Journey With Parkinson’s: Crossing the Bridge

"Retirement can and will be a glorious time in your life. You'll love the freedom and ability to try new things. It's a new phase of life; a chance to be a beginner again." Richard Carlson "Retirement is the last opportunity for individuals to reinvent themselves, let go of the past, and find peace and …

Your Greatest Wealth Is Your Health

"The greatest wealth is health" Virgil “The first wealth is health” Ralph Waldo Emerson Introduction: When I recently met my new Family Practice physician (the third one in less than 2 years), she said "My health was my wealth." I left that medical visit with her comment stuck in my brain. Thus, the topic here, …

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 …

Journey With Parkinson’s: Everyday Heroes

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." Christopher Reeve "Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves." Carol Lynn Pearson Nothing is redeemable about Parkinson's, but each Person-with-Parkinson's (PwP) has redeemable qualities.They awake each new day to a …

Journey With Parkinson’s: Mind the Gap

"Mind the gap - it's the distance between life as you dream it and life as it is." Cate Blanchett "The biggest gap in your life is between what you know and what you do." Bob Proctor Introduction: Several concerned readers have contacted me recently about not posting on "Journey with Parkinson's," asking about my …

Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB) and Vitamin D to Potentially Improve Muscular Function in Parkinson’s

"The mind is just another muscle." Ted Turner "Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use." Ruth Gordon Introduction: This is a complicated blog post. Ponder these scenarios: (A) an older adult, healthy and aging naturally with evidence of decreased thigh muscles. This patient has a disorder named sarcopenia. (B) A …

Why Monitoring Every Parkinson’s Symptom Matters

"We must never neglect the patient's own use of his symptoms." Alfred Adler “A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption.” Guy de Maupassant Painful Leg Cramps with Parkinson’s: I bent down to put some extra toilet paper rolls into a bathroom cabinet this morning. Suddenly, the hamstring muscles in …

A Survey of Supplement Use for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (Please Reply)

"Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world's population." Stephen Hawking "Oh! that you could turn your eyes towards the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves." William Shakespeare Introduction: A mainstay of therapy for treating the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's is …

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 …