Planet Patient vs Planet Researcher: From Both Sides, Now

"I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside." Wayne Dyer "Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." Voltaire Setting the Stage: This is Mariëtte Robijn-  She lives in the Netherlands and was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the young age of 46.  Mariëtte has …

Daily Inspiration (Mantra) from the 2018 PWR! (Parkinson Wellness Recovery) Retreat

"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." James Earl Jones "Good actions are a guard against the blows of adversity." Abu Bakr Introduction:  A new part of the recently completed PWR! (Parkinson Wellness Recovery) retreat for 2018 in Scottsdale, AZ was something termed "Daily Inspiration …

Parkinson’s Awareness Month: The Science Behind How Exercise Slows Disease Progression

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." John Wooden "To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise." Gene Tunney Précis: For Parkinson's Awareness Month, let's begin with an important reminder/statement that "Exercise is medicine for Parkinson's disease."  Coming soon in a future blog post I will review …

Neuroprotection with Taurine in a Parkinson’s Model System

"There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow." Orison Swett Marden "Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible." Helen Keller Introduction: Many of us take levodopa/carbidopa for substantial symptomatic relief; however, this dopamine replacement treatment only relieves symptoms without …

Living and Working with “HOPE” in the Presence of Parkinson’s

"Life is difficult. This is the great truth, one of the greatest truths-it is a great truth because once we see this truth, we transcend it." M. Scott Peck "Life is hard. Life is beautiful. Life is difficult. Life is wonderful." Kate DiCamillo Introduction: A student and loyal reader of this blog recently asked “What …

Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome (DAWS) in Parkinson’s

"Some remedies are worse than the disease." Publilius Syrus "Each patient carries his own doctor inside him." Norman Cousins Summary: Dopamine agonists are widely used in the treatment of Parkinson's, especially as a first-line therapy. Some patients on a dopamine agonist experience side-effects that require either tapering or discontinuation of the drug.  First described in …

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Over-the-Counter Therapies in Parkinson’s

With Parkinson’s, exercise is better than taking a bottle of pills. If you don’t do anything you’ll just stagnate.” Brian Lambert “With Parkinson’s you have two choices: You can let it control you, or you can control it. And I’ve chosen to control it.” US Senator Isakson Introduction: Having one of the numerous neurodegenerative disorders …

7 Tips and Healthy Habits for Working with Parkinson’s

"Nothing will work unless you do." Maya Angelou "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today." Elbert Hubbard Précis: Over the past eight weeks, some loyal readers and several friends have asked me: "Is everything  okay?"; "Has my health taken a downturn?"; "Have you stopped writing your blog?"; "I have …

Effect of Forgiveness on Health

"When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future."  Bernard Meltzer "The first step in forgiveness is the willingness to forgive." Marianne Williamson Précis: Recently had a friend go through a difficult break-up from a marriage. The notion of getting past the failed relationship, achieving forgiveness, …

10 “P-Words” That Will Help Your Career Even in the Presence of Parkinson’s

"Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment, and quit worrying about Winning and losing." Matt Biondi "Enjoy the journey as much as the destination."  Marshall Sylver Introduction:  It has been a month since my last blog post.  Trips to Arizona, California, Alabama, and Florida consumed much of the month.  I spent time with relatives, dear old …