Chapter 3: A Parkinson’s Reading Companion on Strength

"Strength does not come from winning.  Your struggles develop your strengths.  When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger  "When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you." Dr. Seuss Introduction: The 62 …

Chapter 2: A Parkinson’s Reading Companion on Life

"Life's a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Don't worry about what you don't know, life's a dance, you learn as you go." John Michael Montgomery "Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." Omar Khayyam Précis: "Thought-filled Responses" is a part of my undergraduate course, "Biology …

Chapter 1: A Parkinson’s Reading Companion on Hope

Preface: A Parkinson's Reading Companion “You may not control life's circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.” Atul Gawande* “On every journey you take, you face choices. At every fork in the road, you make a choice. And it is those decisions that …

Parkinson’s Treatment With Dopamine Agonist, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and Exercise

“Stop taking identity in illness and start taking identity in wellness” Nina Leavins “The thought of hope is the seed to healing.” Shilpa Menon Précis: Several of you have asked for an update on my strategy for treating my  Parkinson's.  My current plan consists of traditional Parkinson's medication,  augmented by a complementary and alternative medicine …

Parkinson’s Awareness Month: #EndParkinsons, World Parkinson Coalition, and Community Service

"Inspirations knock and hang around for a while and wait for some kind of response, which is the beginning of a creative act." Thomas Moore “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Jane Goodal Introduction: In 1980, a Dutch horticulturalist, J.W.S. Van der …

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 …

Update on I’m Still Here: Life with Parkinson’s

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.” Rabindranath Tagore "Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey." Paulo Coelho Introduction: A year ago this month, my …

Déjà Vu and Neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston S. Churchill “...remember that what has once been done may be done again.” Alexandre Dumas Introducing the terms: Déjà vu: "A feeling of having already experienced the present situation." (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/) Neuroplasticity: "The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming …

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 …

Importance of Model Systems in Parkinson’s Research

“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” Will Duran “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'” Isaac Asimov Introduction:  The goal of this post is to highlight several experimental model systems that have effectively been used in Parkinson's research.  We  have …