Author: Landtiser

I am often asked by my fighters who have not started Parkinson’s medications, “When do you think I should start taking (PD) medications? Do you think I need them?” I’m their coach and confidant, and I see them several times a week before and after exercise. It is understandable that they would seek my opinion. Usually the medications they are referring to are carbidopa/levodopa. These medications can help people with Parkinson’s by treating tremor, stiffness and difficulty moving, but they may come with side effects from long-term use. It is a big question, and I always proceed with caution. Why? I’m not their doctor or pharmacist. And I’m not them, but information gathering is important.

Continue reading “When Should I Start Taking Parkinson’s Medications?”

People with Parkinson’s who are typically spotlighted as “high functioning” and going after life with vigor are often still in their first few years after being diagnosed. However, I wanted to share a story of hope and proof of someone who was diagnosed at age 37, and yet 22 years later, is still going strong!

Meet Ken. He was diagnosed in 1997 shortly after experiencing a traumatic event. He noticed that his hand, while holding a soda can, started shaking and wouldn’t stop. This new father and business owner of a die cutting company was shocked, as you can imagine.

Continue reading “Twenty-Two Years with Parkinson’s and Living a Full Life”

Hello There! So many of my students complain of stiffness in their hands. This stiffness affects their everyday life, not to mention the annoyingly small handwriting (micrography) that comes with Parkinson’s disease.

A few years ago, I fell off a high ledge while hiking that caused me to snap ligaments and break my right thumb. I had to hike a couple of hours out to get to my car and then drive myself to the nearest emergency room. I ended up being in an immobilizing brace for 3 months. That resulted in my hand becoming stiff as a board, and my thumb didn’t move at all! I went through hand therapy and became a huge fan of hand exercises. As you can see by watching this video, I restored full range and function. I never neglect my hand exercises, and neither should you!

Continue reading “The Best Parkinson’s Exercises to Improve Stiffness and Your Handwriting”

In last week’s blog post we learned about Steve, his former service dog Jack, and his new service dog Pisces. This week we will have three more stories of my fighters and their service dogs, and how they help make their lives with Parkinson’s more manageable.

First is Steve F. and his dog Ivy, who assists him in five important ways:

Continue reading “A “Tail” of 4 Parkinson’s Service Dogs (Part 2)”