EMST 150: Strengthening Expiratory Muscles for Voluntary Cough and Swallow Function in People With Parkinson’s

"The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but the most difficult to play." Richard Strauss "The human voice is the organ of the soul." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Précis: Have you ever had a pill get stuck in your throat while swallowing? Have you ever gagged and choked, trying to swallow a piece …

A Survey of Supplement Use for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (Please Reply)

"Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world's population." Stephen Hawking "Oh! that you could turn your eyes towards the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves." William Shakespeare Introduction: A mainstay of therapy for treating the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's is …

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 …

Addendum to COMT Inhibitors in Parkinson’s

"Too much is never enough." Mick Jagger "There's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over." John W. Bergman Introduction: I left out a few things in the last post regarding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors ("COMT Inhibitors in Parkinson’s: Tell Me More, Tell Me More.") They are included below. …

2023 Parkinson’s Awareness Month and 120 Quotes to Support Your Journey

"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything." Thomas Carlyle "Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it." Josh Billings Introduction: For whatever reason, quotes have been a part of most of my blog posts. It is not like I have …

World Parkinson’s Disease Day (11 April 2023)

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." C.S. Lewis "Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less." Marie Curie The Naming of the Disease: Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, considered a pioneering clinician of modern neurology, suggested …

Parkinson’s Awareness Month 2023: Information, Advice, and Recap of the Journey From 2015-Present

“Look to the nervous system as the key to maximum health.” Galen “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” Hippocrates Introduction: This blog post has five goals- #1, Introduce Parkinson's Awareness Month: (i) Describe the …

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 …

Finding Your Ikigai in the Presence of Parkinson’s

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style" Maya Angelou "Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive." Jamais Cascio Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic …

Parkinson’s: Dopamine (A Neurotransmitter and the Title of Many Songs)

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living." Dr. Seuss "The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office." Robert Frost Introduction: Having Parkinson's makes you know something about …