Author Archives: defeatparkinsons

Instructions not Included When it Comes to Caregiving: By Dr. De Leon

Originally posted on defeatparkinsons:
Don’t dwell on the disease. Value the moments, the pearls of wisdom, their smile, their humor.” St. Elizabeth      Caregiving is not for the faint of heart. I have had to be the caregiver for two of the people I love, my grandmother and father. Although the experience was extremely rewarding,…

Rethinking Parkinson’s Treatment: By Dr. De Leon

“stop focusing on what happened and start focusing on what’s going to move you forward.”   We have come a long way in the way we think about many neurological diseases since I first became a physician. 25 years ago we had a limited number of medications to treat Parkinson’s plus the thinking was thatContinue reading “Rethinking Parkinson’s Treatment: By Dr. De Leon”

Lack of Health Care Continuity is a Growing Crisis in America Especially for Those of Us with PD: By Dr. De Leon

“Broken trust is like melted chocolate. No matter how hard you try to freeze it  can never return to its original shape.”   Being a patient who is chronically ill has definitely made me more aware of one of the great problems we have in health care today- poor continuity of care. As we approachContinue reading “Lack of Health Care Continuity is a Growing Crisis in America Especially for Those of Us with PD: By Dr. De Leon”

How to Deal with Loss of a Loved One due to PD: By Dr. De Leon

Originally posted on defeatparkinsons:
If tears could build a stairway and thoughts a memory lane I’d walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. (poem: if tears could build a stairway to heaven- unknown) When I was in New York City last week I had the pleasure of meeting many great people including…

One Size Does Not Fit All in PD: By Dr. De Leon

In the past, one of the biggest challenges non-neurologist or/and non-movement disorders physicians have faced in diagnosing PD has been the lack of uniformity in disease presentation. While variability in  response to treatment has been a challenge at times for those of us in the field of  Parkinson’s disease. Although, no two individuals are ever really alike in theContinue reading “One Size Does Not Fit All in PD: By Dr. De Leon”

Is there still benefit to doing a Levodopa Drug Holiday as PD treatment in this day and age? by Maria De Leon

 ” A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” ~ Earl Wilson   As we celebrate Columbus Day weekend, I am reminded of another holiday we… Source: Is there still benefit to doing a Levodopa Drug Holiday as PD treatment in this day and age? by Maria DeContinue reading “Is there still benefit to doing a Levodopa Drug Holiday as PD treatment in this day and age? by Maria De Leon”

Setting Appropriate Boundaries when Living with a Chronic Disease like PD- by Dr. De Leon

Aside from spending time visiting my many physicians this last couple of months and sleeping incessantly, which could be misconstrued as a form of hibernation, I have begun a women’s class on… Source: Setting Appropriate Boundaries when Living with a Chronic Disease like PD- by Dr. De Leon

Role of Technology in PD Management – Hot topic #2 at wpc2016-by Dr. De Leon

In the last 2 and a half months, I have spent an inordinate amount of time visiting doctors to get my situation resolved and return to baseline. What I have realized is that symptoms and state fluctuate so much within a couple of days that unless we get seen immediately at time of “feeling bad”Continue reading “Role of Technology in PD Management – Hot topic #2 at wpc2016-by Dr. De Leon”