Climbing Parkinson's Mountain Takes Faith

Robert Lever has appropriated the writing metaphor of climbing a mountain to navigating Parkinson's Disease (PD). Just as there are essential skills and equipment needed to climb a mountain, so are there multiple skills, attitudes, and belief systems necessary to climb the mountain of PD. Lever covers such aspects as exercise, medications, social support, and disease knowledge. In his contribution to PD literature and, more importantly, to the people and caregivers associated with PD, he identifies a relationship with Jesus Christ as an important therapeutic aspect that makes a significant difference. Jesus Christ is just as real as Sinemet and even more powerful. Climbing Parkinson's Mountain Takes Faith is valuable for those living with any chronic, debilitating disease, but especially for those who know or are fearful of the symptoms of PD. Lever is uniquely qualified, as a person living with Parkinson's Disease, to write on this subject, and as a man of faith, he knows people and cultures. The book is not a how-to narrative that proclaims, "If you follow my plan, your PD will go away." Rather, Lever exposes the pain and suffering that accompanies the disease, including a chapter on caregiving and one on end of life. He poses the question, "Does taking Jesus with you make any difference in climbing your personal PD mountain?" As a family physician who has treated PD patients and caregivers, I would reply that his book answers that question with a therapeutic affirmative. -F. David Clifford, MD