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-toe against Parkinson's? We can't beat Parkinson's for now! If we perceive that we will only be victorious when Parkinson's is defeated then we will lose the match. What if we are able to devise a strategy that allows us to still win without our opponent being beaten?

Finally, Daniel updates us on how his misperceptions nearly cost his relationships with his best friends.

Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. Email us at [email protected] or visit our site parkinsonsand.me

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 diagnosis of PD. A person must have bradykinesia along with a tremor or rigidity.

Dyskinesia involves people having uncontrolled, erratic, and writing movements. These can be slow and fluid or rapid and jerking. Dyskinesia is a complication of some Parkinson's medication and not a symptom of the disease itself. It occurs with long-term levodopa use to treat Parkinson's.

Treatment for Parkinson's requires taking enough Levedopa to control your symptoms. By taking the medication it eventually will result in the onset of dyskinesia. Each time a PWP takes their medication, we must make a choice. Do we continue to poison our body to treat one movement disorder for another?

Season 2 Episode 1 is packed full of honest conversation that strives to make the best of this situation.

Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. Email us at [email protected] or visit our site parkinsonsand.me

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 those you love or an embarrassing moment in front of a group. 

Daniel relays recent examples of when this happened to him and the self-loathing that soon took over. How much of these moments are truly ourselves? Are they the result of the progression that is expected with Parkinson's? Finally, Daniel shares discoveries that have benefited him to start the new year. 

Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656.

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 makes unreasonable demands on our lives. It's understandable to be crushed under this unrelenting force that demands continual change. How can we not be victims of this? We must acknowledge that we are not alone. Parkinson's is currently the fastest growing neurological disease in the world. As a result, millions of people are living with Parkinson's but also, and encouragingly, fighting to end it. Though there is not a cure for P.D., it remains important to unite our voices. The newly formed PD Avengers is working toward the goal of ending Parkinson's. Please join us! Become a PD Avenger at pdavengers.com. 

Finally, Season 2 of Parkinson's and Me will focus on how to manage depression and anxiety. We will look deeper into how Parkinson's affects a person's mental health and how we can navigate through this complicated disease. 

Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. Email us at [email protected] or visit our site parkinsonsand.me If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. If you have the Anchor app please leave a message at https://anchor.fm/parkinsonsandme.

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 transformative experience that is full of grief, self-assessment, and hope. The experience exposes the sadness of losing friendships that have served as an anchor in Daniel's life for decades. What is the lesson that can be learned? No matter how our loved ones choose to react, we need to communicate with them because they don't understand the disease. Also, in this episode, Daniel and Bryan discuss how Parkinson's patients are overwhelmed when they realize there are limitations to what they are able to do. It begins to define them. They no longer see the possibilities of what can still be done. Stop merely surviving and realize that you have the gift of life ahead. As always we still have a say in how Parkinson's defines us. Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave us a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. If you have the Anchor app please leave a message at https://anchor.fm/parkinsonsandme.

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 figure for his son. Bryan and Daniel attempt to discover a way to redefine what it means to be a strong male when your body stops working as it should. You are not alone in having a difficult time transitioning from a pre to post-Parkinson’s man. Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656.   Email us [email protected]. If you have the Anchor app please leave a message at https://anchor.fm/parkinsonsandme.

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 the one you have is being taken so unceremoniously? Daniel and Bryan dive into the importance of faith. The faith in a God that actively pursues a relationship with his children has imprinted Daniel's life before and after the diagnosis of Parkinson's. Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Listen as Daniel and Bryan workout the enormous complication Parkinson's adds to life and one who has faith. Special thanks goes to TobyMac. If you would like to leave us a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. Email us [email protected]. If you have the Anchor app please leave a message at https://anchor.fm/parkinsonsandme.

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 diagnosis of Parkinson's will alter her future. "The Other Side" will speak to those who are directly impacted by Parkinson's but who do not have the disease. Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation. If you would like to leave us a voice message and you live in the U.S. call 1-706-873-1656. Email us [email protected]. If you have the Anchor app please leave a message at https://anchor.fm/parkinsonsandme.