tell us that to succeed in hematological research would …

Frank Words on Living With Parkinson’s

"The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention." John Burroughs "Words mean nothing. Action is the only thing. Doing. That's the only thing." Ernest Gaines Introduction: Some blog posts get written in a single setting, and the flow from start to finish is just effortless. By contrast, some blog posts require extensive reading and …

Parkinson’s and the Lesson Learned on the Bermuda Railway Trail Walk

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." Confucius "You just can't beat the person who never gives up." Babe Ruth Preface to the Story: One of our favorite vacation places is Bermuda. The small 20-something square mile island, the water, the scenes, the amicable people (~60,000 inhabitants), and …

11 Hopeful Quotes to Support Your Life With Parkinson’s

"My actions are my only true belongings." Nhat Hanh "Today is the most important day of our lives." Nhat Hanh Introduction: There are many types of people-with-Parkinson's (PwP), different stages of progression, numerous motor and non-motor symptoms, there is early onset, and typically one is 65 years old when diagnosed. And I realize there are …