"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.
"Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.” George Carlin “You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.” Paulo Coelho Précis: ~10% of Parkinson's cases are linked to familial genetic mutations; whereas the vast majority …
Continue reading "Gender Differences as a Factor in Parkinson’s"
“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Robin Williams Hiding behind the initial diagnosis: When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 18 months ago, I told my immediate family, a few close friends, and some key people in my research group. Receiving news that you have a progressive neurodegenerative disorder strikes …
Continue reading "Parkinson’s and Dementia: Remembering Robin Williams (1951-2014)"
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein “Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.” Nicholas Sparks And Now for Something Completely Different (Monty Python's Flying Circus): City Maps is a …
Continue reading "City Maps: Anticipated Life Span Compared by Zip Codes"
“When prescribing one of the drugs I take, my doctor warned me of a common side effect: exaggerated, intensely vivid dreams. To be honest, I've never really noticed the difference. I've always dreamt big.” Michael J. Fox Parkinson's description: About 60,000 new Parkinson's cases will be diagnosed this year in the USA; joining the 1 …
Continue reading "Anti-malaria Drugs Target Nurr1 For Possible Parkinson’s Therapeutics"
"The question is not how to survive, but how to thrive with passion, compassion, humor and style." Maya Angelou "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." C.S. Lewis Précis: The goal is to present a brief synopsis of some of the neurodegenerative disorders, that is the easy part. The hard part is …
"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." Isaac Asimov "Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Lao Tzu Science and Parkinson's: As a …
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself …
Continue reading "A Comparison of Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s"
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” Paulo Coelho What causes …
Continue reading "Immune System and Parkinson’s (Part 1): The Brain and Immune System are Connected"
"The measure of greatness in a scientific idea is the extent to which it stimulates thought and opens up new lines of research.” Paul A.M. Dirac Start of the story: Anyone with Parkinson's is hopeful for a cure in the future. Yet, there is much we still do not understand about this neurodegenerative disorder. Scientists and physicians …
"No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible." George Chakiris Start of the Story: Dr. James Parkinson was the first to describe (published in 1817) the condition that now bears his name. He described Parkinson’s like this: “Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power, in parts not in action and even …
Journey with Parkinson's 