Have a great weekend! Keep your sense of humor alive! It is critical to keep a smile on your face.

Do something fun for YOU this weekend. Believe in your ability to renew yourself and enjoy life. Keep the negative folks away this weekend. Don’t listen to their rationale for believing their negative thinking. You’re not making them be negative-they are.

It is always interesting when you discover that there are some people that blame others for their unhappiness, when it is their issue. People like to blame others when things go wrong in their lives. It takes the pressure off of them to change. If it’s the other person’s problem, they can keep spouting their crazy logic and try to bring you down with them.

Don’t go down with a sinking ship. Keep your head above water and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Your life holds infinite possibilities, regardless of your current circumstances. You can do anything you put your mind to do. Think outside the box. “Be Outstanding!” “Now let’s get going!”  xo Sally

Be grateful for your life, with all of its good and difficult times.

Be thankful that you have had the opportunities that you have had, and realize that without them you would not be who you are today.

Work on those problems in your life that you need to improve, because it is negatively impacting your relationships and your ability to move ahead.

Never stop making goals and believe that the best is yet to come.

You can create it. You can do it. Small steps of progress are better than no steps of progress.  You are amazing and you have the potential to be great!  Believe it!  "Now, let's get going!"  xo Sally

Regret is what it is. As we gain experience in life we often realize that what we thought we wanted, just wasn’t a good fit for the long haul.

When we are younger we think we know what is best for us. As we learn and grow, we learn that things are not so black and white, and not as simple as we once thought.

The truth is that what we may feel were mistakes in our lives, actually were not mistakes. They were stepping stones to a bigger learning process.

Not one of us can really predict the future and know exactly what is right for us at the right time. Living is a learning process. The good news is that we take our experiences, both good and bad, learn from them, and use that learning to create our next adventure.

Do not feel that any experience in your life has been a waste. They have all served their purpose. Those experiences continue to help you evolve into the person that you are today, and who you will be tomorrow. Love your life. Love yourself. Be all that you can be. You are amazing. Believe it! “Now let’s get going!”  xo Sally

It’s all about behavior. What you do-shows who you are.

If you want people to believe you, you have to practice what you preach. How many times have you been around people who talk up a storm; what they are going to do, what they are going to say, and the worst one is what they are going to do for you…and it never happens?

It does not matter whether you experience this at home; work, with your children or with whoever is in your life. What you have to realize is that you only end up believing what someone says, when their actions prove what they say to be true. This is also true for you as well as each one of us.

If you find yourself in a situation where you say something and people just raise their eyebrows and smile and you see a look of disbelief on the face that is looking back at you…there may be a problem. Pay attention to how much you are following through on those things you say you will do. It’s important to your credibility. It’s important to others in your life. Work on it! You can do it! You are amazing!

                                                                                                                             "Now let's get going!"  xo Sally

We all worry. When our worries preoccupy our mind we do not function well. Whether we are worried about a family member, a situation that we are in financially or a problem at work, worry prevents us from being able to focus on what we CAN do.

Worry does not help us solve anything. In fact worrying can make us physically ill. The proof of that is demonstrated in many ways; headaches, ulcers, stomach upset, and indigestion are just a few.

So what can we replace “worry” with? Try stopping for a minute and do some deep breathing. When you find your mind wandering back to the concern you have that worries you, force yourself to change your thoughts to something positive that is going on in your life.

Always remember to change those things you can, and let go of the things that you have no control over. It may be painful to come to the realization that you actually have no control over a situation that is causing you pain, but it may save your mental health. Do not sacrifice your health for issues that you cannot improve. You will have nothing left to give. You are better than that! You are amazing!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 “Now let’s get going!”  xo Sally

We all get frustrated at times. We get frustrated with family, friends and our situation. The best tool to use, to keep things in perspective is your sense of humor.

Realize that things could be worse, and the real value of difficult times is that they give us an opportunity to learn how to maintain your cool and “carry on.”

Today, focus on seeing the humor in things. You may have to dig deep in some cases, but for the most part you can see some humor in most things. Don’t let the person with the negative attitude get you down. When you find yourself in a conversation where others are being talked about, don’t participate. Keep yourself focused on positive thoughts and help others see the lighter side of life today.

In the worst of circumstances, you need to find a way to lift yourself up. The trick is to lift up others with you; don’t come down to a level of negative thinking.

Keep these things in mind today, and your mood will be brighter and your heart will feel lighter. “Where your Focus Goes…Your Energy Flows.”(Les Brown)  You are amazing. Believe it!  Now, let's get going!"  xo Sally

Being a caregiver to a loved one with Parkinsons Disease requires knowledge and skill to maximize your results. I know that caregiving can be overwhelming at times. Before you know it you can feel like you are the medical expert, the nurse, the therapist as well as the spouse or family member.

Caregivers fall into that category of being the “general expert,” regardless of the disease that they are dealing with, but with Parkinsons Disease it seems that there are some different challenges.

First of all you need to be the advocate for your loved one. You need to become aware that there are some medical professionals that understand Parkinsons, and there are many that don’t understand it. As a caregiver, you may find yourself feeling like you know more than many people that treat your loved one. That is frustrating, but that is the way it is.

Years ago, I used to think that it would be most beneficial to teach other medical professionals; therapists, nurses, and others about one of the cardinal issues with Parkinsons’ management, which is the timing of the patient’s medications.  I don't think that way anymore.  I think that the real power comes from teaching patients and caregivers how to manage this disease and empower them with confidence. 

For those of you who have had your loved one in the hospital, assisted living facility or skilled nursing unit, and needed to get your loved one’s medication delivered on a timely basis, that is one of the most difficult things. It rarely happens.

When a person is on standard Carbidopa/Levodopa, the effect in the blood plasma peaks around two hours and starts to wear off around four hours after taking the medication. There are variations to that, depending on what formulation of the medication you are taking. But if you need your loved one to take their medication four times per day, you would obviously need to have them taken during the waking day; let’s say at 7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm. In a hospital, it will never happen. In other types of facilities it may have a better chance of happening, but it requires constant attention…and that can be overwhelming.

My message right now is start where you are. Go into the Free Forms section of the web site and take advantage of some of the forms there. Develop a plan with goals to improve your loved one’s situation. Identify the problems you are struggling with and send me an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Let’s work on some of your problems and develop some solutions. I will be glad to focus on what you need me to talk about!

                                                                                                                       Just let me know what you need! xo Sally

Parkinsons Disease is a topic I can really help you with.  I have worked with patients and caregivers who have had to manage this disease for many years.  It is a challenge.  The good news is that there are many treatments available for Parkinsons Disease and you need to take advantage of them.  We'll be reviewing some of that information this month.

 Let’s start with a brief discussion of what Parkinsons Disease is and what it isn’t.

Parkinsons Disease is a neurological disorder where the brain has had a loss of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that supports movement, balance and influences a number of additional bodily functions and functional behaviors that we depend on. The problem with dopamine is that when our brain loses it, it is not regenerated. We can go along for a number of years, while the dopamine is not working and the cells are dying off, without noticing much of a change in our ability to function. It is believed that when the dopamine is approximately 70%-80% gone, people start to experience problems with a number of things. Balance, coordination, energy, speed of movement, are some of the more noticeable problem areas.

One of the first sensory changes that a person may experience, when Parkinsons Disease is evolving, is the loss of the sense of smell. There are “smell” tests that many neurologists have patients complete in their office, when a person is recognizing changes in their ability to function. If the olfactory (smell) capability is diminished, other clinical tests may be done. But, one of the most frustrating things people go through, when they are early in their diagnosis, is learning that there are no definitive objective tests that can be done to certify that a person has Parkinsons Disease. There are scans that can be done of the brain to rule out other potential problems, like a brain tumor, but the best way to manage Parkinsons Disease early on is to get educated about the condition, and learn not to be afraid of the diagnosis.

With the proper education and treatment you can get in “front” of this disease and control it, before you feel like it is controlling you. You need to start out with the right type of doctor. If your primary care physician is the doctor that first brings the thought of you having Parkinsons to your attention, it is time to see a specialist.

It is not wise to start taking medication for Parkinsons Disease, prescribed by your primary care physician, without investigating your clinical symptoms thoroughly. Some primary care physicians may think a person with a tremor, may have Parkinsons Disease. Because of the tremor, they may prescribe Carbidopa/Levodopa and tell you to “try it.” Some patients have told me that their primary care physician did that, and also said ”if this medication helps you, then you have Parkinsons Disease.” That is an over simplification of the condition.

Best medical care should be received by a neurologist that specializes in Movement Disorders. Sometimes it requires some “doctor shopping,” to find the doctor that works best with you. There are a number of medications available to treat Parkinsons Disease, and we will discuss the various drugs throughout the month. If you have questions, please submit them through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will answer the questions in this blog. Keep your chin up and your spirits high…because you and your caregiver can improve your situation. Believe it!   “Now let’s get going!” xo Sally