eBook: A Parkinson’s Reading Companion

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” Don Williams “Hope is a renewable option: If you run out of it at the end of the day, you get to start over in the morning.” Barbara Kingsolver Several …

Chapter 9: A Parkinson’s Reading Companion on Journey

"Accept what comes. In fact, be grateful for it. Be the one who sees opportunity in any circumstance, the one who doesn't blink when looking into fate's eyes." (from a dear friend of a classmate, Carolyn Huang) "It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be" J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the …

Parkinson’s Awareness Month: Quotes About Parkinson’s Disease

“I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.” Madeleine Albright "This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today." David Nicholls Introduction: What is Parkinson's Disease? Parkinson's is a motor system disorder …

Parkinson’s and the Positivity of Michael J. Fox

“For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given–sometimes just a marker that points me in a new direction that I might not otherwise have traveled. So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson’s, I’ve learned that what is important is …

Hope in the Presence of Parkinson’s

“Never lose faith in yourself, and never lose hope; remember, even when this world throws its worst and then turns its back, there is still always hope.” Pittacus Lore "Hope is a function of struggle.” Brené Brown Beginning of the story: Tuesday, I drove from Chapel Hill, North Carolina to Blacksburg, Virginia (~3 1/2 hours, …

11 Tips And Character Traits For Living Better With Parkinson’s

"In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship but never in want." Irish Toast “As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning.” Criss Jami Happy New Year! Thanks for all of your support, feedback, responses and suggestions in 2015; they were most appreciated. 2016 …

6 Personal Strengths for Living Decisively with Parkinson’s

“How are they going to see me — as the colleague as I have always been, or as the patient I always will be? That was the beginning of my transition.” Alice Lazzarini (a Parkinson’s researcher who was diagnosed with Parkinson's) Précis: After successfully hitting a golf ball out of a sand trap and onto …

Moving Day® was a Morning to Move for Parkinson’s and a Time to be Moved

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”  Carlos Castenada “Don’t be ashamed of your story, it will inspire others.” Unknown Background story: Over the years, my research career has been supported by various non-Federal organizations, in particular the American Heart Association (AHA) and Susan G. …

Science of Advanced Age as a Risk Factor for Parkinson’s

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.” Yoko Ono “Embrace aging.” Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie Précis: The great majority of individuals with Parkinson's reveal no genetic mutations, no past history of head injury, …

Happiness and Parkinson’s: 10 Simple Suggestions to Make Your Life Happier

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” Steve Maraboli “No medicine cures what happiness cannot.” Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez Introduction: Happiness, being positive, and remaining hopeful are “life-elements” important to us all. To give you an idea as to how important it is for us to achieve happiness, a …