"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope." Thomas Merton Précis: My Physician DID NOT tell me I had 12 months to …
Positively Parkinson’s
"The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering." Ben Okri “Affliction comes to us, not to make us sad but sober; not to make us sorry but wise." H.G. Wells An opening story: Many years ago, I …
Hope Resides Within the Adversity of Parkinson’s
"We are each on our own journey. Each of us is on our very own adventure; encountering all kinds of challenges, and the choices we make on that adventure will shape us as we go; these choices will stretch us, test us and push us to our limit; and our adventure will make us stronger …
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The Alpha-Synuclein Story In Parkinson’s
"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 …
Where Does Hope Live?
"Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today." Thich Nhat Hanh "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." Desmond Tutu Hope Defined: As a noun, hope is …
Students Provide Resounding Hope and Support
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." Albert Einstein Teaching Undergraduates: Since 1996, I have had the privilege, honor and pleasure of teaching university undergraduates in a …
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A Patient’s Tale
"The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease." William Osler An Educator: I have had the privilege of being a medical school educator since 1987 (28 years). The work includes lecturing (to a class of 180 students), small group facilitator (36 students), course management/administration, and curriculum development …
How Do You Feel When You Wake Up Each Morning?
"Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it." Kevyn Aucoin "I wake up every morning …
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Be happy, be healthy, and be lucky
“You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it's enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.” Richelle Goodrich Classic Rock Band: "The Who" are on their 50th anniversary tour. Unlike some of their peers (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles), …
Prose to Parkinson’s
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor E. Frankl The sky is still blue to me. The sun still shines bright for me. The breeze still blows through my hair. Walking …

