Parkinson’s Has Made My Dad Even More of an Empathetic Listener

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• The road ahead: 2022 January 20, 2022 # # # # The first post at the start of each year on the SoPD website tries to provide an overview of where things are in the search for ‘disease modifying’ therapies for Parkinson’s.  It is an exercise in managing expectations as well as discussing what research events are scheduled for the next year so that we can keep…
• The road ahead: 2021 January 25, 2021 # # # # At the start of each year, it is a useful practise to layout what is planned over the next 12 months. The events that are scheduled for the year to come, so that we can keep an eye out for them. Obviously, where 2021 will end actually is unpredictable, but an outline of what is scheduled…
• The road ahead: 2020 January 5, 2020 Here at the SoPD, we are primarily interested in disease modification for Parkinson’s. While there is a great deal of interesting research exploring the causes of the condition, novel symptomatic therapies, and other aspects of Parkinson’s, my focus is generally on the science seeking to slow, stop or reverse the condition. At the start of each year, it is a…
• Speech, Voice & Parkinson’s Q&A with John Dean January 28, 2021 We recently hosted a webinar with speech-language pathologist John Dean. You can get access to the recording here. We received so many questions during the session that we weren’t able to answer them all; so, John was kind enough to do some written Q&A for us. “When is a good time to start speech therapy?” It’s much better to maintain…
• I have Parkinson’s and am experiencing X. Who should I see? February 10, 2020 We receive emails every day from people wondering who they should see for a wide variety of issues that often go hand-in-hand with Parkinson’s. Since it comes up often enough, we decided to create a guide that answers exactly that.    To put this piece together, we gathered up the 15 most frequently asked questions we’ve received from our community members…
• Fan Fiction: The Joke Machine February 19, 2021 Parking Suns reader David Schneider contributed this amusing-but-still-kinda-scary short story about a man dealing with Parkinson’s on a typical day. Thank you, David! The Joke Machine – – David Schneider Once a friend had come for a weekend visit and ended up staying for two years. The “guest” paid half the rent and slept with a single blanket on the…
• 2019: Year in review December 31, 2019   In this end-of-year post, we review the Parkinson’s research that caught our attention at SoPD HQ in 2019. Month-by-month we will briefly discuss some of the major pieces of research/announcements that have defined the year and advanced our understanding of Parkinson’s. The list is based on nothing more than the author’s personal opinion – apologies to any researchers who…
• The Big 16: What to Say (and What Not to Say) to Someone Who Has Parkinson’s March 13, 2018 What would you say to a friend or family members who just told you they have Parkinson’s? If you’re like most people who are faced with that news, your hope is that you’d have the right reaction, say the right thing and be the exact kind of support they need at that moment. However, as a human being, you’d be…
• You’ve Been Diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Now What? February 20, 2018 Written by Tom Sheppard and Lauren Simmons If you’ve received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s, you may be feeling overwhelmed, devastated, angry, confused or all of the above. We felt the same way when we heard our doctors say, “You have Parkinson’s.” You wake up one day thinking about your grand plans for the future, and the next you realize your…
• A Primer on Pain and Parkinson’s September 21, 2020 Introduction Studies show that between 60 and 83% of people with Parkinson’s report experiencing pain, and chronic pain is twice as common in people living with Parkinson’s than it is in those without Parkinson’s. Several different types of pain are associated with Parkinson’s, and effective management requires coordination with your care team and implementation of pharma- and non-pharmacological treatments. In…
• My Parkinson's Life Style Eating Plan May 11, 2018 I’ve been on the Keto diet, as well as several other Paleo and plant-based diets in hopes they would help my Parkinson’s symptoms. When my wife and I decided to get serious with our eating life style again, we looked at our options and our focus turned back to doing the Dr. Wahl’s version of the Paleo diet which we…
• The 17 Most Commonly Asked Questions about Parkinson’s Nutrition December 19, 2018 One of the topics our community members consistently ask us about is nutrition. It’s not an easy topic to address, though, because it has so many layers and there’s no one size fits all nutritional plan. Still, leaving it at that is not enough. So, we opened up our inbox and pulled together the 17 most common questions we’ve received…
• 2020: Year in Review January 1, 2021 # # # # In this end-of-year post, we review the Parkinson’s research that caught our attention at SoPD HQ in 2020. Month-by-month we will briefly discuss some of the major pieces of research/ announcements that have defined the year and advanced our understanding of Parkinson’s. The list is based on nothing more than the author’s personal opinion – apologies…
• A Primer on Sleep and Parkinson’s August 14, 2019 For many years, the benefits and causes of sleep remained a mystery. However, in the past few years, sleep science has grown significantly. We now have a deeper understanding of the importance of sleep, why it is so essential to sleep consistently and properly, the effects of sleep medicine and how people with Parkinson’s are specifically affected. Matthew Walker, PhD…
• Planet Patient vs Planet Researcher: From Both Sides, Now June 27, 2018 “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 a dynamic and vibrant blog…
• Planet Patient vs Planet Researcher: From Both Sides, Now June 27, 2018 “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 a dynamic and vibrant blog…
• Planet Patient vs Planet Researcher: From Both Sides, Now June 27, 2018 “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 a dynamic and vibrant blog…
• 5 Ways to Live Well with Parkinson’s in 2019 January 8, 2019 It’s hard to ignore the feeling of newness in the air. The letting go of one year and welcoming in a new one and all of the possibilities it may provide. And, even if you’re not of fan of resolutions, you probably still have ideas of how you can live better in 2019. At the Davis Phinney Foundation, we certainly…
• Monthly Research Review – December 2021 December 31, 2021 # # # # At the end of each month the SoPD writes a post which provides an overview of some of the major pieces of Parkinson’s-related research that were made available during December 2021. The post is divided into 10 parts based on the type of research: Top 5 pieces of Parkinson’s news Articles of general interest Basic biology…
• How to Travel (with greater ease) with Parkinson’s June 28, 2018 For the average person, traveling is a minor frustration. Security lines, delays, crowded airports and cramped and long lines at snack shops and restaurants are par for the course. However, if you’re living with Parkinson’s, those things aren’t just frustrations, they can be so troublesome and aggravating to deal with that you choose to stay at home. That’s why we…
• A Resource Guide of 18 Complementary Therapies for People with Parkinson’s August 7, 2018 Conventional medicine has come a long way when it comes to helping people with Parkinson’s live well. Between the many varieties and combinations of medications and deep brain stimulation (DBS), many people with Parkinson’s have been able to find conventional treatment regimens that work well for them. However, the options to help people with Parkinson’s live well doesn’t stop there.…
• How to Bring Light to the Darker Side of Parkinson’s: A Primer on Hallucinations and Delusions and How to Manage Them July 18, 2018 When most people think of Parkinson’s, they think of the motor symptoms that often come with it: tremor, rigidity, slowness, shuffling. However, they are often unaware that Parkinson’s comes with a wide variety of non-motor symptoms that can affect thinking, mood and behavior as well. Parkinson’s disease psychosis is a non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s that causes people to experience hallucinations…