by Al Van Dyk | Sep 25, 2016 | Attitude is Everything
Nearly 4200 in attendance from over 60 countries coming from as far away as South Africa, Australia, and Japan, everyone at the Forth World Parkinson’s Congress held in Portland Oregon was bound by a common thread. These statistics certainly are impressive but this one image, a photo by Anders M. Leines entitled This is Parkinson’s, captured the essence of the entire event. Mr. Anders M. Leines, who also suffers from PD, challenged the misconception that PD is predominantly an old person’s disease. It is simply not true.
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by Al Van Dyk | Sep 19, 2016 | Pivot Points
It must be my turn to start a new chapter in my life. It’s starting to feel like a whole new book. This week, Lisa and I will be spending the week in Portland, Oregon at the World’s Parkinson’s Congress as the guest of US World Meds. I have been invited to be a Patient Advocate, which means that I am a patient that will be telling my story with respect to the positive benefits of the drug Apokyn that I have been taking for almost a year and a half. It’s a great company, with an exceptional product, and I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to provide a real-life story of success.
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by Al Van Dyk | Sep 11, 2016 | Attitude is Everything
Everyone has a story to tell. We are the product of not only the stories we tell but also the stories we hear. The act of telling our story can, in itself, bring healing simply because there is a healing power in story. Through story, we connect our lives with those around us and we become characters in their stories. What character do you play in the stories you tell?
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by Al Van Dyk | Sep 4, 2016 | Parkinson's Sucks
Sleeping is overrated any way! Aren’t we all meant to be awake at 4:00 am every day for no apparent reason? Unfortunately, sleepless nights and difficulty sleeping are symptoms frequently associated with Parkinson’s. For a long time, I thought it was because of the meds, but I have come to realize that it equally has to do with the disease itself. In a strange way, I am beginning to adapt to waking up every two hours or staying awake for extended periods of time. I even came up with four ways to get the most out of a sleepless night.
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by Al Van Dyk | Aug 28, 2016 | Vault
I used to have a thing for cars, not just any cars but the muscle cars of the 1960’s and 70’s. The faster the better. Even now, when I see a car on the road from a by-gone era, memories of people I used to know and places that I have been pop into my head. Loud exhaust; no problem, just turn up the radio! That was then; a lot of time has passed and I have yielded to the notion that a vehicle’s primary purpose is to provide transportation that will satisfy the needs of the entire family, not just my self-interests. After a brief tryst with a luxury German automobile, I am now in the practical phase of life. But those cars…
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