Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

By Bryce Perry | DOING LIFE TODAY

The Good, the Bad, and the Reality Your Source of Strength, Hope, and Support.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010 at age 40, Bryce Perry has spent over 15 years navigating the dail

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· Health & Fitness

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The podcast currently has 149 episodes available.

Best of Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Parkinson’s Medication & Food: The Hidden Timing Mistake That Can Throw Off Your Day
Have you ever taken your Parkinson’s medication exactly the way you normally do, waited for it to kick in, and... nothing? Same medication. Same dose. Same time. But somehow, a completely different result. Then the next day, everything works normally again. That unpredictability can make you feel like Parkinson’s is changing by the hour. But sometimes the explanation may be sitting right on your plate. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we talk about the relationship between food, protein, levodopa, and medication timing, and why paying attention to what you eat around your medication may help explain some of those mysterious OFF periods. We talk about: • Why levodopa and dietary amino acids can compete during absorption and transport • Why a protein-heavy meal may affect medication response for some people • Why the same medication can feel different on different days • How meal timing and consistency can make patterns easier to spot • Why hydration matters more than most of us realize • How tracking food, medication, and symptoms can help turn frustrating guesswork into useful information The biggest shift for me was simple. Instead of constantly asking: “What am I allowed to eat?” I started asking: “What happens to my symptoms and medication response when I eat this?” That puts the focus on patterns rather than fear. And importantly, this isn’t about eliminating protein. Your body needs protein. It’s about learning how your own body responds and having a better conversation with your neurologist, pharmacist, or dietitian if food seems to be affecting your medication. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen talks about why meal and medication schedules can become stressful for the whole household and why simple routines often work better than trying to make everything perfect. Because with Parkinson’s, sometimes the difference between a confusing day and a more predictable one isn’t changing the medication. It’s understanding what was happening around it. For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today. 🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔴Get information about the Inner Circle ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ Video Podcast Playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Audio Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ “With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.” ⚠️ Important Note This is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider. #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips
September 11, 202613min
Number 2: Parkinson’s Exercise: Why Walking Alone May Not Be Enough
Walking matters. Movement matters. But if you’re already moving consistently and wondering why you still feel stuck, there may be another piece to the puzzle. For a long time, I thought staying active meant I was doing everything right. Walking. Stretching. Moving more. And those things absolutely matter. But research is also looking at something more challenging: Higher-intensity exercise. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we talk about the difference between movement that helps you maintain and movement that challenges your brain and body enough to potentially create a stronger training effect. We talk about: • Why walking is still important, especially when getting started is the hardest part • The difference between simply moving and deliberately challenging yourself • What high-intensity interval training can look like in real life • Why exercise does not have to mean becoming a gym rat • How boxing can combine movement, reaction, coordination, and motivation • Why dancing challenges rhythm, balance, timing, and social connection • How strength training can help protect function on harder days • Why the right level of challenge depends on where you are right now One of the biggest mindset shifts for me was this: I stopped asking, “Am I doing enough?” And started asking, “Did I challenge myself just a little more than I did yesterday?” That changes the whole conversation. Because some days, progress means pushing harder. And some days, progress means simply getting off the couch and walking to the end of the driveway. Both count. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen talks about why forcing motivation usually doesn’t work, and why removing friction can make a much bigger difference. Shoes ready. Water bottle filled. One simple plan. One first step. Because sometimes the hardest part of exercise with Parkinson’s isn’t the workout. It’s starting. For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today. 🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔴Get information about the Inner Circle ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ Video Podcast Playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Audio Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ “With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.” ⚠️ Important Note This is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider. #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips
September 10, 202613min
Number 3: Parkinson’s Medication: 5 Mistakes That Can Make Your Meds Feel Less Effective
Sometimes it isn’t Parkinson’s suddenly getting worse. Sometimes it’s something small interfering with the medication you’re already taking. A supplement. An over-the-counter sleep aid. A missed dose. A pill that was crushed when it shouldn’t have been. And if nobody ever explained that to you, it’s easy to assume the disease is progressing when the real problem might be something much simpler. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, I walk through five common medication mistakes that may interfere with how Parkinson’s medications work and why it is worth paying attention to the little details. We talk about: • Iron supplements and how they may interfere with levodopa absorption • Vitamin B6, including why higher-dose supplements deserve a closer look • Benadryl and similar over-the-counter sleep medications, and why they may worsen confusion, grogginess, or other symptoms • Why doubling up after a missed dose can create more problems instead of fixing the schedule • Why crushing or splitting extended-release medication can completely change how that medication is released The big message here is not to panic or start changing things on your own. It is to check the details. Look at supplement labels. Ask your pharmacist. Pay attention to timing. Track what changed. Because with Parkinson’s, sometimes a small change in what you take or when you take it can have a much bigger effect than you expect. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen talks about looking for small medication or routine changes before automatically assuming Parkinson’s is progressing. And for those navigating Parkinson’s solo, I share a simple reminder: You don’t need a perfect tracking system. You just need enough information to start spotting patterns. Because sometimes the answer isn’t: “My Parkinson’s is getting worse.” Sometimes it’s: “Something changed.” For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today. 🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔴Get information about the Inner Circle ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ Video Podcast Playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Audio Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ “With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.” ⚠️ Important Note This is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider. #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips
September 09, 202611min
Number 4: 3 Weird Parkinson’s Symptoms Nobody Warns You About | WHO KNEW?
Have you ever had a symptom so strange that Parkinson’s was the last thing you blamed? You call the dentist. You wonder if it’s allergies. You change soap. You Google it at midnight. And meanwhile Parkinson’s is sitting quietly in the corner thinking, “Yep, that one’s mine too.” Welcome back to WHO KNEW?, where we dig into the weird, surprising, and often-overlooked symptoms that can show up with Parkinson’s. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we break down three symptoms that can send people looking for answers in completely different directions. We talk about: • Neuropathic itching, when your skin feels itchy even though the problem may be coming from nerve signaling rather than the skin itself • Non-allergic rhinitis, that constant runny or blocked nose that may be related to autonomic changes rather than a cold or allergies • Burning mouth syndrome, when your tongue or mouth can feel hot or burned even though there is no obvious injury And that last one really is a WHO KNEW? Because when something feels wrong but nobody can see anything wrong, it can make you start questioning yourself. That is why understanding these strange symptoms matters. Not because every itch, runny nose, or burning sensation is Parkinson’s. But because sometimes the symptom you’ve been chasing in the wrong direction may deserve a different conversation with your healthcare team. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen shares one of the best reminders for strange symptoms: Just because we don’t understand it yet doesn’t mean there isn’t a reason. Track it. Write it down. Look for patterns. Stay curious. Because Parkinson’s has a habit of showing up in places nobody invited it. And sometimes the first step toward an answer is simply realizing: “Wait... this might actually be connected.” For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today. 🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔴Get information about the Inner Circle ⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ Video Podcast Playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Audio Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ “With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.” ⚠️ Important Note This is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider. #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips
September 04, 202612min
Number 5: Hiding Your Parkinson’s Can Make It Harder: Why Pushing Through Backfires
Have you ever caught yourself trying to hide a Parkinson’s symptom in public? Holding your hand still. Walking faster than feels natural. Trying to look “normal.” Pretending nothing is happening. I’ve done all of it. And one of the strangest things I learned is that sometimes the harder I try to hide Parkinson’s, the harder Parkinson’s becomes to manage. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we talk about why masking symptoms, rushing, pushing through, and constantly trying not to be noticed can actually add more tension, more stress, and more effort to an already overloaded system. We talk about: • Why so many of us feel pressure to look “normal” • How hiding tremor can become an automatic habit • Why speeding up when movement feels difficult can backfire • How anxiety about being watched can make walking feel even harder • Why slowing down and adapting can actually make movement easier • The emotional cost of constantly monitoring how Parkinson’s looks to other people • How to ask yourself whether you’re helping your body or fighting it You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen talks about something that hit me hard: Sometimes the hardest thing for care partners isn’t the symptom. It’s watching the person they love carry it alone. She also shares why support does not always mean stepping in immediately. Sometimes the best support is simply giving someone time, space, and the comfort of knowing help is there if they need it. Because the truth is... You do not have to audition for “normal.” You do not have to perform your way through Parkinson’s. And sometimes the biggest relief comes when you stop fighting your body long enough to start working with it. For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today. 🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔴Get information about the Inner Circle ⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▶️ Video Podcast Playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Audio Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ “With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.” ⚠️ Important Note This is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider. #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips
September 03, 202614min