Living with PD

One of the most frustrating things about Parkinson's Disease is finding yourself unable to do things that you used to enjoy doing. I suppose this applies to aging in general, but with PD, it is premature aging. I was never a great skier, but it was something I enjoyed ...

There was a recurring theme in some of my dreams when I was younger...I'd try to run, but despite my best efforts, I was unable to make any forward progress. It was never a situation where I was running away from something, more like I was trying to run toward something. I'd get frustrated, trying to move my legs faster, but I would seem to be running in place. After some period of frustration, it would hit me…I’d remember that I could fly, I just needed to use my arms. Flying dreams were the best. I'm certain these dreams were ...

Since being diagnosed with PD in 2014, I've had the pleasure to meet individuals who have lived with Parkinson's for 10 to 20 years, and even longer. The common theme for living well with PD is regular exercise and staying active. PD may be a life sentence, but it is far from being a death sentence. Think of exercise as your most important prescription, something that you need to make time for almost every day. Exercise is more important than any medication, but medication is often necessary or helpful to maximize your ability to exercise ...

At the recent World Parkinson Congress 2016, the main theme that I noticed is that exercise is the best medicine for PD. It may not be as effective at treating PD symptoms as l-dopa, but all the research and anecdotal evidence clearly shows that collectively, those who exercise regularly enjoy a far better quality of life with PD, for a longer period of time, as compared to those who do not. While medical research continues to be important, the best thing that can be done for the growing number of People with Parkinson's (PwP) today is to encourage exercise. There is a ...

One of my fellow boxers at the Rock Steady Boxing affiliate in Hilton Head/Bluffton, SC has been having issues of dizziness and brain fog/light headedness. He's not alone, as 1 in 5 people with Parkinson's are also diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension. I've been collecting some information to help him prepare for his next doctor's appointment, and thought this may be helpful to share with others. Most of us are familiar with the term hypertension, which refers to high blood pressure. Hypotension refers too low blood pressure. Orthostatic is a medical adjective that indicates a condition relating to or caused by ...

This was my first time attending the World Parkinson Congress. I suppose that is understandable considering that the congress is held every 3 years, and it has only been 2-1/2 years since my diagnosis. Prior to that, PD was not on my radar. As a congress newbie PwP, I thought I would share a few of my thoughts and "take-aways" from the congress, in no particular order of importance or relevance ...