Yesterday, as I spent way too much time sorting and storing pills, I walked into a different room, sat myself down and made a declaration to myself and to the world: “I am doing the unheard of in the chronic illness community. "I'm taking the day off." What does that mean, exactly? For one, no …
Author: Andi Brown
I was born in 1951 and raised in Providence, RI. I retired in early 2022 from a long and successful career in fund development, helping nonprofit organizations secure the resources they need to fulfill their missions.
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in July of 2021. I am attempting to box and dance the disease into submission despite being horribly uncoordinated. I'm a graduate of Colgate University and live in Brookline, MA, not too far from my adult son and daughter. When not “moving and shaking” I can frequently be found writing fiction, or with knitting needles in hand, eating chocolate.
What makes you so special? I ask myself
My podcast about the weirdness of Parkinson's For the past- well, I really don’t know how long, but surely many months-I’ve awakened most mornings with aching legs. They feel as if I’d just completed a day of hiking the Blue Hills near my Boston home except all I’ve done to earn the pain is sleep. …
BONUS POST: FUNDING CUTS MAY AFFECT ALL OF US
I was casually reading the New York Times this morning when I came upon this article about funding cuts for scientific research on, among other things, treatment and cures for all sorts of diseases and medical conditions.. This section made my hair stand on end: Growing up in a small town in Alaska, Alyssa Connell …
Continue reading BONUS POST: FUNDING CUTS MAY AFFECT ALL OF US
I am my father’s daughter.
I feel both jazzed and embarrassed to share a rather private wish. Now you’re chuckling. Her? Embarrassed? She blurts stuff I’d never dream of revealing except to my most trusted friends. And here it is. As I stated, announced with equal parts excitement and shyness. I’m trying to turn this here blog into a book. …
I am my illness
I recently posted a request asking the parkinsonsphere how they’d like to be treated. Several commented”I am not my illness.” Well guess what folks, I’m throwing in the towel and stating, if not proudly but with resignation and conviction “ I am my illness.” If I were not, would I be: Organizing the medication section …
Be extra nice!
Sounds corny, or maybe even alarmist, but it feels to me like we are, at the very least, in the midst of a national nervous breakdown. Let's help one another through it with extra kindness to everyone in our orbit - friends, family, colleagues. andn even people we don't know. So hold that door for …
How to be with your friend with PD
If it looks like a duck… in my case, I resemble the healthy looking duck. I try to pass as a person who’s never had a twitch or a body that aches deeply several times a week. Yes, there is the occasional get out of jail free card, what I call a pain free day …
ADHD with or without PD
To give you a sense of what it’s like living with ADHD, let’s take inventory, shall we? Over the last 35 years or so, I have lost approximately 15 pairs of sunglasses (counts double because some were prescription and therefore very expensive) 42 pairs of gloves 5 hats 6 sweaters, including some I knit myself …
It’s the little things
I was reading the Sunday paper, or more accurately scanning, glancing at, glimpsing the NYTimes and agonizing over the most important decision of the day: What to make for dinner? None of the smidgeon of foodstuffs in the fridge appealed. Ditto the wares on offer from the 1001 online menus whose pizza, sushi, saag paneer …
Hot flash for you
Dating tips for the older man* *all examples are true. I was there. Dos and Don'ts Don't start the get-acquainted phone call with a discussion of hearing aids. Likewise pacemakers, stents and teeth (false, in need of crowns, etc.) We know we're old. We don't need a reminder. Don’t start the date by asking her …
Moving and Shaking 