"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.
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin "The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." Oscar Wilde Introduction: I have been reading and learning about the "normal heart" in Parkinson's, ultimately trying to better understand the autonomic nervous system. While reading, I ran …
Continue reading "Sudden Unexpected Death in Parkinson’s (SUDPAR)"
"Longevity is having a chronic disease - and taking care of it." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. "The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." Confucius Precis: Today marks an anniversary of sorts. It is the 250th blog post for the "Journey with Parkinson's." "All great things have small beginnings." Peter Senge …
"Let the bird sing without deciphering the song." Ralph Waldo Emerson "Wild sings the bird of the heart in the forests of our lives." Mary Oliver Introduction: Our move to South Carolina has us living in a 55+ (years of age) gated community with golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts, swimming pools, gyms, many other crafts/activities, …
Continue reading "Birds and Bird Feeders: Journey with Parkinson’s"
"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." Lois Wyse "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart" Eleanor Roosevelt Introduction: I have …
Continue reading "The Positive Impact of Friends: Journey with Parkinson’s"
"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor." Marcus Tullius Cicero "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being." Plato Introduction: I have been convinced for a while that exercise is medicine. This blog post summarizes two publications: Crotty, Grace F., and Michael A. Schwarzschild. "Chasing …
Continue reading "Exercise and Neuroprotection in Human Parkinson’s: The Long and Winding Road"
"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 …
Journey with Parkinson's 