The Positive Impact of Friends: Journey with Parkinson’s

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." Lois Wyse "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart" Eleanor Roosevelt Introduction: I have …

Exercise and Neuroprotection in Human Parkinson’s: The Long and Winding Road

"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor." Marcus Tullius Cicero "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being." Plato Introduction: I have been convinced for a while that exercise is medicine. This blog post summarizes two publications: Crotty, Grace F., and Michael A. Schwarzschild. "Chasing …

Fifteen Myths and Common Misconceptions About Parkinson’s

"A myth is a lie that conveys a truth." C.S. Lewis "Myths are made for the imagination to breath life into them." Albert Camus Introduction: Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Thus, Parkinson's occurs relatively frequently in adults. Unfortunately, it can be a complex disorder for physicians to make a proper diagnosis, and it …

Thought for Thursday: With A Little Help From My Friends

"If you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." Muhammad Ali "A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world." Leo Buscaglia Importance of Friends: Although one cannot deny the disorder's existence, we do not live totally through the lens of Parkinson's. Although we rely on our intuition …

Part 4: Journey to Parkinson’s and Electromyography (EMG)

"Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use." Ruth Gordon "Commitment is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets." Chalene Johnson Introduction: Along the way to receiving the diagnosis of Parkinson's, you may have to undergo several different kinds of tests/procedures to help your physician(s) learn what …

Friday’s Reflection: Those Brief Times Without Motor Symptoms from Parkinson’s

"There's a brief moment when you first wake up, where you have no memories. A blissful blank slate, a happy emptiness." Candace Bushnell "Celebrate our brief moment in the sun" Lawrence M. Krauss Introduction: There have been moments in the past when I felt "normal" without my motor symptoms being present. Have you had such a …

Science Sunday: Cinnamon’s Neuroprotective Potential in Parkinson’s

"The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition." Thomas A. Edison "Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food." Hippocrates Introduction: Besides being used in foods as a spice, cinnamon has been used for many …

Role of Palmitoylethanolamide to Control Neuroinflammation and Potential Therapy for Parkinson’s

"Our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward." Dieter F. Uchtdorf "My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling bad or having trouble off the field, the only thing …

The Politics of Parkinson’s

"Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong." Richard Armour "No one party can fool all of the people all of the time; that's why we have two parties" Bob Hope The National Plan to End Parkinson's Act (H.R.8585) in the …

The Bookcase: Journey With Parkinson’s

"You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy." John Calvin "Long is the road from conception to completion." Moliere Précis: This post is about completing a task. SImple for many of you likely, but not always for me. As part of moving away from Chapel Hill, NC, I had …