Welcome to the 3rd episode in our 3-part series on inspirational people living their best lives with Parkinson’s. We’ve highlighted a woman who climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and biked across Iowa 6 times and a woman who took up Ping Pong and won gold. She will be defending her title next month in Berlin. Good luck Margie Alley!

On this episode, we speak to an inspirational woman who took up painting after her tremor disappeared with DBS. She finds that painting is calming and helps with other symptoms. And, she has become a real student of her new craft – improving, exploring and being bold with her creativity. 

The image for this podcast is one of her paintings. It depicts the mechanical hardware used during her DBS surgery.

Listen on. I hope this episode, as well as the others, inspires you to do something you haven’t done before.

The working title of this episode was "Ping Pong Phun". Instead we named it the same title as the guest's documentary which is a much better title and reflects our guest, Margie Alley's, motto.

This episode is second in our summer of inspiration series. We hope you listened to the last episode featuring an inspirational woman who climbed Mt Kilimanjaro after her diagnosis and has a great way of looking at life. On this episode, we speak with a woman on the opposite coast of the U.S. and took on the challenge of learning Ping Pong which led to a gold medal in an international tournament. She will be defending her title in Berlin this year. Talk about a challenge and an anxious provoking experience. Wow. Plus, there is a chance encounter and meaningful conversation with Michael J Fox which will turn out to be beneficial at a later date. Again, listen on and prepared to be inspired as our guest opens up about her life, what challenges she faces and how she found and uses Ping Pong to help.

We are in the middle of summer and a great time to listen to podcasts on those road trips, beach vacations and long walks.  So, the Parkinson’s Experience has lined up an exciting three-part series featuring inspiring people living their lives with Parkinson’s disease.

Nan Little is my first inspirational guest. She asked a great question at the end of the episode  - how are you going to live?

Everyone faces challenges in their life. Some face multiple challenges at once or over time. It’s what we do, how we react to these life challenges that matter. Nan Little is a woman who got busy after her Parkinson’s diagnosis and is a true inspiration.  A self-described non-athlete, she has biked across Iowa six times and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro among other ambitious activities. She took what life gave her and decided to take control of her disease and work to help others do the same. I had been looking forward to speaking with her and she exceeded my expectations. Listen on and be prepared to be inspired.

Whether you can sing or can't hit a note. It doesn't matter to this exclusive club. You can only join if you are a Person with Parkinson's or a family member or friend. It's called Tremble Clefs and it's more than just singing.

Music therapy is at the heart of this wonderful program. Parkinson’s disease tends to decrease voice volume. A monotone voice quality is another common symptom. In this episode, we learn from an expert in music therapy, different than just singing, about how we can improve voice, rhythm, movement, breathing, posture, facial expression, and memory when we participate in a PD choir. Oh, and you’ll feel good as well from being part of a community all practicing the same songs and moving to the rhythm of the beat.

In this episode, we discuss not letting Parkinson's win. There is a new, make a wish type program for Parkinson's patients founded by a passionate advocate for the community and owner of a PD gym. What do you want to do again that PD has taken from you?

Exercise is the only thing proven to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Regular listeners of “The Parkinson’s Experience” will know we have featured PD gyms across the country devoted to helping People with Parkinson's (PwP) fight the good fight. This episode will be different so please take a  listen. It is very inspiring. Why? Well, the founder of DopaFit in Massachusetts who ,in addition to creating an amazing fitness center, has dedicated his life to Parkinson’s patients and has a passion for giving back to the community. Besides some of the normal activities like raising money and advocacy, he started an initiative to give PwP a chance to do something they once loved but thought they can’t do again. It’s called "Limitless". Warning: you might feel really good after listening to this episode – and inspired.

For more information on Dopafit and Limitless, please visit the website: http://dopafit.com/ 

What if a simple skin biopsy test could provide a deeper story about your health? The answers that the neurons in the skin can provide is amazing and has helped neurologists feel more confident in diagnosing a neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s. It certainly is less invasive than other tests used to confirm a diagnosis. 

Why is this important? The earlier the diagnosis, the faster you and your doctor can start planning your treatment and path to better outcomes.  Also, it provides a quick, painless way to understand if a medication in clinical trials is working. That can result in drugs making it to the market faster. Something we all would like to see happen.

In this episode, we speak with one of the neurologists behind this new testing technique. He explains the who, what, where, how and why the skin has the answers. He explains why we should pay attention to it. Even if you have a diagnosis, find out why this skin test may help physicians detect and treat neurodegenerative diseases easier, safer, and more effectively than ever before.

How’s your handwriting? Has it worsened over time? Mine has. In fact, that was one of my first clues that I may have Parkinson’s. Small handwriting is a symptom of PD and it can be frustrating. It may also mean a decrease in hand strength. Legible handwriting is still very important skill and a source of pride. In this episode we speak with a person who is dedicated to helping PwP improve their handwriting through workshops and workbooks and a PwP who has taken the classes.  In a matter of a few weeks, people will be able to read your writing again.

People with Parkinson’s have a 2-9 times increased risk of falls than a healthy person of the same age. This can be due to freezing of gait which occurs in about 40% of patients on average. Do you experience times where you just can’t move, can’t just take the next step for short or longer periods of time?  Let’s explore why and how you can help yourself without necessarily increasing or adding medications. In this episode, we will hear from the inventor of an innovative device to help with freezing and falling as well as a PD patient who uses it to maintain his active lifestyle.

More information visit: https://www.getnexstride.com/ 

Do people ask you to repeat yourself frequently? Do you think you are talking loud enough for others to hear? This is not uncommon in PwP. It has been estimated that approximately 90% of all Parkinson’s patients will experience speech issues at some point in their journey with this disease. Some people don’t know they are speaking softly and/or not clearly so others can understand. This can lead to poor communication and social isolation. Speech therapy can and does help. However, now there is a new wearable device available that is proven to increase volume and clarity in your voice. In this episode, we speak with a clinical speech-language pathologist and a PwP using this device. 

In this episode we tackle the extremely important topic of caregiving. Being a caregiver or care partner is often challenging and offers its own journey. It can be exhausting, frustrating, fearful, painful, as well as joyful, hopeful and rewarding. This is true for all caregiving not just for our love one’s with Parkinson’s disease. Today you’ll hear from someone who has experienced all the humanness of being a caregiver and ended up making it her life’s work to help all of us with the complex feelings that come with being a caregiver. She has written best selling books on the topic and created an online community. We often say to PwP “you aren’t alone.” My guest today will tell you that is as important for caregivers.