If It Hurts, It Works

woman on a rock against a blue sky in dancer's pose.

Keep On Moving! Hello again, or as we say in New Zealand, Kia ora. I have been remiss with my usual updates. It’s been tough getting back into a routine. What has been especially tough has been forcing myself back into exercising. Nobody likes exercise, but those of us who are forced to endure this … Read more If It Hurts, It Works

Surprise!

man in black leathers riding a red motorcycle.

Wait… What? Surprise! Remember me? I know. It’s been a really long time. You know when people say they have good reasons to be absent? Oh my, I have the best. No really I do. I haven’t just been a bit busy, I’ve been wrangling with some serious stuff. I have it all. Drama, excitement, … Read more Surprise!

Keep Climbing that Mountain

woman in a karate gi in fighting stance.

Bodily Intimidation Last night I went to karate in glacier-mode. A glacier is a good analogy for times when I look like I have great potential to move, but I feel slow-moving and rigid. I tried to push through by jumping around and attempting various basic moves in the dance studio where we have taken … Read more Keep Climbing that Mountain

Independent Living

clear blue sky with a small fluffy white cloud and sunlight beaming in from the right.

Moving On Alone I’ve put off writing about this for some time. It’s tricky. I have wanted to work it through in my head but I don’t want to upset anyone with what I say. I’m going to write about my recent decision to do something many people have thought is ridiculous, rash, stupid and … Read more Independent Living

Positive Affirmations

reads - the pen is mightier than the sword.

Positive Affirmations Emma wrote recently about Mohammad Ali and how it created her own motivational mantra. How positive affirmations helped her feel some much better day to day. I used to think that mantras were just for the hippies. The brown rice and sandals brigade. (Disclaimer – I own both brown rice and sandals) However … Read more Positive Affirmations

A Day in the Life – Emma

emma in a singlet and leggings perfoming a high karate kick

A Day in the Life – Emma Woke up, got out of bed, took a bunch of dopamine. Living with Parkinson’s sometimes involves some crazy swings and roundabouts in energy, and general feelings of wellbeing. Yesterday I gave a good demonstration of how suddenly and shockingly I can crash. I was making pancakes for lunch, … Read more A Day in the Life – Emma

I’m The Greatest!

emma crouching in a pink tee shirt and black leggings.

The Muhammad Ali Approach to Affirmations Last year for Christmas I bought a ‘Big Life Journal’ for my two boys. It’s a guided journal with a series of research-based activities and resources to help kids build positive “growth-based” mindsets. The one we got was for “tweens/teens”, but there are different versions for younger kids. My … Read more I’m The Greatest!

What’s in a Name? The Living With Parkinson’s Blog

image of a virus close up

Disease or Condition? I had a call from a friend yesterday that had been reading my blog. She asked me why I kept referring to Parkinson’s with the word ‘Disease’, as she knows I hate that term. I explained that it is a new website and I wanted to attract the widest traffic I could, … Read more What’s in a Name? The Living With Parkinson’s Blog

Pain Sucks – The Living With Parkinson’s Blog

emma dressed in black squatting on a tree log in a field against a blue sky with a wooden fence in the background.

Pain Sucks Hey, well I…oh, I’m still alive. Sorry I’m a child of the 90s, I can’t help quoting Pearl Jam lyrics. It’s still my internal sound-track, although the grunge era (and my teens) are well over. But being alive is feeling pretty good even though I dropped down to a low ebb this week. … Read more Pain Sucks – The Living With Parkinson’s Blog