My PD Story

Dream. Believe. Achieve. Succeed. This is my mantra. I have these words mounted above a window in my home. I live by these words, even more so now, since I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

I am someone who dreams big, sets goals, puts a plan in place to achieve those goals and then works her tail off to ensure those dreams come true! With Parkinson’s, I’ve had to become more flexible, adjusting and modifying my goals and making changes as necessary.

Being a runner/walker all my life naturally led to some lofty goals. One example is my dream to complete a marathon (yup, that’s 26.2 miles) in all 50 states. About halfway through my journey, after finishing the Oh Boy Marathon in Connecticut, I caught a red eye to Los Angeles.

I arrived just in time for a quick shower followed by an intense shareholders meeting — in which I played an essential role as Chief Financial Officer. Walking (more like staggering) to the hotel after that meeting I noticed a slight tremor in my left hand. It was easy to write it off as stress or exhaustion from the previous day’s events. 

A few more tremors, a couple of doctor visits later, and a DaTscan resulted in my PD diagnosis shortly thereafter. My 50 states goal did not change but I knew I would have to work harder to make it happen. 

I found that out during a race around mile 20 when my gait and balance started to suffer. Other concerned racers asked if I needed help or medical attention. I thanked them for their concern and said, “This is what Parkinson’s looks like; help us find a cure.”

I made a shirt that says, “50 States Countdown Fighting Parkinson’s 1 mile at a time.” Now, when I wear it, people come up to me and say, “You’re such an Inspiration” or “I can’t believe you’re doing this” or “My Dad/Aunt/Brother/Friend…has PD, can I tell them your story?”

One of the reasons I joined Parkinson’s Champions is to team up with other athletes with PD and be part of a louder voice in raising awareness and advancements in the Dream to end Parkinson’s.

For the past six years I’ve been doing everything I can to fight off Parkinson’s. In addition to putting in the long training miles needed for the marathons, I’ve added cycling classes, lap swimming, and line dancing to my exercise regime.  

Through the Parkinson’s Foundation I’ve found a Rock Steady Boxing gym, ping pong tournaments and the annual Sole Support Walk that I participate in. My physical therapist uses the tag line “Exercise is Medicine” and we both believe that my rigorous workouts have helped me keep my Parkinson’s symptoms at bay.

I firmly Believe that in a few months, my Dream of completing 50 marathons in 50 states will be Achieved.  I will Succeed in finishing that last marathon with family and friends close by to help me celebrate.  But the Dream won’t stop here, and neither will Parkinson’s.  I will continue to fight this disease with everything in me, while doing my best to encourage and inspire others to do the same.