9 Ways to Give Yourself a Break During Your Journey With Parkinson’s

"We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies." Roderick Thorp "Your playing small doesn't serve the world." Marianne Williamson What does it mean to give yourself a break? A commitment to doing something kind for yourself. It matters not …

Ten Summary Points From Mitchell AK, Bliss RR, Church FC. Exercise, Neuroprotective Exerkines, and Parkinson’s Disease: A Narrative Review. Biomolecules. 2024;14(10).

"To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise." Gene Tunney "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being" Plato Introduction:  When we were growing up, we had shortcuts to reading the big classic books; we had "Cliff Notes." Our teachers hated them because it was one person expressing their opinion. Personally, …

Evidence for Increased Sugar Consumption in Parkinson’s

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand." Barbara Johnson "Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty." Lora Brody Introduction: Have you sometimes wondered why you really wanted dessert after dinner? Or have you been thinking lately of something sweet to snack on? Well, now, you can blame it on your Parkinson's. …

Update on My Strategy Using Supplements in Treating Parkinson’s

"Be the kind of person who takes supplements - then skip the supplements." Michael Pollan "One, I am skeptical of the effectiveness of nutritional supplements." Michael Shermer Supplementing Our Treatment Plan: We all contribute to this collective knowledge, using various supplements and over-the-counter compounds to manage our Parkinson's. Besides exercise, what other strategies can we …

Journey With Parkinson’s: The Rolling Stones

"[joking about the length of the Rolling Stones' career] You have the sun, you have the moon, you have the air that you breathe - and you have the Rolling Stones!" Keith Richards "There are some Rolling Stones songs that are just stunners." John Lydon Introduction: We embarked on a musical journey to Atlanta, Georgia, …

The Highs, Middles, and Lows of a Day With Parkinson’s

"Everything I know now . . . the pitfalls, the highs and lows, everything . . . it taught me and made stronger." Ray Allen "There is no black-and-white situation. It's all part of life. Highs, lows, middles." Van Morrison Start of the Story: I play Monday and Wednesday in two Men's Golf Groups. It …

A Brief Description of Parkinson’s Disease

“Parkinson’s can be the wake-up call to transform yourself into a better person.” John Baumann “No matter what science can do for people living with Parkinson’s, we must prepare our brain and body to face all difficulties.” Nikolas Koukoulakis Introduction: All of the quotes used in this blog post are by people with Parkinson's. On …

Science Sunday: Baroreflex Dysfunction and Orthostatic Hypotension in Parkinson’s

"Winning comes down to who can execute under pressure." Billie Jean King "No pressure, no diamonds." Thomas Carlyle Scenario #1: You're lying on the floor for a stretch in a physical therapy session. You rise to your feet, and the world starts spinning suddenly. You feel dizzy and disoriented, and the room takes a few minutes …

Parkinson’s: Two Half-Doses May Work Better Than One Whole Tablet of Levodopa/Carbidopa

"Nature creates unity even in the parts of a whole." Eugene Delacroix "The whole is more than the sum of its parts." Aristotle Hypothesis: A paper published by Chase et al. [Chase, Thomas N., Ahmad AL‐Sabbagh, Minako Koga, and Kathleen Clarence‐Smith. "Reduced Plasma Levodopa Fluctuations with More Frequent Administration of a Novel Carbidopa/Levodopa Functionally Scored …

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 …