Gavin Mogan

I used to worry about how much the exercise I did slowed the progression of PD. Not any more. I mostly just want to be the best I can possibly be. I'm more interested in the progression of me. What do I want to do? What can I achieve? And then how will I train to do it? What are you training for? How does Parkinson’s drive you? ...

I decide how I will live life to the fullest despite Parkinson’s disease. I control my thoughts, which in turn control my emotions, which in turn control my actions. Video transcript: This is not a Parkinson's dance class. There’s not even music. It's a makeshift medical clinic in Uganda. Many of these people or family members will be diagnosed with Parkinson's or something else. Yet they sing and dance. Genuinely. Joyfully. If they're able to be joyful despite their situation, I can damn sure be joyful in mine. Minds are powerful. There's power in giving. When felt, something about the ...

“Where do you see me in five years?” I had been waiting a long time to ask that question.  At the top hospitals you don’t just get in next week, next month either. And when your day comes, there are lots of people waiting for their turn to ask important questions.  Doctors have little allotted time. My doctor had already turned toward the door.  My most pressing concern was still untreated. “I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but just some sense of what to plan for? My kids haven’t even started school.” To the doctor’s credit, the response was considered. MD: Five years…You’ll ...

On June, 18, 2019, I spent 21 hours making 3000 3-point baskets to raise money for Parkinson’s Si Buko Uganda, a non-profit creating awareness and serving local community needs. This video provides highlights of the effort. Basketball Therapy & Self-Discovery The words below convey how it feels when I’m playin’ ball.  For me, it’s about love. As life's expanse slowly narrows, I do more of the things I love and less of the things I don’t. Exercising my Love for Playing I love to play; some call this exercise. Exercise must be this, they say. Exercise must be that.  Here are ...

How Parkinson’s gave me a better long-range jumper, a better baseball throwing arm, and a better outlook on life! I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over a decade ago. I was 38. Parkinson’s is chronic, degenerative, and without a cure. Yet, over the last several years I’ve steadily improved my basketball and baseball games, deeply learning my capabilities in the process. Oh, and I also found both peace and purpose through Parkinson’s somewhere along the way! Parkinson’s is a neurological condition with full-body consequences. Most people’s Parkinson's troubles are movement-related. Some are most troubled by what’s referred to as non-motor ...

Conventional wisdom holds that far more than half of my dopamine-producing neurons were dead by the time of my Parkinson's diagnosis in 2008. I'm guessing that death toll has risen to about 95% now. The remaining 5% (+/-) of my dopamine neurons probably don't like me much. I’m not sure they really understand that Parkinson’s isn’t my fault, and I suspect they hold me responsible for not taking care of 95% of their friends and colleagues...not to mention the increased workload. Regardless, I like all of my body parts to give me 110%, especially my last 5% of dopa neurons ...

What if there’s a way to ensure Parkinson’s never has control over us again? Is this possible? The mind is often our biggest enemy. Alternatively, it can be trained to serve... The thing with Parkinson’s is the loss of control - the slow, constant erosion of execution of our will, and resulting deferral to Parkinson’s. We want to move easily. We can’t. We want to be pain-free. We’re not. We want to sleep well. We don’t. We want to connect with the people around us. We won’t. Controlling Our Own Suffering. When we control our suffering, as opposed to letting suffering ...

Parkinson's disease disrupts rhythm. And sometimes PD obliterates rhythm, battering it beyond recognition. But, we don't have to accept it this way. Working to maintain mind-body connections is well worth the effort ... if you call music, dance, sports, games, or the like, effort. I'm learning every day, but I'm grateful to be able to share my approach to coping with PD as of today. Today, now, is all I really have. I hope this video somehow helps ease your Parkinson's burden: ...

When my PD medication wears off, I struggle. But there are times that I actually enjoy the challenge of moving that I face after 11 years of living with PD. There’s a reason they recommend exercising when your medication is working and you are on. But, I also find satisfaction in challenging my body when the meds wear off. There are a surprising number of ways around my body's persuasive argument that it just can't do what I'm asking it to. Unfortunately, it's rarely easy. Falling can, and sometimes does occur, and I try to learn from it. As the ...

Someone once told me that laughter was the best medicine. I think it was the claims reviewer at my health insurance provider. Thanks to carbidopa/laughadopa therapy, I can repurpose so many of my Parkinson's symptoms to treat other symptoms, that the worse my PD gets, the better I feel. ‘Off’ time can be repurposed as meditation time. Loss of smell/taste can be useful, if not absolutely essential, in eating healthier. Soft voices give an excuse to shift attention and become better listeners. Periods of freezing can be research/self-analysis of how fear holds us back in other areas of life ...