Parkinson's Disease according to editor of Vanity Fair, Michael Kinsley in a conversation with Diane Rehm (formerly with NPR)

Old Age: A Beginners Guide is a book about Parkinson's Disease by founder of Slate magazine, Michael Kinsley, editor at Vanity Fair whose conversation with Diane Rehm was aired on National Public Radio. He shared what he knows about living and about being diagnosed with Parkinson's. According to Kinsley, there are two ways to approach illness or disease:

• Embrace it, join a community of those experiencing it and advocate for solutions to problems regarding it.

• Ignore and hide it, which does not allow emotions to be expressed.

I have a third way to approach this illness: Consider it a blessing, rather than a curse and make positive changes in your diet and lifestyle, embrace or settle issues with loved ones, if possible. If impossible to reconcile differences, find a way to accept the relationship as it is and focus on building happiness supported by a network of people who accept and support you just as you are.

According to Michael Kinsley, Parkinson's Disease doesn't necessarily lead to demise. It can lead to disability but it's not a fatal disease. This means, you still have to learn to live a healthy life with it. This includes positive thinking, positive experiences and paying attention to overall health and emotional well-being.

                       I've been very very lucky and I have very minor symptoms. My eye twitches and                                  that's close to the major side-effect that I have. What else?  I have trouble sleeping, I               have skin problems, and it's a wide variety of other [side-effects or symptoms].

Michael Kinsley is thankful for the things that are good in his life as he grows older and learns to live with his disease.  He says that growing old is not simply a matter of longevity. It's if you can hold on to your cognition. It's a matter of finding ways to live a good life.

(c) MHJohnson

See also: https://www.k94life.org