By Santhana Krishnan
CHELMSFORD, MA–For years, I kept my Parkinson’s private. Not because I was ashamed, but because I was busy trying to keep life moving — and figuring out how to live with it without letting it take over the whole stage.
If I’m honest, my body and I have had a complicated relationship. Polio as a child. ACL tear in 2013 while climbing Machu Picchu. Spinal surgery in 2022. Three torn shoulder ligaments in 2024.
At this point, my joints and I deserve a break.
Parkinson’s was confirmed in 2012. At least it gave me something to work with: low dopamine, medication, movement, monitoring — and a plan. I refused to let the disease dictate my boundaries or shrink my world. In a strange way, privacy gave me discipline. It helped me stay organized, stay active, and stay focused on living rather than worrying about labels.
So I leaned into life.
Since then, I’ve traveled 1.3 million miles — equivalent to circling the globe 52 times — visiting 153 cities across 38 countries. I founded the South Asian Art Gallery, promoting 125 artists and more than 5,000 artworks, donating over $550,000 to charities. In 2020, I founded Dwellin, an AI home management platform now used by more than 40,000 households in all 50 states.
These weren’t distractions. They were proof that a diagnosis is part of your story — not the whole book.
By 2025, my medication schedule had become a three-hour clock: One hour waiting for medicine to kick in. One good hour. One hour ramping down. You can only imagine what I tried to plan and accomplish in that one good hour.
I was taking 20 pills a day, and my world had shrunk into the gaps between doses.
Eventually, In 2025 I chose DBS — deep brain stimulation. It sounds scary, but it changed my life. The freezes are gone. Tremors steadier. Medication down to six pills a day. I’m no longer a slave to the clock.
To the next patient: Parkinson’s is real, but so is the rest of your life. You can still build, create, travel, and lead. The body may complain, but the spirit can always negotiate.
Lean on your circle. My wife, Nimmi, has been my steady center through every peak and valley. My daughters, Nikita and Natasha, keep me grounded. My doctors, physical therapists, and friends became my tribe.
What I’ve learned is simple: Parkinson’s may change the rules, but it does not get to write the whole story.
Look for the humor. Stay grateful. Stay persistent. Life goes on — and it remains beautiful, even with the tremors.
My motto is still the same: Live life every day.
(Santhana Krishnan is the founder and chairman of Dwellin and AI home management platform that rewards homeowners for taking care of their homes. Santhana also founded South Asian Art Gallery to support emerging artists from Southeast Asia.)
