05/22/2026
Lloyd's book tour/ Spinning wheels tour in east coast
An important reminder to us all
Bye, Halifax.
As the flight takes off, flight attendents are showing us the safety instructions. Pull your oxygen mask down during emergency, and put your mask on first, regardless of who you travel with.
Have you put your oxygen mask on first
Parkinsonās disease manifest itself in different ways for everyone living with it. It is estimated to have 140 symptoms, some of the symptoms we can see, like tremor, rigidity, and balance issue; many of them are invisible. Some caused by the disease itself, others are the side effects of the drugs we take.
On this five-day trip, the most I heard from family and friends of people living with Parkinsonās, are concerns and frustration of the tip of the iceberg, those visible symptoms. Their tremor, their shuffling, their hunchover, their balanceā¦ā¦ are increasingly frustrating during this long cold winter.
What about those invisible symptoms, the big chunk of the iceberg hiding under the water? Apathy, anxiety, depression, hallucination, memory issue, executive function impairmentā¦ā¦ just to name a few. Because of these invisible symptoms, some stop driving, some stop going to parties and gatherings, some stop smiling, and some stop engaging in daily conversations.
A friend sent me a joke in the morning: āIf you feel depressed, go for a run. You will find out that your physical health is far worse than your mental health.ā Itās supposed to be a joke, but it pains my heart to read it. As we travel across the country to promote the benefit of exercise to Parkinsonās disease, we see this joke in reality, and we see people living with Parkinsonās disease, their physical health and mental health go downhill fast, while at the same time, we hear āI know exercise is good for my symptoms, but I have too much work to do, I donāt have time for it, I donāt have the habit to work outā¦ā¦ā.
If you find yourself saying these words, you know what could be changed to benefit yourself. Please put your oxygen mask on before you care for others.
Li
