"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.
"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 …
Continue reading "Parkinson’s: Dopamine (A Neurotransmitter and the Title of Many Songs)"
"When you can stop you don't want to, and when you want to stop, you can't." Luke Davies "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." Ayn Rand Don't Stop:Attitude determines much in our lives.Looking positively to the future can bolster your goals.Perspective especially matters for someone …
"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 …
Continue reading "11 Hopeful Quotes to Support Your Life With Parkinson’s"
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up." Jim Valvano "Don't give up. Reach down inside of you and you'll find something left." Bear Bryant Introduction: There are a lot of terms one could use to describe a disease. My view of this disorder is that I am locked in combat against Parkinson's. This evilness is …
"The greatest achievement is to outperform yourself." Denis Waitley "Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement." Albert Camus Introduction: Have you been taking carbidopa/levodopa to treat your Parkinson's? Are you experiencing any off-on periods? Do you have any dyskinesia? Do you think it's time to change your dosing pattern or the timing …
Continue reading "A Graph of Your Daily Level of Exogenous Levodopa"
"Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before." Elizabeth Edwards "Health is wholeness and balance, an inner resilience that allows you to meet the demands of living without being overwhelmed." Andrew Weil Introduction: The goal is to review the role(s) played by dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine (also …
Continue reading "The Complex Role of Neurotransmitters in Parkinson’s"
"Your brain is your greatest weapon. Connect it to your heart, and you can go anywhere." Angelique Kidjo "Don't believe everything you hear - even in your own mind." Daniel Amen Précis: A big fear for anyone with Parkinson's is the development of dementia. It is predicted that a large percentage of those with Parkinson's …
"In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result." James Allen "Storms make trees take deeper roots." Dolly Parton Introduction: In the presence of Parkinson's, each person encounters a different invader that can progress very slowly or evolves quickly. Symptoms expressed are …
"To the sick, while there is life there is hope. [Lat., Aegroto dum anima est, spes est.]" Marcus Tullius Cicero "We can’t live without hope. When we keep hoping, we keep living." Pete Wilson Introduction: Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA*) is a naturally occurring bioactive lipid that contains a fatty acid moiety and ethanolamide. The molecular formula of …
Continue reading "Update on Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) for the Treatment of Parkinson’s"
"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." Ralph Marston "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." Albert Schweitzer Introduction: In 2015, I wrote a blog post entitled "Physicians in the Constellation of Care" (click here to read it). The topic was about the importance of …
Journey with Parkinson's 