Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

You know what you should be doing.Take your medication.Go for a walk.Answer that message.Get out of the chair.And it’s not that you don’t want to do it.There’s just... nothing.No push. No urgency. No spark telling your brain, “This matters. Get moving.”That experience has a name, and for many people living with Parkinson’s, it may be apathy. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, I talk about one of the most misunderstood non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s and what it actually feels like from the inside.We talk about:• What Parkinson’s apathy can feel like in everyday life• Why knowing you should do something doesn’t necessarily create the drive to start• Why apathy can easily be mistaken for laziness or lack of effort• How motivation, dopamine, and the brain’s ability to identify what matters may be connected• Why apathy and depression aren’t necessarily the same thing• What it feels like when the intention is there but the internal “go” signal isn’t• Why simply trying harder may not solve the problemThe way I picture it is a highlighter.Normally, your brain highlights things:Important. Do this. Pay attention.But with apathy, it can feel like somebody walked away with the highlighter.Everything is still on the page.You can see it.You understand it.Nothing stands out enough to pull you toward action. I also share one simple strategy that helps me:Forget the whole task. Just start the first step.Don’t go for a walk.Put your shoes on.Sometimes that tiny action creates enough momentum to get the next one started.You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen explains why apathy can be incredibly difficult for care partners too.From the outside, it can look like disinterest.Like someone stopped trying.Like they don’t care.But Carmen shares a much better approach than asking:“Why won’t you just do it?”Try:“Let’s just start it together.” Because sometimes the person is still there.The intention is still there.The caring is still there.It’s the spark that’s missing.And in the next episode, we’ll take this one step further and talk about what I call external highlighters, practical ways to create that missing spark when your brain isn’t providing it.For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today.🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔴Get information about the Inner Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠▶️ Video Podcast Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Audio Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.”⚠️ Important NoteThis is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider.#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips

Have you ever experienced something with Parkinson’s that seemed so strange you didn’t even tell anyone?Not because it wasn’t real.Because you weren’t quite sure how to explain it.Maybe something important suddenly doesn’t feel important anymore.Maybe you finish a task but your brain never gives you that satisfying feeling of being finished.Maybe you’ve started relying on your eyes more when you walk.Or maybe you close your eyes and, bizarrely, they don’t want to open again.Welcome to Part Two of WHO KNEW? Week, with four more Parkinson’s experiences hiding in plain sight. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we explore some of the less obvious ways Parkinson’s may affect how the brain processes movement, motivation, reward, sensory information, and even something as basic as opening your eyes.We talk about:• Why Parkinson’s may affect how strongly your brain identifies something as important or rewarding• That strange feeling of completing something but never quite getting the internal “done” signal• Why changes in proprioception, your internal sense of where your body is in space, can make you rely more heavily on vision• Why you may find yourself looking at your feet more when walking• Why darkness and situations with fewer visual cues can sometimes feel more difficult• A rare but very real phenomenon involving difficulty initiating eyelid openingThat final one is a serious WHO KNEW?You close your eyes.Then tell them to open.And somehow the message seems to get stuck between your brain and your eyelids.Some people compensate by raising their eyebrows, tilting their head back, or even using their fingers to help open their eyelids. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen talks about why behavior that looks like distraction, hesitation, disinterest, or frustration from the outside may feel completely different to the person experiencing it.Her advice is simple:Pause before assigning meaning to the behavior.Ask first.Give the person a moment.Because sometimes Parkinson’s doesn’t change what someone thinks or feels.It changes how that thought, feeling, or movement makes its way to the outside world.And that is exactly why we keep doing WHO KNEW?Sometimes simply discovering that something has a name can turn:“What the heck is happening to me?”into:“Wait... other people experience this too?”And that can make the strange stuff feel a whole lot less lonely.For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today.🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔴Get information about the Inner Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠▶️ Video Podcast Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Audio Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.”⚠️ Important NoteThis is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider.#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips

What if your Parkinson’s medication feels different today, even though you took the exact same dose at the exact same time?Maybe it wasn’t the pill.Maybe something else in your morning routine changed the equation.A glass of orange juice.A common sweetener.A yawn that mysteriously quits halfway through.Or, strangest of all, which side of your body you’re lying on.Welcome back to WHO KNEW?, where we take the strange Parkinson’s research and everyday experiences that make you say, “Nobody ever told me THAT,” and translate them into real life. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, we dig into four surprising things hiding in everyday routines and why they may deserve a closer look.We talk about:• Orange juice and why what you drink with levodopa may affect how quickly medication seems to kick in for some people• Aspartame, the amino acid connection, and why this is an interesting question rather than something everyone with Parkinson’s needs to fear• The bizarre half-finished yawn, when something your body once did automatically suddenly seems to stall halfway through• Body position and research suggesting gastric emptying can differ depending on how you’re positionedThat fourth one is peak WHO KNEW?Levodopa has to leave the stomach before it can be absorbed in the small intestine, so anything affecting gastric emptying could potentially affect how quickly a dose begins working. But this episode is not about turning breakfast into a chemistry experiment.It’s about noticing patterns.If something consistently changes how quickly your medication seems to work, write it down and bring that information to your neurologist or pharmacist.You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, where Carmen reminds us that some of the most useful Parkinson’s clues don’t look dramatic at all.Sometimes the better question is simply:“Have we noticed a pattern?”Because Parkinson’s is strange enough already.Apparently now we have to keep an eye on our drinks, sweeteners, yawns, and even which way we’re lying.Seriously...WHO KNEW? 😄For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today.🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔴Get information about the Inner Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠▶️ Video Podcast Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Audio Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.”⚠️ Important NoteThis is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider.#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips

When Parkinson’s enters a relationship, only one person gets the diagnosis, but both people feel the weight of it.Care partners help because they love us.They remind us.They step in.They organize.They worry.They watch for things we sometimes don’t even notice ourselves.But sometimes the most well-intentioned help can accidentally make Parkinson’s harder for both people. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, Carmen joins me as we talk honestly about five common care partner mistakes, not because care partners are doing anything wrong, but because Parkinson’s changes relationships in ways nobody really prepares us for.We talk about:• Trying to fix everything immediately when sometimes the person with Parkinson’s simply needs a minute• Doing too much too soon and the fine line between helping someone and accidentally taking away independence• Turning every reminder into a correction, until home starts feeling more like supervision than partnership• Trying to carry everything alone and why care partner burnout matters• The biggest one of all, letting Parkinson’s become the center of every interactionThat last one matters enormously.Parkinson’s affects medication, sleep, meals, schedules, travel, intimacy, safety, energy and plans.So naturally, couples talk about Parkinson’s.But if every conversation eventually becomes about symptoms, medications, appointments and limitations, something else can quietly disappear:The relationship.You stop being husband and wife.You stop being partners.One person becomes the patient and the other becomes the manager. Carmen also shares the care partner side of this honestly.Care partners get tired.They get frustrated.Sometimes they help too quickly.Sometimes their tone is wrong.Sometimes they need five minutes in another room. 😄And that doesn’t mean they’re failing.It means both people in this relationship are human and both people need support. Because managing Parkinson’s matters.But protecting the relationship matters too.Parkinson’s may live in the house.It does not deserve to sit at the head of the table.For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today.🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔴Get information about the Inner Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠▶️ Video Podcast Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Audio Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.”⚠️ Important NoteThis is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider.#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips

With Parkinson’s, the first hour of your day can have a bigger impact than you realize.You wake up stiff.Your brain feels foggy.Your medication hasn’t kicked in yet.And before breakfast, you’re already trying to figure out whether today is going to be a good Parkinson’s day or one of those days.But sometimes it isn’t one big thing making mornings harder. It’s a handful of small habits quietly stacking against us before the day even gets going. In this episode of Living with Parkinson’s: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality, I share five morning mistakes that can make Parkinson’s symptoms feel harder and the simple changes that can help you start the day with less friction.We talk about:• Starting the day too fast when your body hasn’t fully come online yet• Waiting too long to move and allowing stiffness to build• Getting medication, breakfast, protein, and timing tangled together• Why hydrating early can matter for fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, and energy• The surprising mental mistake I didn’t realize I was making every morningAnd that fifth one may be the most important.Stop waking up and immediately putting your body under investigation.How stiff am I?Is my walking worse?Is that tremor new?Why does my leg feel different?Are my meds working?Is this progression?There’s a difference between noticing your body and interrogating it.Sometimes we can become so focused on figuring out what might be wrong that Parkinson’s gets the microphone before we’ve even brushed our teeth. You’ll also hear Carmen’s Care Partner Corner, with Carmen joining me to talk about why mornings affect the entire household and how care partners can help create a calmer start without turning the routine into another source of pressure.And she brings a Carmenism:"With Parkinson’s, sometimes the morning routine isn’t a routine at all. It’s more like a group project where one person forgot the instructions and the other person is pretending not to be annoyed." 😂The goal isn’t some perfect morning routine.No flawless sunrise.No lemon water, yoga, gratitude journal, and violin playing softly in the background.Just a morning that stops working against you. For more Parkinson’s tips, tools, and community support, visit:🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You’ll find guides, community resources, and practical strategies to help you keep doing life today.🚨 Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🏠 Join The Club by Doing Life Today for Parkinson's support, tools, and community:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://club.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔴Get information about the Inner Circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dolifetoday.com/inner-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔔 Subscribe for weekly motivation and support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3262ymG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠▶️ Video Podcast Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4h27D3y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Audio Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcast.dolifetoday.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“With Parkinson’s, medication is like coffee. It’s not about how strong it is. It’s about when you take it.”⚠️ Important NoteThis is my personal Parkinson’s journey. What works for me may not work for everyone. Parkinson’s is different for each person, and medication plans should always be discussed with your doctor or healthcare provider.#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #ParkinsonsIsolation #LivingWithParkinsons #ParkinsonsPodcast #ParkinsonsSupport #ParkinsonsTips