Parkinson’s and Me – Early Parkinson’s Journey: Insights, Faith, and Forward Motion

"I believe what I believe is what makes me who I am". In this episode, Daniel explains how the world of science and technical achievement is not enough to place our hope. Those with Parkinson's understand how little is known about how the brain works. There is so little that is understood about Parkinson's. Research does not always bear encouraging fruit. In the darkness, we must answer the questi...

Parkinson's disease not only affects the person diagnosed but drastically changes the life of the care partner. Often, the care partner's responsibility is placed upon our spouse. The care partner is one who works with the person with Parkinson's. They are part of the team as you continue to play an active role in your own health. The spouse's responsibility increases when the transition occurs fr...

As Parkinson's progresses, it complicates our ability to maintain relationships with others. This arrives in the form of facial masking and voice impairments. Facial masking affects the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat that causes problems with speech and swallowing. Signs of voice impairment include others commenting that you are speaking slowly or that they cannot hear or understand you cl...

Often, the best source of information for those who have been newly or yet to be diagnosed comes from those who have lived it. In this episode, Bryan journeys back with Daniel a few years before he was diagnosed. Daniel had just turned forty. He was ready for the second part of his life. Listen as Bryan and Daniel discuss how life was like as a relatively young man before this disease interrupted...

When a person is anxious or under stress, all the symptoms of PD, including slowness, stiffness, and balance problems, can worsen. Symptoms can become less responsive to medication. There are strategies to decrease the causation of stress in life. What do those types of decisions look like? How can someone diagnosed with Parkinson's earlier in life maximize the consequences in a manner that adds m...

Bryan returns in this episode after recovering from Covid-19. In this episode, the brothers cover tips about how to rebound after an appointment with a Movement Disorder Specialist that did not live up to what we had hoped for. Also, the guys use the analogy of a boxer being thrown into a ring against an opponent that is not undefeatable. Why do we continue to take a beating while standing toe-to-...

Parkinson's is known as a movement disorder. If we look deeper into how Parkinson's manifests itself, there are two different types of movement disorders. There are Bradykinesia and Dyskinesia. Bradykinesia appears as a reduction in automatic movements. Examples include slowness of blinking, swinging of the arms while walking, or just slowness of actions. Bradykinesia is a cardinal symptom in the...

In this episode, Daniel explores the challenges that come when you dislike who you are becoming when facing the progression of Parkinson's. There are many things we can do to prepare for these changes. Especially, when you are able to prepare for what is ahead. What happens when the condition attacks when you are the least ready? This presents itself in many forms, Examples are lashing out against...

As we close out Season 1, it is important to look back at where we have been so we can look and keep moving forward. In previous episodes, many questions have been asked and Daniel has revealed new perspectives he has gained. In this episode, Daniel and Bryan update listeners on recent medication changes, ways to reinvent yourself, and goals to move toward.  Parkinson's can be an enemy that m...

We lose friendships as we grow older and life becomes more complicated. What about the friendships you still have? How are these relationships affected when others learn you have Parkinson's disease? Some may not have been able to handle the news while others may have dug deeper and helped you face the challenge. In order to pursue this topic, Daniel takes you into his world. Discover his transfor...

Episode 13 explores how Parkinson’s can strip away the image of being a strong male. As men, we want to provide for our families, protect the ones we love, and be recognized for our independence. Parkinson’s chips away at this image by attacking us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Despite being recently diagnosed, Daniel is already struggling with not being a provider or a strong father figu...

With Parkinson's, you experience crushing anxiety and overwhelming depression. This does not include the unrelenting progression of the disease that seems to rip your ability to move properly a piece at a time. The effects of Parkinson's makes it so difficult to accurately describe what it is to experience the degradation to those who want to help the most. How can you move forward with life when...

Most of the time, we hear about how Parkinson's affects the person diagnosed. In this special episode, Daniel and his wife discuss how Parkinson's has impacted her life. This is a very vulnerable and honest account from a person who is on the other side of Parkinson's. It is a fight on two fronts. She is forced to watch as her husband slowly degenerate. At the same time, she must deal with how the...

Dealing with Parkinson's is difficult for both the individual and those who are forced to experience it. Having or creating a support group is essential if someone is going to experience true success in battling PD. In this episode, we have a special guest, Ian Rodriguez, who received his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease when he was only 25 years old. 18 years later he refuses to allow Parkinson's...

We all have different ways of coping with the progression of Parkinson's Disease. Some people seek out ways to defy the stereotypes associated with P.D. Others may not be able to handle this new life. They break under the crushing weight that is Parkinson's. How do you cope? The hope for a cure is a powerful motivator to keep moving. Daniel shares an encouraging new study published in Nature. Ther...

In the wake of Covid-19, we are living in a "new normal." The resurgence of the pandemic has demonstrated our difficulty with changing our lifestyle and behavior. Living with Parkinson's forces us to adapt to another "new normal." Short of a miracle cure, there is not a way back to a life without Parkinson's. Daniel admits he is a foreigner in a foreign land without a way to escape. The good news...

Daniel goes it alone in this in-between episode. There a few things we can do to combat the effects of Parkinson's. However, physicians and researchers seem to universally agree that exercise is the most effective. In fact, The Parkinson’s Outcomes Project showed that people with PD who started exercising earlier and a minimum of 2.5 hours a week, experienced a slower decline in quality of life co...

It was a relationship that looked like it came straight out of a Hollywood romance movie. The boy gets the girl and then marries the girl of his dreams. Their love was full of bumps along the road just like any marriage. The couple's dedication to growing old with one another was tested when the boy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The diagnosis and progression of Parkinson's have been a mo...

When you learn that you have Parkinson's, it changes everything. The diagnosis of Parkinson's removes the illusion that you have the same quality of time left compared to your peers. This is a gift and a curse. However, this understanding can provide you with the strength and clarity of purpose. Join Daniel and Bryan for this episode that asks the question. Are you ready to get busy living or dyin...

The current economic volatility is a source of great anxiety for everyone. Add a new diagnosis of Parkinson's and you have the formulation of a crisis. What can those with Parkinson's whether employed or not employed expect with a disease that is progressive in nature? Daniel gets even more personal by admitting some of his greatest fears. Daniel and Bryan explore these anxieties along with other...

Telling someone that you have Parkinson's is a very personal choice. It may be years later before you make the decision to tell others about Parkinson's disease. It makes you vulnerable. How do you tell your spouse, kids, parents, etc? Daniel walks listeners through his experience so that it can possibly help you. His son was 10 years old when he decided that his son needed to know. He was afraid...

Daniel discusses the importance of participating in the grieving process. Moving through the steps of this process has played a significant role in how he has dealt with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s. We know there is a process of grief when we lose a loved one. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is the end of life as a person knows it. The direction of our lives is ground to a complete stop. The...

Welcome to the podcast. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm an ordinary person that you bump into on the street. Possibly I am the person that you work with and is trying to hide their symptoms. That person is me. 9 months ago I was diagnosed with "Young Onset Parkinson's". Now I am struggling to prepare for the rough road ahead. However, I must hold onto hope that I have a wonderful life ahead. Joi...