STORIES
On A More Authentic Love: How Parkinson’s is Changing Me
It seems safe to say that I will not realize my dream to pitch for the Houston Astros.
Parkinson’s, Unfinished Spaces, and Spiritual Things
As with any chronic illness, Parkinson’s makes us journeyers. Against our will, it grabs us, disorients us, and places us on a path of discovery.
Five Questions for Bret Parker
I would want my newly-diagnosed self to know that I’m not in this alone.
Brooklyn, Central Park, and the Bird: Three Years with Parkinson’s
When I return to New York in a couple of weeks to run my own marathon, I expect to form new and less gap-filled memories.
Chronic Illness and the Power of Acceptance
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” --Maya Angelou
The Man at the Lake
I see him just after sunrise most Sunday mornings, when I run at the lake.
Talking Myself Into Hope
One new way of seeing things comes to me in a dream.
On Wearing Masks, Needing Each Other, and the Importance of Beginnings
“The beginning in every task is the chief thing.”--Plato
Five Questions for Heather Kennedy
Recently, Heather sat down with PD Wise to speak about her experience of living with Parkinsons.
Losing Your Doctor
Why might losing a doctor prompt such primitive and painful emotions?
Five Questions for Allison Toepperwien
I would say the most significant challenge is overcoming people’s perceptions of me, before they get to know me.
From “Why?” to “So What?”—Thoughts on Illness and Other Painful Experiences
Painful experiences inevitably prompt us to ask questions, and especially questions of why?
Misdiagnosed
Up to 35 percent of those living with Parkinson’s disease, or one in three, tell stories of an initial misdiagnosis. Here is my story.
Parkinson’s and Slowing Down
“Wherever I look, people are hurrying to get somewhere…anywhere…and why?"
Sharing Struggles, Offering Encouragement, and Making Connections through Radio
I focus on living my life to the fullest in spite of the challenges this disease presents.
Humanizing Parkinson’s with Humor
“There are forms of humor that escape pain, and there are forms of humor that transfigure pain.”
Expect the Unexpected: Music and Parkinson’s
In the years since he was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he discovered a variety of ways in which music has helped him temporarily hold back some of the more debilitating aspects of the disease.
My Neurologically Customized Family
...we really are quite the motley crew of good-hearted people who are kind of...what do I want to call us? Customized, maybe. Let’s go with customized.
Parkinson’s and Friendship
“Are you in any pain?” he asks, his eyes opened wide and his body bent slightly forward in the passenger’s seat of my car.
Helping Others, Helping Yourself
The months following my diagnosis were difficult. I was basically in shock. How does a healthy 46-year-old have a disease that older people get?
From Silence to Freedom with Parkinson’s Disease
One evening, in the fall of 2016, I walk quietly into our dining room, where my backpack rests in a chair.
Communication Changes and Challenges throughout the Disease Process—A Patient’s Story
I have now entered my 43rd year with PD, having been diagnosed at age 7, and I am in a unique position to be able to pass on my experience and knowledge.
Telling My Children I Have Parkinson’s Disease
How do you tell the people you love most that you have a progressive neurologic disease?