Parky Conversations

The Search for Cheap Dopamine: Parkinson's Hidden Symptoms

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2294748/open_sms] So many symptoms, so little time. Seriously, this is a disease with hidden depths – most of them not very nice. In the final episode of Season 1, I share the story of a woman who struggles with compulsive shopping and eating related to Parkinson's disease. And I speak with Jennifer Crowder, a Parkinson's patient who has developed strategies to help her resist the urge to overspend on shoelaces. Plus, renowed Parkinson's expert Dr. Joseph Friedman joins the show to help explain what's going on.

Insects in Your Underwear? It Might be Parkinson's Disease!

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2294748/open_sms] When most people think about Parkinson’s they think of tremors and Michael J. Fox, but there’s a lot more to this disease. And some Parkinson’s symptoms are just plain weird. I recently got the chance to talk with Fred Zalonis, a 73 year old retired engineer who was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s 15 years ago. In today's episode, Fred and I compare notes on the hallucinations we have experienced since developing Parkinson's, and I dig into the science of hallucinations with Ramona Weil, Parkinson's researcher and Professor of Neurology at University College London.

Giving Parkinson's the Old One-Two

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2294748/open_sms] Never in a million years did Andi ever think she'd lace up a pair of boxing gloves. In fact, she was rather disapproving of boxing as a sport. But as soon as she was diagnosed people started saying, "I've heard boxing is a really good thing to do if you have Parkinson's." So Andi tried a class at Rock Steady Boxing -- a program specifically for people with Parkinson's, and boxing is now her favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings. But if boxing is suspected as the cause of Parkinson's in people like Muhammad Ali, why is it also used as a treatment?

Emma Stubbs Keeps Her Sense of Humor

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2294748/open_sms] A little more than two years ago, I began my blog as a way of coping with both the physical and emotional pain of Parkinson's. As I was trying to figure out where I fit in the blogging universe, I stumbled upon a blog called Who Stole My Dopamine? I read, I laughed, I subscribed, and I laughed some more. In this episode, I talk with Emma Stubbs, the creator of Who Stole My Dopamine, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 42. And I learn more about young onset Parkinson's from Dr. Rodolfo Savica who leads the Early-Onset Parkinson's Disease and Synucleinopathies Lab at the Mayo Clinic.

Shall We Dance - And Sing - For Parkinson's?

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2294748/open_sms] There's nothing fun about being diagnosed with Parkinson's, but that doesn't mean that every treatment has to cause misery. In today's episode, Andi talks about two Parkinson's "treatments" that are near and dear to her heart. Dancing, which is recommended to improve balance and coordination. And singing, which helps prevent -- among other things -- aspiration pneumonia, the leading cause of death among people with Parkinson's.