Living Well
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.
The Other Shoe Dropped
The Other Shoe Dropped. And believe it or not, I can hear its distinct thud echoing everywhere.
Crafting a Parkinson’s Story
“I want you to remember something. It’s really important. People experience this disease differently. It’s not the same for everyone.” Dr. T, my neurologist, then pauses, looks me in the eye, and with a Texan’s directness and authenticity says, “Don’t let someone else’s story become…
A Stronger Voice
Like many things Parkinsonian, the changes came on slowly and subtly, but they didn't relent.
A Marathon, Not a Sprint
It’s 4:45 a.m. on Sunday, eleven days after my Parkinson's diagnosis at the age of 48. I awake to the sound of the door lock’s firm click as Tracey leaves our hotel room on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
I Won’t Give Up!
I never in a million years thought I would be diagnosed with YOPD at the age of 38, in the prime of my career, and with 4 year old twins.