Journey With Parkinson’s: Five Days in March that Changed My Life’s Perspective

"To understand the living present, and the promise of the future, it is necessary to remember the past." Rachel Carson "Remembering the past gives power to the present." Fae Myenne Ng Introduction (NOTE: the Title should really read 5 days in March/1 day in January; but I liked the symmetry of the 5 dates in …

A Parkinson’s Disease Scorecard of Symptoms

"Measure your success by your inner scorecard versus an outer one." Robin Sharma "I never keep a scorecard or the batting averages. I hate statistics. What I got to know, I keep in my head." Dizzy Dean The Reason for a Parkinson's Disease Scorecard: We go see our Neurologist every six months, and one of their …

How Do You Feel When You Wake Up Each Morning With Parkinson’s?

"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning." Meister Eckhart "There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." Bernard Williams A Beginning: On April 30, 2015, I posted the blog "How Do You Feel When You Wake Up Each Morning?" (Click here to read it). Essentially, I quickly inventory myself …

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 …

Parkinson’s: The Importance of Drinking Water

"Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." Albert Szent-Gyorgyi "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." W. H. Auden Introduction: We are experiencing unrivaled and sustained summer heat in parts of the USA. While everyone needs to stay hydrated in such situations, it is vital …

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 …

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 …

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 …