Navigating the FOG
By Sheryl Jedlinski I live my life on “high alert,” waiting for the next Parkinson’s disease symptom to blind side me. Most recently, the culprit was “freezing of gait” (FOG). … Continue reading
Saved by my walker
By Sheryl Jedlinski It’s been so long since my last fall that I don’t even recall when it was, but my streak ended yesterday, requiring I reset my “days without … Continue reading
Honoring the memory of those who walked before us
By Sheryl Jedlinski I joined the 2018 American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Optimism Walk to honor the memory of my friend Jo-Ann Golec, who died last year, having lived a … Continue reading
Physical therapy can make “off” time work for you
By Shery Jedlinski I went for a physical therapy (PT) evaluation seeking confirmation that the long-term gains I achieved through daily exercise were disappearing. How else could I explain why … Continue reading
No more “shopping till we drop”
By Sheryl Jedlinski My friend Pat had been cooped up in her apartment for three months waiting for her fractured hip, groin, and pelvis to heal following a fall. When … Continue reading
Rolling safely down the “off” ramp
By Sheryl Jedlinski My wake-up call came one Saturday night when my husband, Tony, and I were leaving a trendy Chicago steakhouse. One minute I was fine, the next my … Continue reading
Trip resets my “days without a fall” clock
By Sheryl Jedlinski It had been more than a year since my last fall, but my record-breaking streak ended while I was on vacation. One minute I was walking with … Continue reading
With gratitude, I announce the publication of my first book
Twenty years of fighting the good fight. Sixty-five drafts of the manuscript to get the book to press. A publishing entity that didn’t exist a month ago. I’m delighted to … Continue reading
Walking sticks reduce risk of falling
By Sheryl Jedlinski Before I turned to walking sticks to help me get around, I was well on my way to becoming a “frequent faller.” I hit rock bottom the … Continue reading
The personal challenge of raising PD awareness
By Sheryl Jedlinski I unexpectedly ran into a former neighbor I hadn’t seen in 35 years. We immediately picked up where we had left off, sharing news of family, friends, … Continue reading
“You look so different…”
By Sheryl Jedlinski My first day back at the pool after a seven-month hiatus from swimming, I found myself changing clothes beside a woman I knew 20 years ago. I … Continue reading
Exercise helps me take back my life
By Sheryl Jedlinski Only two weeks after major abdominal surgery, I am taking my life back and starting down the road to beating cancer. Much to the surprise of my … Continue reading
Exercise, Parkinson’s disease, and me
By Sheryl Jedlinski For the first 44 years of my life, I used every lame excuse in the book to avoid exercise. This worked well for me until I … Continue reading
Everyone has a story to tell, a life lesson to teach
By Sheryl Jedlinski How long must some of us live with Parkinson’s disease before we accept, that for better or worse, the changes it brings to our lives are here … Continue reading