Phil Horton

I’ve found laughing a lot every day to be one of my major Parkinson’s coping skills. Laughing or even smiling seems to break up negative thinking and can lighten up even...

What do Parkinson’s, a long dead Russian named Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, positivity, and Phil possibly have in common? Well, it’s complicated. The connection lies in the way I try to stay...

In our society, acute or chronic illness is often managed through medication. Many of us have come to rely on the idea "there’s a pill for that." I recently took a...

Time seems to be just rushing by. For some reason, hitting the Big 80 has taken on more significance than I would’ve imagined. After all, it was just one day in...

Why should I get off the couch? It’s comfy. According to the Parkinson’s Outcomes Project, "people with Parkinson's disease who start exercising earlier in their disease course for a minimum...

I’ve just turned 80 and I’m not the person I used to be. I suppose that statement is an oxymoron. Not so many years ago, I was quite comfortable, retired with...

What can be done about bad dreams and nightmares? I have had recurring nightmares from 2 events that happened in my mid-20s. My nightmares repeat on a frequent but erratic basis...

At one time or another, most of us have been prescribed physical therapy to aid in the treatment and recovery from a surgery or injury. Some of us have gone to...

As I come ever closer to my 80th birthday, I feel I’ve gotten a PhD from the School of Getting Old. Through just getting older and managing several serious chronic...

I’ve been doing well the last 9 months. My balance has been better (lots of physical therapy), my symptoms progression has slowed down, and I’ve been working hard physically and mentally. I’ve...

For most of us diagnosed with Parkinson’s, we’ll have Parkinson’s as our constant companion for many years. Throw in that it is a progressive disease, with almost all treatment being...

I grew up with parents who disregarded and ridiculed any mention of mental issues that couldn’t be fixed by the Bible and our minister. My parents expected perfection from me...

Changes, good or bad, seem to happen with glacial speed in Parkinson’s. Nothing seems to happen overnight. My symptoms are probably getting worse, but changes may not be noticeable for months...

Most of us have probably been there. A random question, maybe or maybe not about Parkinson’s, that just seems from left field. Often those questions either have no answer or are not...

I feel anxious almost all the time and occasionally have anxiety attacks. Does Parkinson’s have anything to do with anxiety? According to Johns Hopkins, "Research shows that up to 40 percent...

"The first step is always the hardest" is a saying most of us have had echoing around in our brains our whole lives. Variations on this theme go way back...

Someone recently asked me, "What do you find to be the greatest challenge of living with Parkinson’s?" Kind of a show stopper question. I can think of multiple challenges to...

Almost all of us who have Parkinson’s experience good days and bad days. Focusing on how I feel physically doesn’t consider all the elements impacting my days. Depression, isolation, and...

Chasing perfection started early in my BP (before Parkinson’s) years. My parents had very high expectations of me. Straight A's? Don’t they have A+? First to Eagle Scout in my age group? Couldn’t you get...

Balancing my Parkinson’s time checkbook ... a version of "time is money." I fight my Parkinson’s by staying as mentally and physically active as possible. It wasn’t always that way. I initially...