117 Why We Struggle with Sleep
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, getting enough sleep? Well, you are not alone. It seems lack of sleep is an epidemic in the US. In particular, getting a restful night’s sleep is very difficult for the majority of people with Parkinson’s. Why? What is going on and how can we improve our the quantity and quality of our sleep? This is a meaty topic to tackle. It is very important to understand it and make changes to improve your situation. Luckly, we were able to get a highly qualified expert on sleep disorders with experience helping people with Parkinson’s. Dr....
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116 Smell Loss and the Brain
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
Did you know there is a connection between loss of smell and Parkinson’s disease? In fact, it may turn out to be a predictor of the disease up to 10 years before a clinic diagnosis of PD. Here are some interesting stats: · 100% of major brain disorders are associated with smell loss · 96% of newly diagnosed people with Parkinson’s have lost some ability to smell · 70% of people living with smell loss don’t know it until they are tested · 50%...
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115 Make Your Voices Heard: Ban Chemicals that Cause Diseases
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
This is a very important topic and one in which you can make a difference. Our environment is sickening the population. Parkinson’s disease is one example of a condition that likely was caused by pesticides and other toxic chemicals in our water, food, air and soil. All of us can contribute to preventing future generations from getting Parkinson’s and other diseases. Those already diagnosed may benefit as well. If we avoid these chemicals now, we may slow the progression of the disease just as exercise has been proven to do so. Bottom line: we need to work together to get these destructive...
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114 World's Toughest Row - a story of endurance, strength and friendship
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
$41M, 41 days, 2800 miles. Those are the stats for Team Human Potential who competed in the World’s Toughest Row. The boat race happens annually and showcases teams of four, rowing across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii. Patrick Morrisey with Team Human Potential became the first person with Parkinson’s to finish the race. They raised over $41M for the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research. Amazing. We spoke with Patrick and his skipper, Brendan Cusick about their experiences, challenges, commitment, and learnings on the trip. What did it reveal about working...
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112 Owning Your Truth - a YOPD Story
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
Some of my favorite episodes are when we hear personal stories from people on the same journey as us. Every story is different but all of them can help us find our way, learn from each other and get motivated to live your best life. On today’s episode, I have a conversation with Lisa Volenec. She was diagnosed as young onset PD which is defined as diagnosed at age of less than 50. It is estimated that only about 10% of the PD population is diagnosed with young onset. However, we know this is growing due to many factors including pesticides and our diets. This is a growing concern for health...
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111 The New Medication Delivery Pumps Explained
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
Have you heard about the new medication delivery systems or pumps recently approved by the FDA? It has generated a lot of buzz at support groups, clinics and social media. What do these pumps do that makes them different and a new tool for our Movement Disorder Specialist to use to help People with Parkinson's live well with Parkinson’s? What can you expect? When should I ask my doctor about if its right for me? I asked Dr. Ospina these questions and more, including the new long-acting oral levodopa called Crexont. She has answered other important questions in the past and has a great...
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109 Connect and Prepare for the Heat
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
As the earth continues to get warmer and we see record high temperatures across the globe, scientists tell us that this pattern is going to continue and be more common. Higher temperatures, more frequently has led to more heat strokes and other conditions when people aren’t prepared for this situation. Additionally, people with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s are at greater risk for heat related complications, A recent article published in JAMA Neurology, describes the issue, what to look for, and how we, as individuals and community, can help to prevent people from heat...
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108 Parkinson's Research Update - The Future Is Bright
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
We are well into 2025 so saying Happy New Year is not appropriate anymore. I think now people are asking others how they are doing with their resolutions. I have just one goal this year and that is to learn something new. I’ll let you know how I do. Send me your resolutions in the comment section. I am excited for you to listen to my conversation with Dr. Brian Fiske, Chief Scientist for the MJFF. I like to kick off the new year/new season with a medication update. This year we are going to get an update on the research landscape and what it means compared to previous years. There are...
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107 Is Your Hearing Loss Related to Parkinson's?
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
I had a random request from a listener a few months ago. She was struggling with her hearing and wondered if it could be another symptom of Parkinson’s. My first thought was no, I hadn’t heard of that before. But, I told her I would look into it. To my surprise, hearing loss and Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is another gift PD can give. So, let’s explore the what, how, and why People with Parkinson’s may experience hearing loss or APD. First we will learn about the differences between hearing loss and APD which is important to understand. I spoke with an expert on this topic who...
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106 Care Partner Stories
The Parkinson's Experience podcast
As we wind down the year with a final couple of episodes, this may be the most important topic. November is caregivers’ awareness month. The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) mission is to promote resourcefulness and respect for tens of millions of family caregivers across the country. This not-for-profit organization is responsible for caregivers’ awareness month. It is vital that we recognize this important person in our lives. They are the unsung heroes in our journey with Parkinson’s or any other chronic disease. They are often overworked, overlooked, and overwhelmed....
info_outlineDid you know there is a connection between loss of smell and Parkinson’s disease? In fact, it may turn out to be a predictor of the disease up to 10 years before a clinic diagnosis of PD. Here are some interesting stats:
- · 100% of major brain disorders are associated with smell loss
- · 96% of newly diagnosed people with Parkinson’s have lost some ability to smell
- · 70% of people living with smell loss don’t know it until they are tested
- · 50% of people over the age of 60 may be living with smell loss
I am fortunate to have spoken to a leader in the research of smell loss, Dr. Richard Doty. We had a fascinating discussion on smell loss and what it can mean for those suffering including a loss of taste which may lead to weight loss. Additionally, we chatted about the work the MJFF is doing with its landmark smell loss study through the PPMI program. Using Dr. Doty’s scratch-and-sniff test, PPMI hopes to help scientists learn more about this risk factor for PD. I’ve taken it twice. I don’t think I passed it.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/smell-loss-brain-health-request-your-smell-test
https://mysmelltest.org/mjffbsd
https://sensonics.com/product/smell-identification-test/
https://www.dbsandme.com/en.html