Life is what you make it.
Near the end of every summer, an invitation arrives in my mailbox. It's my reward for completing another year of the PPMI clinical trial at the Cleveland Clinic - an appreciation dinner hosted by the Cleveland Clinic and the Michael J Fox Foundation. It has been held annually at the Cleveland Racquet Club. It's a beautiful… Continue reading Life with Parkinson’s Disease Part 6: PPMI Appreciation Dinner
The day begins some time around 9 AM. I check in to the Mellon building and make my way to the third floor where I'm met by Jennifer, the study coordinator. Following the same routine as the "short" visit I spend two hours playing games and doing questionnaires with Jenn and I have a visit with… Continue reading Living with Parkinson’s Disease Part 5: PPMI’s “Long” Visit
My PPMI "short" visits are held at the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Neurological Restoration (also known as the "U" building), a building I would come to know well over the next five years. After checking in at the first floor reception area I ride the elevator to the third floor where I sit in the… Continue reading Living with Parkinson’s Disease Part 4: the “Short” PPMI Visit
In 2011 I signed on as a research patient with the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiaive (PPMI), at the Cleveland Clinic. Funded by the Michael J Fox Foundation, PPMI is searching for biomarkers, or any characteristics that can be measured in a person that can be tied to the disease. I would not be given any medication… Continue reading Living with Parkinson’s Disease Part 3: the DaTscan
After my first, disturbing visit to the doctor, I spent the following months reading and researching. The more I learned, and the more time that went by without my world coming to an end, the less disturbed I became. Parkinson's is different for everyone who lives with it. Patients progress at different rates and my… Continue reading Life with Parkinson’s Disease Part 2: Finding the PPMI Clinical Trial
