My PD Story

I was 42 years old and newly single. I had a high-pressure job I was excelling at, and my body was in top shape. But my left hip was so tight all the time, my tennis serve was off, and I was having a hard time keeping the rhythm in spin class.  

I chalked it up to excessive exercise, or my new sports car with the heavy clutch. But then my toes started to move by themselves, which was curious. And a friend standing behind me mentioned that my left arm was not swinging when I walked. Soon I started to really have to think about picking up my left foot.   

Even though my grandmother and aunt had Parkinson's disease (PD), and I was displaying the textbook early signs, I was flabbergasted at my own Parkinson’s diagnosis.  

I found a great doctor whose treatment was heavy on exercise, and light on medication. I went to a Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s, event, where I met people who were just living their lives, incorporating Parkinson's into their planning and decision making, but not being ruled by it.  

I went to the World Parkinson's Conference and saw how many treatment options were available, or in development. I started medication, and continued to live my life, just with more pills and more exercise.   

In the years that followed, I put a lot of work into my wellness to prove to myself that this wasn't a death sentence. I continued to excel in my career, make friends, I dated, I bought my dream house, I met the love of my life, we adopted a puppy and got married.  

I'm retired now, to focus on my health, and spread the word that there is life after diagnosis. It's not easy, there are setbacks. I wish we as a community didn't have to do this. But with determination, pharmaceuticals and new technology, the future isn't as bleak as it may have seemed the day I was diagnosed. 

Young-onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD) occurs in people younger than 50 years of age. Learn more.