off periods

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 ...

This Week's Highlights: Help us build a better website; new study says “sexercise is medicine” for men with early Parkinson’s disease; the keto diet might be a good idea for PD, but proceed with caution; Dopamine agonists might be linked to hair loss, particularly in women; saliva test for PD; open science; "off period" analysis; we ponder why a researcher thinks being able to name 38 vegetables in one minute is normal; and more ...

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 ...